Chapter 1 - THE SIX MISSING MINUTES
The security footage began at 4:51 p.m.
I stood behind Sebastian’s desk with Lily against my chest.
Veronica stood near the closed door.
Nobody spoke.
On the wall screen, the linen corridor appeared empty.
Then I entered carrying Lily in her portable bassinet.
I hated watching myself.
I looked tired.
Not careless.
Not dangerous.
Just tired.
I placed the bassinet behind the linen carts, checked the space around it, set the monitor beside her, and kissed Lily’s forehead.
Then I hurried back toward the dining room.
At 4:57, Veronica appeared.
She looked both ways.
My stomach dropped.
She entered the linen room.
Thirty seconds later, she came out carrying Lily.
Not the bassinet.
My baby.
Lily was awake and calm against her shoulder.
Veronica carried her toward Sebastian’s staircase.
I made a sound I did not recognize.
Sebastian did not look at me.
His eyes stayed on the screen.
At 4:58, Veronica tried the basement door.
Locked.
She glanced at the camera.
Then another person entered the corridor.
A man in a gray delivery jacket.
His face was turned away.
He handed Veronica something.
A keycard.
One of the guards whispered, “That’s an executive access card.”
Veronica used it.
The basement door opened.
She set Lily on the top stair.
My hands started shaking.
“She left my baby on a staircase.”
Veronica snapped, “I was trying to teach you a lesson.”
Sebastian finally turned.
“A lesson?”
“You cannot bring an infant into a restaurant.”
“So you moved her?”
“I intended for security to find her.”
“You placed an eight-month-old child beside a staircase.”
“She can barely crawl.”
I stepped toward Veronica.
Sebastian moved between us.
Not to protect her.
To stop me from doing something I would regret.
The footage continued.
Veronica walked away.
The man in the delivery jacket stayed.
He looked down the stairs at Lily.
Then he looked directly into the camera.
I stopped breathing.
I knew that face.
“Daniel.”
Sebastian glanced at me.
“Lily’s father?”
I nodded.
Daniel Vega.
The man who had disappeared when Lily was six weeks old.
The man who had told me he was not ready to be anybody’s father.
On the recording, Daniel crouched beside Lily.
He did not pick her up.
He whispered something.
The corridor camera had no audio.
Then he walked toward the employee exit.
Veronica followed.
The image changed to the alley camera.
They stood beside a black SUV.
Daniel handed her an envelope.
Veronica opened it.
Money.
A lot of it.
Sebastian paused the video.
“Why would your manager take money from your child’s father?”
“I don’t know.”
Veronica laughed nervously.
“This is ridiculous.”
Sebastian zoomed in.
Daniel’s lips were visible.
He said four words.
Even without audio, I could read them.
MAKE HER LOOK UNFIT.
My stomach turned.
Then the security guard spoke.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“There’s someone at the employee entrance asking for Ms. Delgado.”
“Who?”
The guard looked at his tablet.
“Daniel Vega.”
Veronica closed her eyes.
Sebastian’s expression became frighteningly calm.
May you like
“Bring him downstairs.”
