CHAPTER 2: The Little Girl Who Wouldn’t Let Go

Grace had changed during the last month. She no longer ran down the stairs in the morning. She stopped singing in the nursery.
Twice, Maria had found her sitting under the desk with the curtains pulled closed, listening for footsteps.
When Maria asked what was wrong, Grace would only say, "Ryan gets different when the house is quiet."
Maria did not accuse anyone without proof. She had worked for the Hayes family for five years and knew how rich houses protected their own walls. Still, she began staying closer to Grace.
She kept the baby monitor charged on the side table when Grace played downstairs, because the device could connect to the nursery camera and the hallway feed.
That afternoon, when Ryan had passed the nursery door, Grace had whispered, "Hide the red light."
Maria had understood too late. The small recording light on the monitor meant the camera had saved a clip.
Now, in the living room, Grace's fingers dug into Maria's apron.
"Don't let them take her," the child sobbed.
Eleanor's anger wavered, but pride steadied it again. "Ryan saw enough."
Ryan looked down. "I only told you what I believed."
Maria looked at him then. She saw fear behind his calm.