Chapter 4 - The Woman Waiting Upstairs
The house looked abandoned from the outside.
Inside, every light burned.
Mateo stepped out first.
“Stay behind me.”
I followed anyway.
He gave me a look.
“I said behind me.”
“And I heard you.”
We crossed the front steps.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, everything smelled like dust and expensive furniture.
The house had once belonged to Brandon's father.
I remembered coming here once.
Brandon had told me he hated the place.
Now I understood why.
A photograph hung on the wall.
Brandon.
His father.
And a third man.
I stopped.
“Who is that?”
Mateo looked.
His expression changed.
“Victor Hayes.”
“Brandon's father?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“His uncle.”
Mateo stared at the photograph.
“Victor disappeared six years ago.”
I felt a chill.
“Disappeared?”
“Officially.”
We walked upstairs.
A woman's voice came from the hallway.
“Maeve?”
I froze.
Gemma stepped from the shadows.
Her blonde hair was wet.
Her face was pale.
She looked terrified.
“Gemma?”
She rushed toward me.
Mateo stopped her.
“Don't.”
Gemma stared at him.
“You're Mateo Duca.”
“Yes.”
“I need to talk to Maeve.”
“Then talk.”
Gemma looked at me.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I didn't know how to tell you.”
I swallowed.
“Tell me what?”
She looked down at her stomach.
“The baby is Brandon's.”
I already knew.
But hearing it made the truth heavier.
I nodded.
“Why did you come here?”
Gemma looked toward the staircase.
“Because Brandon told me I had to.”
“Why?”
“He said if I didn't, he would hurt you.”
Mateo stepped closer.
“Where is Brandon?”
Gemma shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“Who took your ultrasound?”
“I don't know.”
I stared at her.
“Gemma, please.”
She began crying.
“I never wanted this.”
“You slept with my fiancé.”
“I know.”
“You lied to me.”
“I know.”
“Then why should I believe you now?”
She looked at me.
“Because I tried to stop him.”
The hallway went silent.
“How?”
Gemma reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small flash drive.
“I copied something from his computer.”
Mateo took it.
“What?”
“Everything.”
He looked at the drive.
“Where's the computer?”
Gemma pointed upstairs.
“His office.”
We entered.
The room was almost empty.
One desk.
One safe.
One laptop.
Mateo connected the drive.
Files appeared.
Bank records.
Contracts.
Photographs.
Messages.
Then one folder caught my eye.
CALLAHAN RESTORATION.
I opened it.
There were photographs of my studio.
My employees.
My mother.
My home.
I felt sick.
“Why was he watching me?”
Mateo's voice became cold.
“Because you weren't just his fiancée.”
“What was I?”
He opened another file.
Inside was an old legal document.
My father's name appeared at the bottom.
I stared at it.
“My father?”
Mateo looked at me.
“Your father knew the Duca family.”
I shook my head.
“My father never mentioned them.”
“He didn't mention a lot of things.”
A sound came from downstairs.
Three slow knocks.
Everyone froze.
Gemma grabbed my arm.
Mateo drew his weapon.
The knocking came again.
Then a man's voice echoed through the house.
“Maeve.”
My blood ran cold.
It was Brandon.
Mateo moved toward the door.
But Brandon spoke again.
“Come downstairs.”
A pause.
Then:
“Your father left you something.”
May you like
The lights went out.
And from the dark below us, a woman's voice whispered my name...
