Chapter 2 - The Whisper of the Angel
Lily didn't look at the glittering guests. She didn't look at the tall billionaire or the angry lady in the shimmering dress. She walked straight across the polished marble floor on small, bare feet, her eyes wide, stopping right beside her mother.
She reached out and took hold of Evelyn’s black uniform skirt, burying her small face into her mother’s side.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Evelyn whispered, dropping to one knee on the cold floor to wrap her arms around her daughter, ignoring the quiet gasps from the guests watching the scene unfold. “Mommy’s right here.”
Celeste crossed her arms, looking down her nose at the mother and child. “How touching. But a tearful mother-daughter routine doesn't make a million-dollar diamond necklace appear.”
Mason looked down at the little girl. The harshness in his eyes softened for a fraction of a second, replaced by a deep, weary sorrow. He had no children of his own, but seeing the small girl clinging to her mother in terror touched something raw inside him.
“Evelyn,” Mason said gently, kneeling down so he was at eye level with both of them. “Did you see anyone else near Celeste’s suite after two o'clock?”
“No, Mr. Whitaker,” Evelyn replied, keeping her voice steady. “I changed the linens, placed the fresh towels, and left by two-fifteen. I went straight to the laundry room downstairs.”
Little Lily peeked out from behind her mother’s skirt. She looked at Mason, then her eyes drifted over to the grand fireplace mantle nearby.
Sitting atop the mantle was an exquisite, two-foot-tall porcelain Christmas angel, dressed in spun-gold lace, holding a golden harp. It was an antique piece that had belonged to Mason’s grandmother.
Lily raised a tiny, trembling finger and pointed directly at the porcelain angel.
“The pretty lady fed the angel,” Lily whispered.
The room went dead silent.
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Mason blinked, turning his head to look at the toddler. “What did you say, sweetheart?”
Lily pointed her finger higher, her small voice clear in the quiet room. “The mean lady in the shiny dress. I saw her through the big glass doors when I was waiting for Mommy. She took the sparkly snake necklace and fed it to the angel.”
