Chapter 1 - The Fall That Saved Her
Emily Carter never saw the maid coming.
One second, she was standing beneath the enormous crystal chandelier in the center of the Harrington estate ballroom.
The next second, two hands slammed into her shoulders.
Emily screamed as her pregnant body pitched backward toward the staircase.
Her husband’s relatives gasped.
Someone dropped a champagne glass.
Emily struck the carpeted steps hard and slid down three stairs before catching herself against the polished wooden railing.
Her hands immediately flew to her stomach.
“My baby.”
At the top of the staircase stood Rosa Martinez, the Harrington family maid.
Her face was white with terror.
Not guilt.
Terror.
Emily’s mother-in-law, Margaret Harrington, pointed at her.
“You pushed her.”
Rosa opened her mouth.
But before she could say a word, a violent metallic crack thundered from above.
Everyone looked up.
The ceiling seemed to explode.
The massive chandelier tore free from its mount.
Crystal shattered in every direction as hundreds of pounds of brass and glass crashed onto the exact spot where Emily had been standing.
The impact shook the floor.
Silence swallowed the ballroom.
Emily stared at the wreckage.
A jagged piece of metal had buried itself in the hardwood floor less than six feet from the staircase.
If Rosa had not pushed her, Emily would have been underneath it.
Rosa stumbled down two steps.
“I saw the cable moving.”
Her voice trembled.
“I didn’t have time to explain.”
Emily stared at her.
“You saved me.”
Then the ballroom doors burst open.
Nathan Harrington rushed inside.
Emily’s husband looked from the destroyed chandelier to his wife sitting on the stairs.
Then his eyes found Rosa.
His expression twisted instantly.
“You pushed my wife.”
Rosa froze.
“Nathan, listen to me.”
He stormed toward her.
“You could have killed my child.”
Emily struggled to stand.
“She saved me.”
Nathan did not even look at her.
“You’re fired.”
Something fell from the inside pocket of his coat.
It struck the marble floor with a sharp metallic click.
Everyone looked down.
A pair of wire cutters lay beside Nathan’s polished shoe.
Caught between the blades were several fresh strands of braided steel cable.
The same silver color as the chandelier support wire hanging from the ceiling.
Nathan stopped breathing.
Emily stared at the cutters.
Then she looked at her husband.
“Nathan.”
His eyes slowly lifted toward hers.
The rage disappeared from his face.
Something colder replaced it.
Emily whispered.
“What did you do?”
Nathan reached inside his coat.
May you like
Rosa stepped between him and Emily.
When his hand came out again, he was holding a knife.
