Chapter 3 - The Maid in the Corridor
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I didn't wait for my mother’s answer. I pushed past her, leaving her standing in the study, and took the back stairs down to the service corridors.
The kitchens were a blur of chefs and catering staff. I ignored them all, walking straight toward the staff lockers.
“Where is the new maid?” I shouted, my voice echoing off the stainless steel appliances. “The one with the little girl!”
A terrified sous-chef pointed toward the laundry room.
I kicked the door open. A woman in a black and white uniform was hurriedly stuffing a coat into a duffel bag. She spun around, her eyes wide with panic. It wasn't Sophia. It was a woman I vaguely recognized from years ago—Clara, Sophia’s old roommate.
“Mr. Moretti,” Clara stammered, stepping back against the washing machines.
“Where is she?” I demanded, closing the distance between us. “Where is Sophia?”
Clara shook her head, tears spilling over her cheeks. “I can’t. Your mother said she would kill us. She said if you ever found out about Lily, she would take the girl away.”
My heart stopped. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.
“Lily,” I choked out, the reality hitting me like a freight train. “Lily is my daughter.”
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Clara covered her mouth, sobbing. “Sophia was pregnant when your mother forced her out. She’s been working three jobs just to keep Lily fed in hiding. I only brought Lily here tonight because my babysitter canceled and your mother demanded all staff work the party.”
I dragged my hands through my hair, a suffocating weight crashing down on my chest. I had a daughter. For three years, I had a daughter, and they were living in fear.
