Chapter 3 - The Camera in the Corner)
Danil did not apologize.
Not then.
That would matter later.
Instead he stared at the camera as if it had appeared there for the first time.
"Does that record this hallway?"
Vanessa recovered quickly.
"No."
Emily looked at her.
Vanessa continued.
"The lower deck cameras are live view only."
"Why?"
"Privacy."
Danil glanced toward Sophie.
The child was still behind Emily.
"Who decided that?"
"I did."
"When?"
Vanessa's eyes cooled.
"Are you interrogating me?"
"I'm asking a question."
"And your daughter is standing barefoot beside a stranger who just broke into private storage."
Emily felt anger rise again.
"I didn't break into anything."
Danil ignored her.
"Sophie."
The girl looked at him.
"Come here."
She shook her head.
The refusal hit him harder than Emily expected.
Danil's expression softened.
"Baby, it's me."
Sophie whispered, "You hit her."
He looked at Emily's cheek.
The red mark was already forming.
Danil lowered his eyes.
Behind him, Vanessa sighed as if everyone were wasting her time.
"This is exactly what Sophie does. She creates chaos and then makes you feel guilty."
Sophie flinched.
Emily turned.
"No."
Vanessa looked at her.
"No what?"
"You're not doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Talking about her like she's not standing here."
Vanessa's face became still.
Emily continued.
"If you want me off the yacht, fine. But someone needs to ask Sophie what happened without you answering for her."
Danil looked at his daughter.
Vanessa said, "Danil."
He raised a hand.
Not violently.
Just enough to silence her.
It was the first time Vanessa looked truly offended.
Danil crouched several feet from Sophie.
"Did Emily hurt you?"
Sophie shook her head.
"Did she scare you?"
Another shake.
"Did she open that compartment?"
Sophie nodded.
"Were you inside before she came?"
A nod.
Danil swallowed.
"Did you go in there by yourself?"
Sophie looked at Vanessa.
That glance answered everything.
Danil noticed.
His shoulders changed.
"Look at me, Sophie."
The child tried.
"Who put you inside?"
Her lips parted.
No sound came.
Vanessa stepped forward.
"This is abusive."
Emily stared at her.
Vanessa spoke to Danil.
"Look at what you're doing to her. You know what Dr. Henson said about pressuring her."
Sophie immediately whispered, "I don't like Dr. Henson."
Danil turned.
"What?"
Vanessa's eyes widened.
Sophie stepped closer to Emily.
"He's not my doctor."
"Yes, he is," Vanessa said.
"No."
"Sophie."
"He just asks me what Mommy left me."
The hallway went silent.
Danil stood.
"What does that mean?"
Vanessa laughed nervously.
"Nothing. She's confused."
Sophie shook her head.
"He asks about the box."
Emily saw Danil's expression sharpen.
"What box?"
Sophie began crying.
"The blue one."
Vanessa moved toward her.
"That's enough."
Emily blocked the path.
Vanessa stared at her.
Danil said, "Don't."
His voice was quiet.
Vanessa stopped.
Danil crouched again.
"What blue box?"
Sophie's breathing became uneven.
"The one under Mommy's floor."
Vanessa's face changed.
Danil saw it.
So did Emily.
"What is she talking about?" he asked.
Vanessa answered too quickly.
"I have no idea."
Sophie whispered, "You found it."
"No."
"You got mad."
"She's lying."
"You said Daddy wasn't supposed to know."
Danil stood slowly.
Vanessa's champagne glass was still on the kitchen counter.
She reached for it.
Her hand shook.
Emily noticed.
Danil noticed too.
He looked toward the camera again.
"I want the footage."
Vanessa set down the glass.
"There is no footage."
"Then I want whoever manages the system."
"The security contractor isn't on board."
"Call him."
"We have a party upstairs."
"I don't care."
Vanessa moved closer.
"Danil, Olivia's engagement announcement is in twenty minutes. There are two hundred people on this yacht."
"My daughter was in a cabinet."
"And we will deal with that privately."
"No."
The word surprised everyone.
Danil looked at Sophie.
Then at Emily.
His eyes stopped briefly on the mark across Emily's face.
"No more private explanations."
Vanessa's jaw tightened.
Danil removed his phone.
"What's the security contractor's name?"
Vanessa did not answer.
He looked toward the crew member standing at the end of the hallway.
None of them had noticed him arrive.
It was the young waiter Emily had seen earlier.
He looked terrified.
Danil pointed to the camera.
"Who controls that?"
The waiter swallowed.
"Mr. Ross, sir."
"Full name."
"Caleb Ross."
"Call him."
The waiter hesitated.
Vanessa turned.
"Go upstairs."
He looked between them.
Vanessa's voice became sharper.
"Now."
The waiter left.
Danil stared after him.
"Why does the staff take orders from you when I'm asking them for information?"
Vanessa smiled faintly.
"Because I manage the yacht."
"Apparently."
Sophie tugged Emily's vest.
Emily bent toward her.
The girl whispered, "She'll delete it."
Emily's stomach tightened.
"What?"
"The camera."
"How do you know?"
Sophie looked at Vanessa.
"Because she did it before."
Emily straightened.
"Danil."
Vanessa interrupted.
"Do not."
Emily ignored her.
"Sophie says Vanessa has deleted camera footage before."
Danil looked at his daughter.
Sophie nodded.
Vanessa's face went hard.
"This has gone far enough."
She turned toward the staircase.
Danil caught her arm.
"Where are you going?"
"To save my sister's engagement party from your breakdown."
"Give me your phone."
Vanessa stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"Your phone."
"No."
"Who has access to the security system?"
"No one from a phone."
Sophie whispered, "Lucas does."
Danil turned.
"Who's Lucas?"
Vanessa stopped breathing for half a second.
Emily saw it.
So did Danil.
Sophie pointed toward the upper deck.
"The man with the blue folder."
Vanessa pulled her arm free.
Danil looked at her.
"Who is Lucas?"
Vanessa said nothing.
Then every light in the lower hallway went out.
Sophie screamed.
Emergency lighting activated two seconds later.
Dim red lamps filled the corridor.
Danil looked upward.
The camera's indicator light was gone.
May you like
Vanessa smiled.
"Looks like you waited too long."
