Chapter 9 - The Room Beneath the Pantry
Olivia pressed her palm against a hidden scanner inside the pantry.
Nothing happened.
“Try again,” Daniel said.
She placed her hand against it a second time.
A blue light moved across her fingers.
Identity confirmed.
Trustee access accepted.
The pantry shelves separated.
A narrow elevator waited behind them.
Samuel stared.
“Arthur never told me about this.”
“That was probably the point,” Olivia said.
Daniel carried her inside.
The countdown appeared on the elevator display.
Two minutes and thirty-eight seconds.
Samuel entered after them.
He pressed the lower-level button.
The doors began closing.
A hand suddenly appeared between them.
Daniel tensed.
Vanessa forced the doors apart and stumbled inside.
Blood covered her left sleeve.
“Were you shot?” Olivia asked.
“Not mine.”
The doors closed.
The elevator descended.
Daniel looked at her.
“Victor?”
“Still alive.”
“What did you do?”
“I used the syringe.”
Samuel stared at her.
“You injected him?”
Vanessa looked at the blood on her sleeve.
“I didn’t have time to ask permission.”
The elevator reached the underground level.
Its doors opened into a small medical suite.
White cabinets lined the walls.
An examination table stood in the center.
Emergency equipment filled one corner.
The room had been designed for disasters, kidnappings or medical emergencies when leaving the mansion was impossible.
Olivia nearly collapsed in relief.
Daniel lowered her onto the bed.
Samuel opened the emergency cabinet.
“Were you ever a doctor?” Daniel asked.
“No.”
“Then don’t touch anything.”
“I served as a military medic before law school.”
Everyone stared at him.
Samuel rolled up his sleeves.
“There are many things none of us discussed.”
Vanessa leaned against the wall.
“That appears to be the Bennett family motto.”
Samuel examined Olivia quickly.
“The babies are premature, but thirty-four weeks is survivable.”
Olivia gripped Daniel’s hand.
“Both heartbeats?”
Samuel activated a portable monitor.
Two rapid rhythms filled the room.
Olivia began crying.
“They’re alive.”
Daniel kissed her forehead.
The countdown reached one minute.
Vanessa stared at the wall screen.
“We can still stop it.”
Daniel did not look away from Olivia.
“We won’t.”
Samuel prepared clean towels and opened a delivery kit.
“You may not have a choice.”
“What does that mean?”
“The release protocol could disable the entire security network.”
“Including this room.”
Vanessa looked toward the elevator.
“Victor could come down.”
“He doesn’t know this room exists,” Olivia said.
Samuel gave her a grim look.
“Victor knew about Claire’s pregnancy.”
Olivia froze.
“How?”
Samuel turned toward Daniel.
“Because Victor was the father.”
The monitor continued beeping.
Daniel slowly stood.
“What did you say?”
Samuel held his gaze.
“Claire’s baby was not yours.”
Daniel’s face emptied of emotion.
Vanessa stared at Samuel.
“That’s a lie.”
“I saw the paternity report.”
“Claire loved Daniel.”
“She did.”
Samuel’s voice softened.
“But love does not prevent betrayal.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You kept this from me too?”
“Claire asked me to.”
“Why?”
“Because she believed Victor had manipulated her.”
Daniel grabbed Samuel’s shirt.
“You expect me to believe my wife had an affair with my best friend?”
“I expect you to believe she was human.”
Vanessa moved toward them.
“Claire hated Victor.”
“After the pregnancy,” Samuel said.
“Not before.”
The timer reached thirty seconds.
Olivia cried out as another contraction began.
Daniel released Samuel and rushed back to her.
Twenty seconds.
Words appeared on the wall.
TRUST RECORD RELEASE IN PROGRESS.
Ten seconds.
Vanessa stared at the screen.
“Everything is about to become public.”
Samuel looked toward the elevator.
“And whoever designed this wants Victor exposed.”
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
The lights went out.
For several seconds, only the sound of the babies’ heartbeats filled the darkness.
Then the emergency power returned.
The screen displayed a new message.
RELEASE COMPLETE.
But no documents appeared.
No alarms sounded.
No files were uploaded.
Instead, a live video filled the screen.
Victor Hale was standing in the living room.
He no longer appeared injured or sedated.
He looked directly into the hidden camera.
Then he smiled.
May you like
“Thank you, Daniel.”
“For giving me full control of the trust.”
