Chapter 3 - The Shattered Sanctuary
The headlights of a dark SUV swept across the front courtyard exactly nine minutes later.
Everett watched from the window as the gates opened and closed.
He didn't wait for the doorbell to ring.
He walked down the stairs, his bare feet making no sound on the cool stone.
When he opened the front door, Marcus was already standing there.
The security chief was a large man, built like a brick wall, with sharp gray eyes.
He took one look at Everett's damp hair and ruined clothes.
"Where is the child?" Marcus asked immediately.
"Sleeping. Or trying to," Everett said, stepping aside.
Marcus walked into the foyer, his eyes scanning the space out of habit.
"Tell me everything," Marcus said, turning to face his employer.
Everett leaned against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets to hide the shaking.
He recounted the entire evening.
The glasses of water. The crimson dress. The look on Maribelle's face.
The words she whispered to a four-year-old girl.
You were always a mistake.
Marcus’s jaw tightened as he listened.
He had known Everett for ten years, through the rise of Vale Industries.
He had never seen the billionaire look this fragile, yet this dangerous.
"She didn't look surprised when I caught her," Everett said, his voice hollow.
"She looked annoyed. Like it was an inconvenience."
Marcus nodded slowly, crossing his arms.
"She didn't act on impulse, Everett. A woman like Maribelle doesn't do anything by accident."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she knew what she was doing. She wanted the child gone."
"Why?" Everett asked, his anger flaring. "She would have had everything. I loved her."
"Did you?" Marcus asked quietly. "Or did you love the idea of a mother for Poppy?"
The question hit Everett like a physical blow.
He closed his eyes, the truth burning in his chest.
Marcus was right.
He had been so desperate to fix his broken family that he had ignored the coldness.
He had invited a viper into his home.
"We need to check the security cameras," Marcus said, changing the subject to focus on action.
"The patio cameras should have caught the whole thing."
"Let's go to the security room," Everett said.
They walked down to the basement, where the servers and monitors were kept.
The room was cool and smelled of electronics.
Marcus sat down at the main console and typed in his administrative password.
The screens flickered, displaying the various angles of the estate.
Marcus pulled up the archive for the patio area from an hour ago.
The blue light of the sapphire pool illuminated the screen.
There was Maribelle, standing in her red dress.
There was Poppy, holding her bear.
Everett watched, his stomach twisting into knots as he prepared to see it again.
Marcus hit play.
On the screen, Maribelle turned toward Poppy.
She moved closer. Her lips moved.
Then, she reached out and shoved the little girl into the water.
"Stop," Everett said, his voice trembling with pure rage. "That's enough."
"We have it," Marcus said, his voice grim. "This is attempted murder. Clear as day."
"Call the police," Everett ordered. "I want her in a cell by morning."
Marcus didn't move. He stared at the screen, his brow furrowing.
"Marcus? Call them."
"Look at the corner of the screen, Everett," Marcus said, pointing at a small digital clock.
Everett looked.
The timestamp on the video was frozen.
The seconds weren't moving.
"What's wrong with it?"
"The footage is looped," Marcus said, his voice dropping an octave.
"This isn't a live recording of what happened. It's a pre-recorded file playing on a loop."
Everett leaned forward, his heart dropping into his shoes.
"What are you saying?"
"The security system was wiped," Marcus said, typing furiously on the keyboard.
"The last three hours of data... they're completely gone."
Everett stared at the monitor.
The image of the peaceful patio was false.
The evidence of Maribelle's crime had been erased before she even pushed the child.
"She didn't just walk out of here," Everett realized, the horror dawning on him.
"She had access to the mainframe."
May you like
"No," Marcus corrected, looking up with a grim expression.
"Someone gave her the codes. Someone inside your company."
