Chapter 1: Three Knocks
“Dad… is that you?””
The voice came from behind the locked doors at the end of the ballroom, and every glass in the room seemed to stop halfway to someone’s lips.
Only seconds earlier, Zoe had been the strange little girl everyone was politely ignoring.
Now she was the center of the room.
Darius stood with one hand wrapped around an old metal key, his fingers frozen against the brass lock.
He stared at Camille.
“Dad?”” he repeated.
Camille’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Around them, the engagement party had gone completely silent. Crystal chandeliers cast clean white light across the polished marble floor. White roses filled tall glass vases. Half-finished champagne glasses sat abandoned on silver tables.
Nobody moved.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody even whispered.
Zoe did.
“She called you Dad.””
Camille snapped her eyes toward the little girl.
“Zoe, come here.””
Zoe stepped backward instead.
Darius noticed.
He slowly removed the key from the lock.
“Camille,” he said, his voice low, “who is in that room?””
“No one.””
Darius stared at her.
“You heard the voice.””
“I heard something,” Camille replied.
“That wasn't ‘something.’”
Her hands trembled as she smoothed the front of her sparkling champagne gown.
“You're letting an eight-year-old scare everyone at my engagement party.””
Zoe shook her head.
“I didn't make it up.””
Camille turned sharply.
“Zoe, enough.””
Darius stepped between them.
“Don't talk to her like that.””
Camille looked at him as if he'd slapped her.
“Darius, please.””
The word sounded wrong.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Afraid.
Darius glanced at the double doors.
Then back at her.
“You told me these doors haven't been used in years.””
“They haven't.””
“They're locked.””
“Yes.””
“And somehow there's a child behind them.””
Camille swallowed.
“There isn't.””
Darius almost laughed.
It came out as a dry breath instead.
“Then who's talking?””
No answer.
A woman near the champagne table finally whispered, “Camille…”
Camille ignored her.
Darius looked at Zoe.
“Tell me exactly what happened.””
Zoe hugged herself.
“I saw Camille put her purse beside the flowers.””
Camille's face tightened.
“Zoe—”
“I heard knocking.””
Darius nodded.
“How many times?””
“Three.””
“Then what?””
“I told Camille.””
“What did she say?””
Zoe looked directly at Camille.
“She told me not to tell anybody.””
A murmur rolled through the guests.
Camille's eyes flashed.
“That is not what I said.””
Zoe's voice became smaller.
“You said I was being bad.””
Darius looked at Camille.
“Why would you say that?””
“Because she was playing near a restricted area.””
“Restricted area?””
Camille hesitated.
Darius noticed.
“What restricted area?””
Camille looked toward the doors.
“I don't know.””
“You just said—”
“I don't know, Darius!””
Her voice cracked through the ballroom.
Everyone flinched.
Camille immediately lowered it.
“I mean… I don't know why I said that.””
Darius stared at her.
Then Zoe reached for his sleeve.
“There's something else.””
He crouched.
“What?””
Zoe looked around at the watching adults.
Then she whispered, “I heard her crying.””
Darius's expression changed.
“Who?””
Zoe pointed toward the doors.
“The girl.””
Camille closed her eyes.
Darius stood.
“Open the door.””
Camille shook her head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“I don't have the key.””
Darius looked down at the key in his hand.
“You're lying.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Darius…”
He stepped closer.
“Where did this key come from?””
“I don't know.””
Zoe answered before Camille could.
“I found it under her purse.””
Camille's face drained of color.
Darius looked at the key.
Then at the lock.
He inserted it again.
The metal clicked.
Camille grabbed his wrist.
“Don't.””
Darius looked down at her hand.
“Move.””
“Please.””
“What are you afraid I'll find?””
Camille's grip loosened.
Behind the doors came a faint sound.
A child's breath.
Then silence.
Darius turned the key slightly.
Camille whispered his name.
“Darius…”
He stopped.
The guests held their breath.
Then, from behind the doors—
Three slow knocks.
Darius's eyes widened.
The little girl behind the door spoke again.
“Dad…”
Darius turned toward Camille.
Her tears finally spilled.
And Zoe whispered the one thing that made everyone in the ballroom look at Camille differently.
“She knew your name.””
The lock clicked beneath Darius's hand.
May you like
But before he could turn it, Camille reached inside her purse.
And pulled out something that made Zoe scream.
