THE PRICE OF A STOLEN CRUMB

I stared at Victor, completely paralyzed by the audacity of his lie. He had taken the receipt from his own ledger, planted it in my room, and used it to frame me.

Dominic looked at the receipt, then back at me. The betrayal in his eyes was absolute.

“Pack your things,” Dominic said. The coldness in his voice was worse than if he had shouted. “You have ten minutes to get out of my house. If I ever see you near Emma again, I won’t be so forgiving.”

“Dominic, please, he’s lying!” I cried, desperation clawing at my throat. I pointed a shaking finger at Victor. “He’s working with Vivienne! He moved my mother from her care facility last night so I couldn't tell you the truth. He’s planning to kill you by next Friday!”

Victor let out a sad, patronizing sigh. “She’s hysterical, Dominic. She’s making up wild stories to save herself.”

Dominic didn't even look at Victor. His eyes stayed locked on me.

“Five minutes, Lena. Now.”

I turned and ran up the back stairs to my small bedroom. Tears streamed down my face. I had lost. Victor had outplayed me, and now Dominic was going to die, and Emma would be sent away.

I grabbed my duffel bag and started shoving my uniforms into it.

Then, my door creaked open.

I spun around, expecting Victor’s men.

It was Emma. She was in her pajamas, clutching her grandmother’s blue purse. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying.

“Lena?” she whispered. “Are you leaving?”

I dropped the sweater in my hand and fell to my knees, pulling her into a tight hug.

“I have to, baby,” I sobbed softly into her hair. “Your daddy told me to go.”

“I know,” Emma sniffled. “I heard him.”

She pulled back and unclasped her little blue purse. She reached inside and pulled out a heavy, silver object.

It was the pocket watch. Dominic’s father’s watch.

I stared at it in shock. “Emma... where did you get this?”

“I took it,” she whispered. “Yesterday, when you were getting my coat from the closet. I saw it fall out of Uncle Victor’s pocket. I picked it up when he wasn't looking.”

My mind raced. Emma had the watch the entire time. When Victor confronted me in the closet, he hadn't realized it was missing yet because I had just picked his coat up.

“Why didn't you tell your daddy?” I asked.

“Because Uncle Victor told me a secret,” Emma said, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper. “He told me that if I ever made him mad, he would make Daddy go away, just like he made Mommy go away.”

The air left my lungs.

Emma’s mother hadn't died of a sudden illness three years ago. Victor had poisoned her.

And Emma had known. An eight-year-old child had been carrying the weight of a murderer’s threat in silence, hoarding food for her friends to feel some semblance of control, holding onto a stolen watch as proof.

“Emma,” I said, grabbing her shoulders gently. “I need you to be very brave. Can I take this watch?”

She nodded, pressing the cold silver into my palm.

“I’m going to fix this,” I promised her.

I stood up, zipped my bag, and walked back downstairs.

Dominic and Victor were still in the kitchen. Victor was pouring himself a cup of coffee, looking incredibly smug.

I walked straight past Victor and stood in front of Dominic. I didn't beg. I didn't cry.

I slammed the silver pocket watch down onto the marble island. The loud clack echoed through the room.

Victor’s coffee cup froze halfway to his mouth.

Dominic stared at the watch, the color draining from his face.

“I lied to you yesterday, Dominic,” I said, my voice ringing clear and steady. “I did see Victor with the watch. But I couldn't tell you, because he threatened to kill my mother if I spoke. But Emma saw it too. She’s the one who took it from his coat.”

Victor recovered quickly. “She stole that from my room! She’s trying to—”

“Shut up,” Dominic snarled. He didn't raise his voice, but the sheer menace in it made Victor snap his mouth shut.

Dominic picked up the watch. He turned it over, tracing the engraving on the back. Then, he looked at Victor.

Before Dominic could speak, the front doors of the estate blew open with a deafening crash.

Heavy boots pounded against the hardwood floors of the foyer. Men were shouting.