Chapter 4 - THE RECORDING THAT VANISHED
Elena was not arrested.
Adrian’s attorneys ensured the matter remained private, but she was questioned for nearly three hours in the mansion’s security office.
Owen sat behind a metal desk while the two officers stood near the door.
“Did you enter the east wing last night?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you remove an object from Isabel Vale’s bedroom?”
“I found a recorder.”
“Where is it now?”
“I don’t know.”
Owen leaned forward.
“You expect us to believe that?”
“I gave it to Julian.”
“Mr. Vale says you did not.”
Elena’s stomach tightened.
“Where is he?”
“He left the estate before breakfast.”
“Did you speak to him?”
“We did.”
“And he denied having it?”
Owen did not answer directly.
“We searched his room.”
Elena looked at the observation window.
Someone stood behind the darkened glass.
Celeste, perhaps.
Or Adrian.
“What was on the recorder?” Owen asked.
“I never heard it.”
“Why did you take it?”
“Because you entered the room at two in the morning looking for it.”
One officer glanced toward Owen.
Owen’s expression did not change.
“I was responding to an alarm.”
“What triggered it?”
“A window sensor.”
“The windows were closed.”
“That is enough.”
“No. It isn’t.”
The door opened.
Adrian entered.
He dismissed the officers and waited until they were alone.
“Where is my brother?”
“I hoped you knew.”
“He sent me a message saying he needed time away.”
“That doesn’t sound suspicious to you?”
“Everything involving Julian is suspicious.”
Elena stood.
“He protected Sophie last night.”
“From what?”
“Your security chief.”
Adrian’s patience broke.
“Owen has worked for my family for twenty-two years.”
“Then he has had twenty-two years to learn where your cameras don’t reach.”
Adrian walked toward the window.
“Celeste says you took Sophie into the east wing and frightened her with stories about her mother.”
“Celeste was not there.”
“She says Sophie confessed.”
“Sophie told me Celeste searched her room.”
He turned around.
“You believe every accusation my daughter makes.”
“I investigate them.”
“You have known her for three days.”
“And I already know she bites the inside of her cheek when she is forced to lie.”
Adrian stared at her.
“She does what?”
“At breakfast, when you asked where Celeste hurt her, she bit her cheek until it bled.”
His anger faltered.
“You noticed that?”
“I notice children.”
Adrian looked toward the floor.
For a moment, he seemed less like a billionaire and more like a father realizing how little he understood.
Then the door opened.
Celeste entered without permission.
“Adrian, the wedding planner is waiting.”
He did not look at her.
“Cancel today’s meeting.”
Celeste’s eyes moved to Elena.
“Why?”
“I’m taking Sophie to her doctor.”
“She has an appointment next week.”
“I’m taking her today.”
Celeste walked closer.
“She becomes unstable when routines change.”
Elena watched Adrian’s face.
He heard it now.
The control hidden inside the concern.
“I said I’m taking her,” Adrian repeated.
Celeste smiled tightly.
“Of course.”
As she turned away, Elena saw her hand tremble.
Sophie’s doctor worked from a private clinic in Manhattan.
Dr. Stephen Carrow was polished, calm, and expensive. He spoke about Sophie as though she were not sitting in the room.
“Her attachment disorder has intensified,” he said. “The introduction of a new caregiver may have triggered attention-seeking behavior.”
Elena sat beside Sophie.
“What attachment disorder?”
Dr. Carrow looked at Adrian.
“We discussed this.”
“Answer her,” Adrian said.
The doctor adjusted his glasses.
“Sophie has difficulty distinguishing memory from imagination.”
“Based on what testing?” Elena asked.
“I don’t discuss clinical methods with household staff.”
“Then discuss them with her father.”
Adrian’s expression darkened.
Dr. Carrow opened the file.
“Sophie reported seeing her deceased mother in the house. She accused two previous nannies of being impostors. She claimed Miss Laurent locked her in a closet, though security footage showed no such event.”
“Who provided the footage?” Elena asked.
“Owen Mercer.”
“Was the footage complete?”
The doctor closed the file.
“This is not productive.”
Elena turned to Sophie.
“May I ask you something?”
The child nodded.
“When you said you saw your mother, did you mean you literally saw her?”
Sophie looked confused.
“No.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“What did you mean?”
“I saw her in the old videos.”
Dr. Carrow went still.
“What videos?” Adrian asked.
“The ones Celeste deleted.”
Celeste had told Adrian that Sophie hallucinated her mother.
But Sophie had been talking about recordings.
Adrian stood.
“Give me a copy of her full medical file.”
Dr. Carrow’s face changed.
“That requires processing.”
“You have five minutes.”
On the way out, Sophie took Elena’s hand.
The elevator doors opened.
Julian stood inside.
His lower lip was split.
A bruise darkened one side of his face.
Adrian stared at him.
“What happened to you?”
May you like
Julian stepped out and handed Elena the recorder.
“Someone really doesn’t want us to hear this.”
