Chapter 10 - Home Through the Storm
The words settled over the office like winter frost.
"...already had access to this house."
No one moved.
The crackling fire in the marble fireplace suddenly seemed louder than our breathing.
I stared at the gold button resting beside the bent silver wolf bracelet.
It looked so ordinary.
Small.
Polished.
The kind of thing most people would never notice.
Yet that tiny piece of metal had just transformed the Rosetti estate from a sanctuary into a crime scene.
Dominic slowly closed the evidence folder.
"How many ceremonial uniforms carry this button?"
Marcus answered immediately.
"Forty-two were commissioned."
"How many remain in use?"
"Thirty-seven."
"And every one of them belongs to someone cleared personally by us."
Dominic looked toward the large windows overlooking the gardens.
"Apparently not."
No one left the office for several minutes.
Marcus finally broke the silence.
"I recommend restricting access to the east wing."
"Done."
"Temporary suspension of outside deliveries."
"Done."
"Background reviews for every employee."
Dominic nodded again.
"Starting now."
Marcus hesitated.
"And Miss Bennett?"
For the first time since entering the room, Dominic looked directly at me.
"What about her?"
Marcus chose his words carefully.
"If the attacker knows she found Lily..."
He didn't finish.
He didn't have to.
I understood.
They knew my face.
Maybe they even knew my name.
Dominic answered without hesitation.
"She doesn't leave the estate."
I blinked.
"I thought I was free to decide that."
"You are."
His voice remained calm.
"But if you leave today..."
He paused.
"...I can't guarantee you'll arrive anywhere safely."
The truth landed harder than any threat could have.
Someone had almost murdered a six-year-old child.
Silencing the woman who found her wouldn't be difficult.
"I'll stay," I said quietly.
Dominic nodded once.
"I expected you would."
Marcus escorted me to the guest wing.
Unlike the luxurious public rooms, this section of the mansion felt surprisingly warm.
Books lined the hallways.
Fresh flowers stood on small tables.
Soft music drifted from hidden speakers.
It almost resembled a boutique hotel.
"This was Mrs. Rosetti's idea," Marcus explained.
"What was?"
"The guest wing."
He noticed my surprise.
"Mr. Rosetti preferred marble."
"And she preferred comfort."
He almost smiled.
"Exactly."
I stopped beside a large family portrait hanging above the staircase.
Eva stood between Dominic and Lily.
The little girl couldn't have been more than three years old.
Everyone was laughing.
Even Dominic.
"I've never seen him smile like that."
Marcus looked at the painting for a long moment.
"Neither have I."
"Not since she died."
My room overlooked the western gardens.
Someone had already placed fresh clothes inside the wardrobe.
A phone rested on the bedside table.
Beside it lay a handwritten note.
If you need anything, press zero.
Please make yourself feel at home.
— Helena
The handwriting was elegant.
Delicate.
Almost comforting.
A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts.
The woman from the note stood outside carrying a tray.
"I thought you might be hungry."
She introduced herself with a warm smile.
"My name is Helena."
"The housekeeper?"
"Head housekeeper."
She placed soup, fresh bread, and tea on the table.
"I know today has been overwhelming."
"You could say that."
Her smile carried genuine kindness.
"If there's anything you need..."
"I appreciate it."
She started toward the door.
Then paused.
"Lily doesn't trust people easily."
I looked up.
"She trusts you."
"I don't know why."
Helena smiled softly.
"Sometimes children recognize safety before adults do."
The sentence stayed with me long after she left.
Dinner was served in a smaller dining room that evening.
Only three places had been prepared.
Dominic.
Me.
An empty chair.
"Lily?"
"Still sleeping."
Dominic unfolded his napkin.
"The medication."
We ate quietly for several minutes.
The food was extraordinary.
Roasted chicken.
Fresh vegetables.
Homemade bread.
I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten without calculating how much every bite cost.
Dominic noticed me slowing down.
"You don't like it?"
"It's incredible."
"Then why did you stop?"
I laughed awkwardly.
"Old habit."
"What habit?"
"Making food last."
Something changed in his expression.
Not pity.
Understanding.
He placed another piece of bread onto my plate.
"You don't have to do that anymore."
I wanted to argue.
Instead...
I accepted the bread.
After dinner Dominic asked whether I'd join him on the terrace.
Night had settled across the estate.
The gardens glowed beneath carefully hidden lights.
Somewhere beyond the trees, water flowed gently through the fountain.
"It was raining the night Eva died."
His voice caught me by surprise.
"I'm sorry."
"So was I."
He leaned against the stone railing.
"Everyone assumes powerful men stop grieving."
"They don't."
"They simply become better at hiding it."
We stood in silence.
Eventually I asked the question that had been bothering me.
"Why did Lily ask me not to leave?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"After Eva died..."
His eyes remained fixed on the gardens.
"...people kept disappearing."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Nannies."
"Tutors."
"Bodyguards."
"Friends."
"They always had reasons."
"But Lily only understood one thing."
"They left."
A lump formed in my throat.
"So when she asked me..."
"She wasn't talking about the alley."
"No."
He looked toward the dark windows of the mansion.
"She was asking whether you'd disappear too."
Later that night I couldn't sleep.
The house felt too quiet.
Not peaceful.
Watchful.
I wandered downstairs hoping to find water.
Instead I found Arthur.
The elderly gardener sat alone in the conservatory trimming white roses beneath a single lamp.
"I couldn't sleep either," he said without looking up.
"You knew I was here?"
"I heard your footsteps."
I smiled.
"They're that loud?"
"No."
He chuckled softly.
"I'm just old."
The conservatory smelled of earth and flowers.
Arthur carefully removed a dying petal.
"Mrs. Rosetti loved white roses."
"I've noticed."
"They remind people that beautiful things survive winter."
He handed me one.
"No thorns."
I looked at the stem.
He was right.
"She removed them herself."
"Why?"
"So Lily wouldn't fear holding them."
The answer seemed strangely perfect.
As I walked back toward my room, I noticed movement at the far end of the hallway.
A man disappeared around the corner carrying a small cardboard box.
He wore a ceremonial black security uniform.
Gold buttons reflected the moonlight.
One button...
Was missing.
I stopped.
"Excuse me."
The man froze for a fraction of a second.
Then turned.
Young.
Dark blond hair.
Average height.
Forgettable face.
"Can I help you, miss?"
His jacket indeed lacked one gold button near the collar.
My heartbeat quickened.
"I'm sorry..."
I glanced toward the empty hallway.
"...I thought you were someone else."
He smiled politely.
"It happens."
"What are you carrying?"
"Old records."
"For the archive."
His answer came too quickly.
Before I could think of another question, Marcus appeared from the opposite corridor.
"There you are."
The guard immediately straightened.
"Good evening, sir."
Marcus nodded briefly.
The guard continued walking.
Neither of us spoke until he disappeared around the next corner.
Marcus looked at me.
"What happened?"
I quietly pointed toward the hallway.
"His jacket."
Marcus frowned.
"What about it?"
"One button is missing."
Without another word Marcus turned and followed the guard.
I remained where I was.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Finally Marcus returned.
"The jacket was damaged during storage."
He sounded unconvinced.
"We found the missing button inside the archive room."
Relief washed over me.
"So it wasn't..."
"No."
Yet something in his expression suggested the matter wasn't completely settled.
"What was his name?"
Marcus answered while looking down the empty hallway.
"Daniel Cross."
Before dawn I was awakened by soft knocking.
A young nurse stood outside my room.
"Miss Bennett?"
"Yes?"
"Lily's asking for you."
I followed her upstairs.
Lily sat awake in bed hugging her stuffed rabbit.
She smiled sleepily when she saw me.
"You came."
"I said I would."
She reached out.
I took her small hand.
After a few quiet moments she whispered,
"I had a bad dream."
"About the alley?"
She shook her head.
"About the house."
A chill crept down my spine.
"What happened in the dream?"
She looked toward the bedroom door to make sure no one else was listening.
Then she leaned closer.
"I heard somebody arguing."
"When?"
"The day before."
"The day before what?"
"The rain."
My heart began pounding.
"Who was arguing?"
She closed her eyes, trying to remember.
"I don't know."
"I only heard one thing."
"What was it?"
Her tiny voice became barely audible.
"Someone said..."
She swallowed.
"...'she knows too much.'"
Before I could ask another question, the bedroom door opened.
Dr. Moretti entered with Dominic close behind.
Lily smiled immediately.
The fear disappeared from her face.
She had already forgotten the nightmare.
But I hadn't.
Because children rarely invented memories like that.
And as the first light of morning spread across the enormous Rosetti estate, I realized the danger inside this beautiful mansion was growing quieter...
May you like
Not smaller.
Somewhere behind one of those elegant doors, someone had already begun planning the next move.
