Chapter 1 - The Drop
"Watch how fast she falls."
Celeste Ashbourne said it with a smile.
For one frozen second, nobody at the charity gala understood what she meant. Then her hands opened.
Six-month-old Lily slipped from the white blanket draped over Celeste's arms.
A woman screamed. Champagne glasses hit the marble. Daniel Ashbourne lunged across the edge of the grand staircase as his daughter dropped toward the lower landing.
"Lily!"
He caught her against his chest so hard that the impact knocked him to one knee. Lily wailed. Daniel bent over her, shaking, his cheek pressed to her tiny head.
"Shh. Daddy's got you. You're safe. You're safe."
His wife, Rachel, came running barefoot through the crowd. One of her silver heels had snapped off behind her.
"Give her to me. Daniel, give her to me."
"She's okay. I think she's okay."
Rachel touched Lily's face, her hands trembling. "Call 911. Now!"
Above them, Celeste stood on the staircase in a crimson evening gown, staring down as if she had simply dropped a napkin.
Then Daniel looked up.
Every guest in the room saw his face change.
He climbed the stairs two at a time.
"How could you do something so evil?"
Celeste stepped back. "It was an accident. I lost my grip."
"You threw her."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I watched your hands open."
"Daniel, lower your voice."
"You threw my daughter in front of a hundred people!"
Celeste's pearl necklace snapped when Daniel brushed past her. White pearls scattered across the black marble steps.
"You can't speak to me like this," she hissed.
Daniel stared at the pearls bouncing around his shoes. "Look at that. Your pearls on the floor, just like your dignity."
A few guests gasped.
Celeste's face went white. "You're ruining my reputation."
"You almost killed my child."
"Please. Not here."
"Especially here. Everyone should hear this. Don't you ever come near Lily again."
A gray-haired guest near the bar said, "She deserves to be locked up."
Celeste turned toward him with murder in her eyes.
Daniel pointed to the front doors. "Get out before I have security throw you out of your own house."
That finally shook her.
"My house?" Celeste whispered.
Before Daniel could answer, Rachel screamed from below.
Lily had stopped crying.
May you like
The baby's body went frighteningly still in Rachel's arms.
And across the room, Celeste smiled again.
