\u201cWhere is your mother?\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl\u2019s fingers tightened around the handle of the rose basket.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victoria pushed back her chair so quickly it scraped against the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake me to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me not to bring you to her unless you asked about Rosewood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victoria\u2019s heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRosewood.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out a small envelope.<\/p>\n
She placed it beside Victoria\u2019s wineglass.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom said you\u2019d know what this means.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victoria stared at the envelope.<\/p>\n
Her name was written across the front.<\/p>\n
VICTORIA ROSEWOOD.<\/strong><\/p>\n The handwriting was unmistakable.<\/p>\n Her hands began to tremble.<\/p>\n She hadn’t seen that handwriting in seventeen years.<\/p>\n It belonged to her older sister, Eleanor.<\/p>\n Eleanor had disappeared the night their father died.<\/p>\n Everyone had assumed she was dead.<\/p>\n Victoria slowly opened the envelope.<\/p>\n Inside was a single photograph.<\/p>\n Two little girls stood in front of the Rosewood estate, their arms wrapped around each other.<\/p>\n Victoria recognized herself immediately.<\/p>\n And beside her\u2014<\/p>\n Eleanor.<\/p>\n But there was something else.<\/p>\n On the back of the photograph, someone had written:<\/p>\n She isn’t dead. Victoria looked at the little girl.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n The girl smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cLily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLily\u2026 what?\u201d<\/p>\n The smile disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cRosewood.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria’s blood ran cold.<\/p>\n Before she could speak, the restaurant doors opened.<\/p>\n A woman stepped inside.<\/p>\n She wore a dark coat and held a black umbrella despite the fact that it wasn’t raining.<\/p>\n Her face was older.<\/p>\n Thinner.<\/p>\n But Victoria knew those eyes.<\/p>\n The wineglass slipped from Victoria\u2019s hand and shattered on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cEleanor?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman stopped.<\/p>\n For a long moment, neither sister moved.<\/p>\n Then Eleanor whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn’t have taken the ring.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Eleanor looked toward the gold rose-shaped ring on Victoria\u2019s finger.<\/p>\n \u201cThat ring wasn’t your family’s.\u201d<\/p>\n She took one step closer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt belonged to your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother died when I was six.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n Eleanor’s voice cracked.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s what they wanted you to believe.\u201d<\/p>\n Lily quietly stepped behind her mother.<\/p>\n Victoria could barely breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are \u2018they\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n Eleanor looked toward the restaurant windows.<\/p>\n Her expression suddenly changed.<\/p>\n Fear.<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria,\u201d she whispered, \u201cwe don’t have much time.\u201d<\/p>\n A black car had stopped outside.<\/p>\n Two men got out.<\/p>\n Eleanor grabbed Lily’s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cThey found us.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria stood frozen.<\/p>\n Eleanor looked directly at her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if they know you’ve seen me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She swallowed.<\/p>\n \u201cThey’ll come for you next.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWhere is your mother?\u201d The girl\u2019s fingers tightened around the handle of the rose basket. \u201cShe\u2019s outside.\u201d Victoria pushed back her chair so quickly it scraped against the floor. \u201cTake me to her.\u201d The girl didn\u2019t move. \u201cShe told me not to bring you to her unless you asked about Rosewood.\u201d Victoria\u2019s heart stopped. \u201cWhat…<\/p>\n
\nShe never left.
\nAnd she knows what happened that night.<\/strong><\/p>\n