Chapter 12 - The Maid's Discovery
Two floors below, Maria, a veteran maid who had served the Valmont estate for over fifteen years, was moving briskly through the service corridors. She carried a steaming iron and a small sewing kit. The head wedding planner had discovered a minor tear in one of the bridesmaid's dresses and had frantically dispatched Maria to fetch the emergency repair supplies from the master utility closet in the private wing.
Maria hated the private wing on event days. It was always too quiet, a stark contrast to the lively chaos of the rest of the manor. As she walked down the long, carpeted hallway toward the utility closet, her experienced ears picked up a strange, rhythmic vibration.
It wasn't a sound, exactly. It was a dull, persistent thudding that seemed to travel through the floorboards.
Maria paused, frowning. She set her iron down on a side table and walked slowly down the corridor, following the vibration. As she rounded the corner toward the botanical solarium, the vibration transformed into a muffled, desperate pounding.
She hurried her pace, her heart quickening. When she reached the glass enclosure, she gasped in absolute horror.
Pressed against the thick, soundproof glass was a small boy in a ruined tuxedo. His face was red and streaked with tears, his mouth wide open in a silent scream as he violently banged his fists against the door.
"Mio Dios!" Maria whispered, dropping her sewing kit.
May you like
She ran to the door, grabbing the heavy brass handle and yanking it with all her might. It was locked tight. She looked at the boy, pressing her hand against the glass to comfort him.
"Hold on, niño! Hold on!" she yelled, though she knew he couldn't hear her.
