Chapter 3 - The Man Who Knew Too Much
"HOW DID YOU KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT REBECCA'S STAR ROOM?"
Adrian's question stopped Victor Hale in the doorway.
For the first time, the security chief appeared uncertain.
Only for a second.
Then his professional smile returned.
"Because I know this house, Adrian. And I know what memories do to you."
Adrian took a slow step forward.
"That doesn't answer my question."
Victor glanced toward me.
"Perhaps this conversation would be better without the nanny."
I felt my face grow warm.
Until that morning, I would have lowered my eyes and immediately left the room.
But after hearing Rebecca's terrified voice on the recording, I couldn't pretend everything was normal.
"My name is Claire Bennett," I said quietly. "And I'm standing right here."
Victor looked almost amused.
"Of course you are."
Adrian moved closer to him.
"Claire stays."
The words surprised both of us.
Victor's gaze narrowed.
"She's an employee, Adrian."
"She's the person who helped my daughters sleep for the first time in a year."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"And right now, she's the only person in this house who's told me the truth."
For a long moment, the two men stared at each other.
Then Victor gave a stiff nod.
"As you wish."
He left.
But I noticed that he didn't close the door completely behind him.
Adrian waited until his footsteps disappeared.
Then he turned to me.
"Don't leave my daughters alone with him."
I swallowed.
"Was he always like that?"
"No."
Adrian stared toward the hallway.
"That's what frightens me."
He explained that Victor had been more than an employee.
Eighteen years earlier, when Adrian was young and determined to take control of the criminal network his father had built, Victor had stood beside him.
They had survived betrayals, investigations, and violent power struggles together.
Victor knew the locations of Adrian's warehouses.
He knew which companies handled his money.
He knew every security code in the mansion.
Most importantly, he knew Adrian's daughters.
"He helped arrange their security after Rebecca died," Adrian admitted.
"Then he knows everything about their routines."
"Yes."
"And he controls who comes into this house."
Adrian's silence told me enough.
For the first time, I understood that the iron gates surrounding the mansion might not be protecting us.
They might be keeping us inside.
A soft voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Claire?"
I turned.
Emma stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes.
Her pink pajamas were wrinkled, and her brown hair fell across her forehead.
"Sweetheart, you're awake."
She walked toward me and raised her arms.
I picked her up.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better."
She rested her cheek against my shoulder.
Then she noticed her father.
"Daddy?"
Adrian immediately came closer.
"Hey, little star."
Emma reached for him.
He gathered her into his arms so carefully that my chest tightened.
For a moment, the feared mafia boss disappeared.
There was only a father holding his child.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
Emma nodded.
"Claire stayed."
"I know."
Her tiny fingers touched his face.
"Are you mad at her?"
Adrian looked devastated.
"No, sweetheart."
"Promise?"
He kissed her forehead.
"I promise."
Emma relaxed.
Then she whispered:
"Can Claire stay again tonight?"
Adrian looked toward me.
"She can stay whenever you need her."
Emma smiled.
It was the first genuine smile I'd seen from her in days.
A few minutes later, Lily appeared, dragging her favorite stuffed fox behind her.
She ran toward me and climbed into my lap.
After checking both girls' temperatures and making sure their fevers had continued to improve, I brought them downstairs for breakfast.
Adrian followed.
The kitchen staff seemed startled to see him sitting at the family table.
Apparently, he usually ate alone in his office.
That morning, he remained beside his daughters while they shared toast, fruit, and stories about their dreams.
Lily told him she had dreamed about a forest filled with stars.
Emma insisted there had been a talking rabbit.
Adrian listened with an intensity I hadn't expected.
He asked questions.
He smiled.
Once, he even laughed.
But the moment a staff member mentioned Victor's name, Lily's expression changed.
She lowered her spoon.
"Is Mr. Hale coming today?"
Adrian looked at her.
"Why, sweetheart?"
Lily stared at her plate.
"I don't like when he walks upstairs."
My skin prickled.
Adrian leaned closer.
"Did something happen?"
Lily shrugged.
"He makes the house quiet."
Emma nodded.
"He says good girls don't ask questions."
Adrian's face went still.
I gently touched his arm, reminding him that the twins were not responsible for explaining adult secrets.
He took a breath.
"Listen to me, girls. You can always ask questions. And you can always tell Daddy or Claire when something makes you uncomfortable."
Emma looked up.
"Even if Mr. Hale says not to?"
"Especially then."
Lily seemed to consider his answer.
Then she reached for his hand.
"Daddy, did Mommy really want us to go away that night?"
The question struck him like a physical blow.
I watched his expression collapse.
"No," he whispered.
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
"But Mr. Hale said she didn't want to see us."
Adrian couldn't speak.
I leaned toward Lily.
"Sweetheart, your mommy loved being with you. Nothing changed that."
She pressed her face into my cardigan.
"I heard her singing."
Adrian looked at her.
"When?"
"The night she went away."
Her voice became very small.
"Mr. Hale shut the door. Mommy was singing, and then she stopped."
Adrian's hand trembled against the table.
I held Lily closer.
"You don't have to talk about anything that makes you sad."
She nodded and rested against me.
Adrian excused himself a few minutes later.
I found him standing in the hallway, staring at Rebecca's portrait.
"I did this to them," he whispered.
I stood beside him.
"You made a terrible mistake. But you can still choose what happens next."
He looked at me.
"What would you do?"
"Get the girls somewhere safe. Then tell the authorities what we heard."
Adrian pulled out his phone.
He called his longtime driver, Nico Alvarez.
"Nico, prepare the car. No household security detail. Just you."
A pause followed.
Adrian frowned.
"What do you mean?"
His expression changed.
"Who gave that order?"
He listened for several seconds before ending the call.
"Claire."
His voice was suddenly very quiet.
"Get the girls' coats."
"What's happening?"
He looked toward the windows overlooking the enormous iron gates.
"Victor just locked down the property."
My stomach dropped.
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Then Adrian said the words that made me realize how dangerous our discovery had become.
"Nobody is allowed to leave this house without his permission."
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