Chapter 3
The study appeared normal.
Nothing missing.
Nothing overturned.
That bothered Maximilian.
People stealing documents from a secure room rarely removed the obvious ones anymore.
They photographed them.
Daniel examined the desk computer.
No login from Seraphina.
The cabinet lock had opened once during Maximilian’s trip.
Wednesday, 11:42 p.m.
The recorder placed Anouk somewhere near the study at 11:39.
Her teddy bear captured Seraphina saying:
“Back under the stairs. Now.”
Then footsteps.
Then a door.
Anouk had not been put beneath the stairs simply because Seraphina disliked her.
At least once, the timing aligned with Seraphina accessing Maximilian’s private records.
Claire noticed the same thing.
“She wanted Anouk contained while she did something.”
Maximilian’s expression hardened.
“That does not mean the abuse was operational.”
“No.”
Claire looked at him carefully.
“Don’t make it cleaner than it was. She may have abused Anouk because she’s cruel and also found the confinement convenient.”
He nodded.
Both could be true.
Daniel found evidence that a portable scanner had connected to the study’s secure guest network that night.
The device identifier belonged to a model Seraphina owned.
Security had seen her use it for charity-board work.
Still circumstantial.
Then Maximilian’s estate manager, Nora Price, came forward.
“Mr. Rourke, there’s something I should have told you weeks ago.”
Maximilian hated that sentence.
“What?”
“Ms. Holt asked for copies of your travel schedule.”
“When?”
“Last month.”
“Why?”
“She said wedding planning.”
“Did you give it to her?”
“Your public itinerary.”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
Nora hesitated.
“She also asked which nights the archive consultant worked here.”
Maximilian looked at Claire.
There was clue number two.
Seraphina had been interested not only in the study.
She had been studying when records moved through it.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Nora looked embarrassed.
“Because she was going to be your wife.”
That answer echoed through the entire mansion.
Maximilian had created a hierarchy where people treated anyone close to him as an extension of his authority.
Seraphina had exploited it.
The problem was not merely her access.
It was how easily the house granted it.
That evening, Seraphina’s lawyer contacted Claire.
His name was Howard Bell.
He requested return of Seraphina’s personal property.
Reasonable.
He also warned that Seraphina possessed information concerning “historic Rourke family conduct” and expected Maximilian to avoid public accusations that could force her to defend herself.
Claire read the message aloud.
Maximilian sat at the end of the conference table.
“Blackmail?”
“Not yet.”
“She threatened me directly.”
“A threat to expose truthful information is not automatically extortion.”
“She wants something.”
“We don’t know what.”
Maximilian looked toward the sealed suitcase.
“Yes, we do.”
Claire followed his gaze.
“Maybe.”
Inside the recorder archive, Daniel found another relevant clip.
Seraphina on the phone three nights before Maximilian returned.
Her voice:
“He always chooses the girl.”
The male voice answered too softly to understand.
Then Seraphina said:
“That’s the point.”
Daniel paused the audio.
Nobody in the room spoke.
Clue number three.
May you like
Seraphina had expected Maximilian to choose Anouk.
And for some reason, that outcome appeared useful to her.
