Chapter 51
the silence in the hallway was heavier than before. i pressed my ear against the cold plaster, holding my breath as my heart hammered against my ribs. on the other side, the faint, raspy sound of breathing confirmed what my eyes had seen just hours ago. my daughter, mia, was asleep in her room, oblivious to the fact that i now knew where those peanut butter sandwiches had been going. i traced the faint, almost invisible seam in the wallpaper. whoever built this hidden space knew exactly what they were doing. my hands trembled as i felt for a latch, a button, anything that would open the wall from the outside. i needed to get that child out before whoever put them there came back. just as my fingers brushed against a small, loose floorboard, the floorboards behind me creaked. i froze, the blood draining from my face as a familiar voice whispered right by my ear.
