Black Maid Found Mafia Boss’s Daughter Locked In A Dog Cage — Unaware her father would change everything.

Chapter 6

Hannah clutched Sarah’s arm, shaking her head. “It’s okay,” Sarah told her. “I’ll be right back. Stay here and finish your apple.”

The girl reluctantly let go. Sarah followed Alexander down the hall to his office. The door closed behind them with a soft click.

“You were in here earlier,” he said. Not a question.

“Yes. I’m sorry for snooping.”

“What did you see?”

Sarah hesitated. What if she was wrong? What if she’d put Hannah — and herself — in more danger? But she thought of the fear in Hannah’s eyes at the mention of Mrs. Hartley.

“On the security footage from the warehouse,” she said carefully, “I saw Mrs. Hartley. She was there.”

Alexander’s face didn’t change. But something hardened in his eyes. “Are you certain?”

“Yes. And Hannah confirmed it. She made a gesture — like someone telling her to be quiet. When I asked if it was Mrs. Hartley, she got scared.”

He turned to the wall of monitors and rewound the footage, stopping at the moment Sarah found the cage. He pointed to a shadowy figure in the background. “That’s her.”

Sarah nodded. “She’s wearing different clothes, but that’s her face.”

Alexander zoomed in. The image was grainy, but clear enough. He spoke into a small device on his wrist — his voice calm, carrying an undercurrent of danger that made Sarah step back. “Marcus. Mrs. Hartley. My office. Now.”

Then, to Sarah: “Go back to Hannah. Keep her in the living room.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Find out if my housekeeper of ten years helped kidnap my daughter.” His jaw tightened. “And if she did — make her tell me who she’s working for.”

The cold determination in his voice frightened her more than shouting ever could. She touched his arm. “Alexander. Remember, Hannah is here. Whatever you do—”

“I won’t forget who I am,” he said quietly. “Or what I’m capable of.”

That was exactly what worried her.

She returned to Hannah and forced a smile. “How about we watch a movie?” She found a children’s movie on the massive TV, and Hannah curled against her side. But Sarah’s mind wasn’t on talking animals. It was on what was happening in that office.

Ten minutes later, she heard raised voices. A crash. Then silence.

Hannah tensed, eyes wide with fear.

“It’s okay,” Sarah lied. “Just the TV.”

Neither of them believed it.

A few moments later, Marcus appeared in the doorway — the head of security, the first man through the warehouse door. His face was expressionless, but there was a new tension in his shoulders. “Mr. Sterling would like to see you. Alone.”

“I can’t leave her.”

“I’ll stay with Miss Hannah,” he said, his tone softening slightly. “She knows me.”

Sarah followed the hallway back to the office, heart pounding. The door was open. Alexander stood with his back to her, looking out at the city. There was no sign of Mrs. Hartley.

“You were right,” he said without turning around. “She was involved. Paid to report on Hannah’s schedule, to leave a service door unlocked the day of the kidnapping.”

“By who?”

He turned. The expression on his face made her take a step back. It was the face of a man she’d only glimpsed until now — the man behind the rumors about Sterling Group’s darker connections.

“My half-sister,” he said. “Victoria wants to destroy me. And she almost succeeded.”

The next three days fell into a rhythm. Mornings with Hannah — helping her eat, bathe, play. She still wouldn’t speak, but her eyes followed Sarah everywhere, and she’d panic if Sarah left her sight too long. Alexander appeared in the evenings, exhausted but determined to spend time with his daughter. He was awkward with her, a man more comfortable in boardrooms than playrooms. But he tried. Sarah saw that.

On the fourth night, as Sarah tucked Hannah into bed, the girl did something that stopped her heart. She made a small drawing motion with her hand.

“You want to draw?”

Hannah nodded — the most communication she’d offered since Sarah found her. Sarah produced a notebook and crayons, and Hannah hunched over it, concentrating with fierce intensity. When she finished, she handed it over.

It was a crude drawing of three figures holding hands. A tall one in black. A small one in pink. And a medium one holding what looked like a mop.

“Is this your dad?” Sarah pointed at the tall figure. A nod. “And this is you?” Another nod. “And is this me?”

Hannah nodded more vigorously. Sarah’s throat tightened. She’d drawn them as a family.

“It’s beautiful, Hannah. I love it.”

But there was something at the bottom of the page she couldn’t ignore. A dark square with stick figures inside. “Is this the cage?” Sarah asked carefully.

Hannah nodded, her eyes growing fearful. Then she pointed to a figure standing outside the square — a stick figure with long hair.

“Who’s this?”

Hannah mimicked sweeping — a cleaning motion. Then she shook her head violently, pointed to her mouth, and made a zipping motion.

A cleaner who told her to be quiet. Who knew she was there.

Before Sarah could ask more, the bedroom door opened. Mrs. Hartley stood there, eyes narrowing at the notebook in Sarah’s hands.

“Mr. Sterling wishes to speak with you,” the housekeeper said coldly. “In his office.”

Sarah kissed Hannah’s forehead. “I’ll be right back, sweetie. Try to sleep.”

As she walked past, Mrs. Hartley grabbed her arm — her nails digging in. “Be careful what you go looking for,” the housekeeper whispered. “Some secrets are kept for a reason.”

Sarah pulled away. She walked to the office and laid the drawing on Alexander’s desk. “Hannah drew this,” she said. “The figure outside the cage — a cleaner who told her to be quiet. I think she’s trying to tell us something about the kidnapping.”

He went very still. “Explain.”

“Your security footage. Mrs. Hartley. She was there.” Sarah took a breath. “And Hannah just drew someone who told her to be quiet.”

The change that came over him was terrifying. His face didn’t move, but something behind his eyes shifted from businessman to something much darker. He picked up his phone, pressed a single button. “Marcus. Mrs. Hartley. My office. Now.”

He turned to Sarah. “Wait in Hannah’s room. Lock the door. Don’t open it for anyone but me.”

Sarah hurried back and locked the door behind her. Hannah was already asleep, clutching her drawing against her chest. Ten minutes later, Sarah heard shouting. A crash. Then silence.

She pulled Hannah closer, ready to hide her if necessary. When the knock finally came, she was shaking.

“Sarah.” His voice. “It’s me.”

She opened the door. He stood there — his knuckles bloodied, his tie loosened.

“Is she—” Sarah couldn’t finish.

“She’s being questioned,” he said flatly. “She claims she didn’t know what they planned to do.”

“Do you believe her?”

“No.” The coldness in that single word chilled her to the bone. “She won’t be a problem anymore.” He stepped closer, and the tension in his shoulders said the rest. “But whoever is behind this is still out there. And now they know you’re involved.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re in danger.” He hesitated. “It means I need you to stay close. For Hannah — and for your own safety.”

Something had changed between them. The gratitude was still there, but now it was mixed with something else. A shared secret. A shared danger.

“Who would do this?” Sarah asked. “Who hates you enough to hurt your daughter?”

His laugh was hollow. “You don’t get to my position without making enemies, Sarah. The list is long.”

But she could tell from his eyes. He knew exactly who was behind this. And he was planning something she probably didn’t want to know about.

“Get some rest,” he said. “Tomorrow will be complicated.”

As he turned to leave, she caught his arm. “Alexander. Whatever you’re planning — remember Hannah needs her father. Not her avenger.”

His eyes met hers, surprised by her boldness. Then, unexpectedly, he covered her hand with his. “You see too much, Sarah Williams,” he said softly. “It’s going to get you in trouble someday.”

Little did she know that someday would arrive much sooner than either of them expected.