Chapter 4 - The Man Behind the Family
The voice came from Isabella’s bedroom.
Soft.
Almost gentle.
But I knew that voice.
And that was what terrified me.
Because it belonged to someone who should not have been there.
I moved through the darkness without making a sound.
My hand stayed close to my weapon.
Behind me, Clara held Isabella tightly.
“Stay here,” I whispered.
She nodded.
For once, she didn’t argue.
I reached the top of the stairs.
The bedroom door was open.
The same door that had been locked every night.
The same door my daughter hid behind while I convinced myself she was fine.
A thin line of light came from inside.
Someone was standing there.
Waiting.
I stepped closer.
“Who’s there?”
Silence.
Then a voice answered.
“You finally came.”
My entire body froze.
Because I knew that voice.
Victor Hale stepped out from the shadows.
My chief of security.
My most trusted man.
The person who had saved my life more times than I could count.
For years, I believed Victor was the only person in the world who would never betray me.
Now he was standing inside my daughter’s bedroom.
Holding something in his hand.
The music box.
My anger disappeared.
Not because I was calm.
Because I was beyond anger.
“Put it down.”
Victor looked at me.
His face was different.
Not guilty.
Not afraid.
Tired.
Like a man who had been carrying a secret for too long.
“You don’t understand what Elena discovered.”
I took another step.
“You entered my daughter’s room.”
Victor looked toward the bed.
His expression changed when he saw Isabella’s empty blanket.
“She was never supposed to find it.”
The words hit me.
Not because they surprised me.
Because they confirmed everything.
“You knew about the music box.”
Victor didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I raised my weapon.
“Tell me why.”
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then Victor slowly placed the music box on the table.
“Because Elena asked me to protect her.”
I almost laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
The confidence in his answer bothered me.
“You were the one who disabled the cameras.”
“Yes.”
“You entered Isabella’s room.”
“Yes.”
“You watched my daughter sleep.”
Victor looked down.
And for the first time, I saw something I never expected from him.
Regret.
“I was making sure she was alive.”
The room became silent.
“What does that mean?”
Victor looked at me.
“It means Elena was right.”
My grip tightened.
“About what?”
“That someone was trying to kill your family.”
The words echoed through the room.
I had heard threats before.
I had heard enemies promise revenge.
I had heard men swear they would destroy everything I built.
But this was different.
Because Victor wasn’t talking about business.
He was talking about my daughter.
“Who?”
Victor shook his head.
“I don’t know everything.”
“You better start knowing.”
His eyes moved toward the music box.
“Your wife found financial records.”
“What records?”
“Payments.”
“From who?”
Victor hesitated.
That hesitation told me the answer mattered.
“From someone inside your organization.”
My jaw tightened.
“Again with this.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Then give me a name.”
Victor looked at me.
And said nothing.
That was when I realized something.
He wasn’t protecting himself.
He was protecting someone else.
“Who are you afraid of?”
Victor looked away.
A mistake.
A small one.
But I noticed.
“Victor.”
His voice lowered.
“There are people in this world who are more dangerous than you.”
I stepped closer.
“Impossible.”
For the first time, Victor almost smiled.
A sad smile.
“That’s exactly why Elena loved you.”
I froze.
Nobody talked about Elena like that anymore.
Not after she died.
Not in this house.
Not to me.
Victor continued.
“She believed you were powerful because you were willing to become a monster.”
His eyes moved toward the hallway.
“But she also believed you could choose not to be one.”
I looked back at him.
“You knew she was planning something.”
“Yes.”
“You helped her.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Victor looked at the floor.
“Because Elena made me promise.”
Again.
Another promise.
Another secret.
I was beginning to hate that word.
“Everyone promised her something.”
My voice became colder.
“And everyone left me to clean up the damage.”
Victor didn’t respond.
Because maybe he knew I was right.
Or maybe he knew I was wrong.
Either way, I needed answers.
I grabbed the music box.
“What is inside?”
Victor’s expression changed immediately.
“Don’t open it here.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because whoever killed Elena is still watching.”
A chill moved through me.
“You think they’re here?”
Victor looked toward the hallway.
“They never left.”
Before I could respond, a sound came from downstairs.
A phone ringing.
Not mine.
Not Clara’s.
Not any guard’s.
A small, old-fashioned ringtone.
The same melody from the music box.
Victor’s face went pale.
“That’s impossible.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
He didn’t answer.
He was staring at the music box in my hand.
Then the ringtone stopped.
A second later, every light in the mansion turned back on.
Someone wanted us to know they were there.
Someone wanted us to find something.
I walked downstairs.
Victor followed.
For the first time in twelve years, I didn’t know whether he was beside me or behind me.
The ringing had stopped near the entrance hall.
On the marble table sat a small package.
No name.
No address.
Only one symbol.
Elena’s necklace symbol.
The one she wore every day.
The one found missing after her death.
Victor stopped walking.
“I never told anyone about that.”
I looked at him.
“About what?”
His face lost all color.
“The symbol.”
I opened the package.
Inside was a photograph.
An old photograph.
My wife.
Victor.
And someone else.
Someone I recognized immediately.
Someone who had attended Elena’s funeral.
Someone who had stood beside me while I buried the woman I loved.
My hands trembled.
Because written on the back of the photograph were six words.
The person who killed Elena is still in this house.
I looked at Victor.
Then toward the second floor.
Because at that exact moment...
May you like
The elevator doors opened.
And someone stepped out.
