Chapter 7 - Someone Inside Vale House
Adrian ran.
The corridor outside the music room was empty.
He reached the main staircase just in time to hear the side entrance slam.
"Mara, stay with Mom."
He sprinted downstairs.
Outside, gravel sprayed behind a dark sedan accelerating toward the service gate.
Adrian caught only the final three digits of the license plate.
He called security.
"Close every exit."
"The north gate is already locked, sir."
"Service gate."
A pause.
"Sir, someone disabled it."
Adrian looked toward the guardhouse.
"How?"
"We're checking."
The sedan disappeared beyond the trees.
Adrian returned inside.
Evelyn stood beside the safe.
"Did you see who it was?"
"No."
Mara looked frightened.
"Could it have been Celeste?"
"Maybe."
Adrian checked the hidden room.
Nothing seemed missing.
Then he looked at the desk.
The voice recorder was gone.
The ledger remained.
"Someone took Dad's recording."
Evelyn whispered.
"Then they know we opened the safe."
Adrian closed it.
He removed the ledger.
From that moment forward, he kept it with him.
That night, Adrian hired a private security team from his own company.
Not Vale Meridian.
A separate firm he had built independently.
Every entrance received guards.
Every camera was replaced.
Every employee was searched when entering or leaving.
At two in the morning, one of the guards called him.
"We found something."
In the basement, behind the security control panel, a small wireless device had been attached to the network.
"What is it?"
The technician examined it.
"Remote access relay."
"Meaning?"
"Whoever installed this could disable cameras, unlock doors, even erase recordings."
"How long has it been here?"
"Hard to say."
Adrian looked toward the ceiling.
Roman had not simply entered Vale House.
He had possessed it.
The following morning, Adrian contacted Detective James Reed.
Reed had handled Thomas's death.
Adrian did not mention the ledger.
He did mention the blood test.
The sedatives.
The security footage.
Reed listened without interruption.
When Adrian finished, the detective leaned back.
"You're accusing your fiancée of murder."
"I'm asking you to investigate."
"And a man declared dead twelve years ago."
"Correct."
Reed rubbed his jaw.
"Do you know how this sounds?"
"Exactly how my mother sounded seven months ago."
That silenced him.
Adrian placed Dr. Mercer's flash drive on the table.
"Start there."
Reed took it.
"What aren't you giving me?"
Adrian smiled faintly.
"Why would you think I'm holding something back?"
"Because you're Thomas Vale's son."
Before Adrian could answer, Reed's phone rang.
He stepped away.
Adrian watched through the glass wall of the detective's office.
Reed answered.
His expression changed.
He glanced at Adrian.
Then turned his back.
When the call ended, Reed returned.
"Where is Celeste?"
"I don't know."
"You told her not to return to the villa?"
"Yes."
"Then you need to leave."
Adrian frowned.
"Why?"
"Now."
Reed picked up his coat.
"Someone just reported a woman matching Celeste's description entering Vale House."
Adrian was already moving.
He called Mara.
No answer.
He called security.
Nothing.
Then his phone rang.
Evelyn.
"Mom?"
There was breathing.
Then Celeste's voice.
"Come home alone."
Adrian stopped in the middle of the police station.
"If you hurt her..."
"I don't want to hurt Evelyn."
"You drugged her."
"I kept her quiet."
"You threatened my doctor."
"Adrian, listen to me."
His fist tightened.
"Where's my mother?"
"With me."
"What do you want?"
"The ledger."
Adrian said nothing.
Celeste laughed softly.
"So you found it."
"What ledger?"
"Don't insult me."
"Let me speak to Mom."
There was movement.
Then Evelyn's frightened voice.
"Adrian."
"I'm coming."
"No."
Her voice sharpened.
"Don't bring it."
Celeste took the phone back.
"One hour."
The call ended.
Detective Reed approached.
"What happened?"
Adrian looked at him.
For one brief second, he considered trusting the police.
Then he remembered his father's letter.
Do not give this ledger to the police until you know who among them belongs to him.
Adrian slipped the phone into his pocket.
"Nothing."
Reed stared.
"Adrian."
"My mother is fine."
"You just looked like someone threatened your family."
Adrian headed for the exit.
Reed followed.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"I'll come."
"No."
"That wasn't a request."
Adrian turned.
"I said no."
Reed's expression changed.
"You're making a mistake."
"Probably."
Adrian left.
During the drive, he placed the real ledger in a secure deposit compartment inside his car.
Then he filled a similar black notebook with blank paper.
He entered Vale House through the front door.
The new security guards were gone.
Two were unconscious inside the gatehouse.
Alive.
Adrian called an ambulance but did not wait.
He entered the villa.
Silence.
Then the slap.
His mother's cry.
And Celeste's voice.
"Tell me right now. What is the safe code?"
Adrian moved toward the drawing room.
Everything that happened next unfolded exactly as his mother had feared.
The gun.
The threat.
His entrance.
Celeste's lies.
His hand striking her face.
The weapon falling.
Then Adrian knelt before Evelyn.
And Evelyn looked into his eyes.
"That girl killed your father."
Behind him, Celeste whispered.
"She's lying."
Evelyn shook her head.
"Your father knew she was going to kill him."
Adrian slowly rose.
Celeste looked toward the doorway.
Adrian blocked it.
"You're not leaving."
Celeste laughed.
"You still don't understand."
"Then explain."
"Your father wasn't protecting you from me."
She looked at Evelyn.
"He was protecting Adrian from the truth about you."
Evelyn's face went white.
Adrian saw it.
"Mom?"
May you like
Celeste smiled.
"Ask her where Roman really went the night he disappeared."
