Chapter 3 - The Appearance of Rosa
Just as Beatriz was about to step forward and crush the end of the fragile clothesline under her sharp stiletto heel to end it all, the iron door leading to the rooftop burst open. Rosa, the old maid who had served the Valdés family for thirty years, rushed out, panting heavily. Her hair was disheveled, and her panicked eyes darted around.
"I heard screaming from downstairs! What is..."
Rosa's words caught in her throat when she saw the horrifying scene before her. Lady Beatriz was standing with a smile by the ledge, while the young mistress, Elena, was suspended between life and death ten stories high. Without a second of hesitation, and completely ignoring Beatriz's threatening presence, Rosa rushed to the edge of the roof. The old woman dropped to her knees on the freezing concrete, extending her thin, wrinkled arms out into the void.
"Give me your hand! Elena, hurry!"
Rosa's scream carried a mix of pleading and panic. Elena tried to look up, but a massive gust of wind struck, making her body sway violently. The rope let out another dry "crack." Elena's shoulder joints flared with blinding pain, and her fingers had begun to go numb from the bleeding.
"I can't! I can't reach you!"
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Elena sobbed, a wave of despair washing over her.
"Yes, you absolutely can! Think of the baby in your belly! Give me your hand!"
