The glint of gold on Chloe’s wrist caught the midday sun filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Dallas mansion. She sat on the plush velvet couch, swirling a glass of cabernet while staring blankly at the far corner of the master bathroom. Her face was entirely motionless, devoid of warmth or concern. A few feet away, submerged beneath the cold surface of a custom glass water tank, a tiny eight-month-old infant kicked frantically. Bubbles rose in rapid, desperate bursts toward the rim. The child's mouth opened in silent, suffocating cries against the thick glass, yet Chloe simply took another calm sip from her glass.

Chloe: Keep splashing, little brat. Maybe your daddy will hear you when he gets back from his meeting.

She checked her watch, her expression cold and indifferent. Across town, tires screeched against the scorching asphalt. Victoria pushed her compact car to its absolute limits, running two red lights as her hands gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled desperation. Her phone lay face up on the passenger seat, showing an anonymous text notification with an attached video stream. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, every second feeling like an eternity. Something was terribly wrong at the estate, and the maternal instinct screaming inside her made her hit the gas harder.

Victoria: Please, God, let me make it in time. Please don't let her touch him.

She pulled up to the grand stone driveway, slamming the brakes so hard the rubber smoked. Before her vehicle even stopped rolling, she threw the driver-side door open and sprinted up the marble steps. Right behind her, two black-and-white squad cars pulled in with sirens blaring, spray-painted gravel flying through the air. Victoria didn't wait for the officers to lead. She threw her entire body weight against the heavy mahogany double front doors, forcing them open into the vast, silent foyer.

Victoria: Officers! In here! Hurry, please!

Officer Miller: Ma'am, stay behind us! We're entering the residence!

Victoria: No time! The bathroom! Up the stairs!

She tore up the floating staircase, her heavy breath echoing in the quiet luxury house. Chloe didn't even flinch at the noise from the hallway. She merely adjusted her designer dress and watched the water tank with a bored sneer. Victoria burst into the master suite, her eyes scanning the room until they locked onto the glass tank in the corner. Her world shattered in an instant. The baby’s movements were slowing down, his tiny hands desperately pressing against the glass from inside the water. Victoria dropped to her knees with a blood-curdling scream, her hands clawing frantically at the water's edge.