Chapter 4

I grabbed a bottle of red wine and swung it down against the floor.

From the wreckage I picked out the largest shard and climbed up the wine rack.

The edge was razor-sharp, and the moment I gripped it, it bit into my palm.

I caught hold of the iron frame around the vent and started sawing at the rusted mesh, shard against wire, bit by bit.

I don't know how long it took, but the mesh finally gave way, opening a gap just wide enough to crawl through.

My hand had gone numb by then. All I could feel was the warm wet running down it.

Teeth clenched, filthy with dust and blood, I dragged myself out through the duct.

The living room was empty, but the mess everywhere told me last night hadn't been a nightmare.

I ran all the way to the garage, and sure enough, the space was empty.

That Maybach was no ordinary car.

My mother had worked herself half to death her whole life and ended up with a serious respiratory illness, allergic to any harsh smell.

So two years ago I'd had it custom-built for her, eco-friendly interior, medical-grade air filtration.

I'd been waiting to give it to her when she got discharged next week, as her sixtieth birthday gift.

When the car came home, I didn't even dare wear perfume around it.

I laughed, so furious I could do nothing else, and turned to the corner where Aunt Melanie had tossed my phone after snatching it from me.

The screen was cracked at one corner, but it still lit up. It had just died from a dead battery.

I dug out the charger, plugged it in with shaking hands, and dialed her number.

It rang twice before she picked up, firecrackers and hollering going off in the background.

"Aunt Melanie, that car is my mother's sixtieth birthday gift. She can't breathe around harsh smells."

"Bring it back now and I'll let all of this go. Every bit of it."

A snort came down the line.

"That sickly mother of yours, how many days does she have left? What's she doing riding in a car that nice?"

"I'm going to have my son smoke in it, and what are you going to do about it?"

"Using your car does you a favor, blesses that junk of yours with a little luck. You should be grateful I didn't turn my nose up at it."

I forced the anger down. "Aunt Melanie, last time I'm asking—"

I didn't finish. Her voice cut in, shrill.

"You little wretch, you keep quiet. Don't you dare ruin my family's big day."

"Call and stir up trouble again, and I'll go to that hospital and tear the place apart around your mother!"

Then she hung up.

I looked down at my palm, cut to raw meat, and at the empty garage, and I smiled.

Fine. I hope you won't regret it.

I pulled up the back end of the car's onboard smart console.

The signal loaded for five seconds, and a red dot appeared on the screen.

The location showed my car parked at the entrance of the Grand Metropolitan Hotel. It had just stopped.

Ryan's wedding was clearly booked here, and the wedding car had just brought the bride to the venue.

The busiest moment, the biggest crowd.

I let out a cold laugh and opened the car's advanced controls.

Anti-theft, anti-hijack mode: on.

Rear electronic child locks: engaged.

Central control for all physical windows: locked.

My finger kept tapping, on, on, on, lock, lock, lock.

Until a line of green text flashed across the screen.

【Vehicle has entered security lockdown mode. Doors and windows locked. Can only be released by the owner's phone.】

I walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and watched the water rinse the dried blood off my hand.

The water ran pink, swirling in circles down the drain.

My phone rang out of nowhere. The caller ID said Aunt Melanie.

The moment I answered, I heard her on the other end, roaring in a blind rage.

"Sylvia, you little slut, what did you do? My son and daughter-in-law are locked inside the car!"