Chapter 3: Behind the Walls
Chapter 3: Behind the Walls
Late that night, the Sterling estate appeared peaceful.
Victoria hosted an elegant dinner for several influential investors, laughing effortlessly as classical music drifted through the mansion.
Meanwhile, Valerie quietly explored the property.
She remembered every inch of the estate from childhood.
One hallway caught her attention.
The air smelled faintly of bleach.
Fresh paint covered one section of the wall.
Someone had tried to hide damage.
Following the scratch marks she'd noticed earlier, Valerie slipped outside.
The trail led behind the fountain toward the old stone pillars.
Then she heard it.
A weak cough.
Barely audible.
She rushed toward the sound and pushed aside the lavender branches.
Her heart stopped.
Her mother sat inside a steel cage, pale, bruised, and barely conscious.
"Mom..."
Beatrice slowly lifted her head.
"Valerie..."
Within seconds, Valerie examined the reinforced padlock.
She could have forced it open.
Instead, she pulled out a small body camera from her backpack and switched it on.
She recorded everything.
The cage.
The bruises.
The empty water bowl.
The chains.
The hidden location.
Every second became evidence.
Then she called one person.
Her commanding officer.
May you like
"I need federal authorities," Valerie said quietly.
"And I need them now."
