Chapter 4 - The Linen Annex Trap
A sharp intake of breath echoed from inside the room, followed immediately by the heavy scrape of furniture sliding against hardwood floors. "Rachel?" the voice whispered back, urgent and disbelieving. "You... you were downstairs? You heard it?"
"I heard it," I replied, pressing my ear against the wood. "Who are you? Why are they keeping you locked in here?"
Before a reply could pass through the crack, a sudden flash of light swept across the far end of the hallway. Heavy, synchronized footsteps marched around the corner from the grand staircase. Security.
Panic surged through my veins. There was no time to run back to the laundry lift; the hallway was a straight, open corridor with zero cover. My eyes darted desperately from side to side until I spotted the narrow, half-open door of the linen annex directly across from Sofia’s room. I lunged forward just as the beam of a heavy tactical flashlight swept across the wallpaper where I had been standing a second earlier.
I slipped into the dark, fragrant interior of the linen annex, pulling the heavy door closed until it left only a hair-thin crack of light. Shelves stacked floor-to-ceiling with Egyptian cotton sheets and plush towels surrounded me, muffling the sound of my ragged breathing.
Footsteps stopped right outside the door. Through the gap, I saw the broad shoulder and tailored black sleeve of one of Luca’s elite personal guards. He paused, shining his light toward Sofia’s door.
"Everything secure?" a second voice grunted from down the hall.
"Quiet as a tomb," the first guard replied, tapping his knuckle against the doorframe of the forbidden room. "The boss wants extra eyes up here tonight. That little maid caused a scene downstairs, and he doesn't want anyone poking around the upper levels while the guests are still milling about."
May you like
"She’ll be dealt with tomorrow," the second guard muttered, turning away. "Let's check the terrace doors."
The footsteps faded slowly down the corridor, leaving behind a profound, ringing silence. I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against a stack of crisp white sheets, letting the overwhelming relief wash over me. But the danger hadn't passed. It had only just begun.
