Chapter 5 - The Innocent Witness
The next morning, the sun broke through the clouds, casting bright light across the breakfast table in the private wing. Noah was happily eating pancakes, his feet kicking under the mahogany table. Elena sat beside him, sipping her coffee, her mind consumed by Marcus’s threat the night before.
Ethan walked into the dining room, adjusting the cuffs of a crisp navy dress shirt. He leaned down and kissed Noah’s head before taking the seat opposite Elena.
“You look pale,” Ethan noted, his hazel eyes missing nothing. “Did you sleep?”
“Not much,” Elena admitted, glancing at the security guards standing outside the glass doors. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Ethan, I need to talk to you about Marcus.”
Ethan’s hand paused on his coffee cup. He didn't dismiss her. He gave her his absolute, undivided attention. “Tell me.”
She recounted the interaction in the hallway, the veiled threat, and the coldness in the security chief’s eyes. Ethan listened silently, his square jaw clenching tight.
Before he could respond, Noah tugged on Elena’s sleeve. “Look what I drew, El!”
He proudly held up a piece of paper. It was a drawing of the ballroom, but in the corner, near a black box on the wall, was a dark, scribbled stick figure.
“What’s this, buddy?” Ethan asked, gently taking the paper.
“That’s the scary shadow man,” Noah said innocently, taking a bite of his pancake. “He was playing with the blinking red light on the wall before the big glasses fell down.”
Ethan and Elena exchanged a sharp, chilling look. The blinking red light was the security camera terminal.
“Noah,” Ethan said, keeping his voice incredibly calm so as not to scare the boy. “Did you see the shadow man's face?”
Noah shook his head, his chestnut curls bouncing. “No. He had a black mask. But he had a shiny silver watch. Like the one Marcus wears.”
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Ethan’s eyes darkened with a terrifying, lethal realization. The mole wasn't a low-level guard. It was the man he trusted with his life. Ethan stood up slowly, the air around him crackling with violent intent.
“Pack a bag, Elena,” Ethan commanded softly. “Just the essentials. I’m getting you and Noah out of this house.”
