Something in the way she said my husband's name sent ice through my veins. The casual familiarity. The hint of shared secrets.
"You're lying," I stated flatly. "All of you." I pulled out my phone, finger hovering over David Chen's number. "I own this resort. Every square inch of it. And I will tear it apart brick by brick until I find my daughter."
A flicker of uncertainty passed through the group. One boy in the back—I recognized him as Leo, a part-time server—caught my eye briefly before looking away, his face troubled.
I had found my first crack in their wall of silence.
I strode away from the pool area, my heels clicking against the stone path with military precision. The resort staff parted before me like water around a ship's bow. I could feel their confusion—I wasn't scheduled to be here, and the power dynamics were shifting beneath their feet.
"Mrs. Sterling," a woman intercepted me in the main corridor. "I'm Carla Mendez, resort supervisor. Is there something I can help you with?"
Her smile was professional but strained. Her eyes darted nervously to the security badge clipped to her blazer.
"My daughter," I said. "Madison Harrison. I need to know where she is."
"I'm not showing any check-in under that name," she replied smoothly. "The student group arrives tomorrow, as I understand it."
I studied her face. The slight tension around her mouth. The way she wouldn't quite meet my eyes.
"The security office," I said. "Take me there. Now."
"Mrs. Sterling, I'm afraid that area is restricted to—"
"I designed the security protocols for this building myself," I cut her off. "Override code Sterling-Alpha-7219. Now take me to the monitors."
The blood drained from her face. She knew that only the owner would have that level of clearance.
The security office was small but state-of-the-art. Three wall-mounted screens displayed rotating camera feeds from throughout the property. A young guard scrambled to his feet when we entered.
"Out," I ordered. He looked to Carla, who nodded tightly.
Once alone, I took the operator's chair and began typing, fingers flying across the keyboard as I accessed the system's backend. Carla hovered anxiously behind me.
"Mrs. Sterling, I really don't think—"
"Stop talking." My voice was ice. "Unless you want to explain why you're obstructing me from finding my daughter."
I pulled up the last twenty-four hours of footage, starting with the service entrances. Nothing unusual. Staff coming and going. Deliveries.
A soft knock at the door made me turn. Leo, the server from the pool, stood there, his expression tense.
"Mrs. Sterling?" he whispered, glancing nervously at Carla. "I think you should see this."
He slipped a folded napkin into my hand before Carla could stop him.
*Basement. Strange noises after curfew. I can guide you.*
I looked up at him sharply. His eyes were sincere, frightened.
"Show me the service corridor cameras," I demanded, turning back to the screen.
Leo stepped forward, pointing to a camera labeled SC-7. "This one. By the wine cellar entrance."
I rewound the footage to earlier that day. For several minutes, nothing. Then—
My breath caught. Michael appeared in the frame, accompanied by four students I recognized from Madison's class. Between them, they half-carried, half-dragged a limp figure.
Madison. Her head lolled forward, her body slack. Unconscious.
They moved quickly, pushing a janitor's cart ahead of them. As they approached a heavy door at the end of the corridor, they positioned the cart to block the camera's view.
The footage continued, showing them emerging minutes later without Madison, laughing among themselves as they headed back upstairs.
The timestamp read 4:17 PM. Hours ago.
"Where does that door lead?" I asked, my voice deadly calm despite the hurricane raging inside me.
Leo swallowed hard. "The old cellar storage. It's below the main wine cellar, part of the original property. Most staff don't even have access."
I stood, every muscle in my body coiled tight. "Take me there. Now."
Carla stepped forward. "Mrs. Sterling, I really must insist—"
I turned to her slowly, and whatever she saw in my eyes made her step back.
"My husband has my daughter locked in a basement," I said, each word precise and sharp as a blade. "Either help me find her, or stay out of my way."
As Leo led me toward the service elevator, I slipped my hand into my pocket, fingers closing around my phone. One text to David Chen, and my security team would descend on this place like an army.
But first, I needed to see for myself what was happening in that cellar. I needed to understand just how deep this betrayal went.
