At first, I thought I had simply lost my mind. But as I read through the email, a chill running down my spine, I knew this was something much more sinister.

The first three messages were clear as day. Father really [i]was[/i] behind everything. It had not been mere negligence; he had planned it all. As I read through those messages, I felt numb. I hadn't suspected he had gone that far, but still... it wasn't really a surprise. I had been nothing more than a tool to him. 

The fourth message was a bit unclear. Was "it" the family fortune? No... Grandmother had mentioned "it" in the first email. The fortune would not have any say in who owned it. My fingers caressed the necklace as my heart sank. Could it be...? 

The fifth message made me look all around my room. Perhaps the "stupid cow" was Mother. At any rate, someone was coming after me, and soon.

I leaped to my feet before realizing I hadn't the faintest clue of how to handle the situation. I needed to get out, and quickly. But my guards... apparently, they had been involved in my kidnapping in the first place. They could not be trusted. But how could I slip past them?

It was hopeless... I was a rich girl, helpless without the aid of her servants, and they were trained professionals. If they were trying to keep me in, there was no way I would be able to leave undetected. Unless...

I stood in front of the mirror again and clasped my hand around the gem in my necklace. "Help me," I whispered, "How can I escape without being caught? What do I have to do to save myself?" Perhaps it was the epitome of stupidity to beg a mirror for advice... but whatever I had seen before, it had already helped me, hadn't it?