Chapter 8 - The shadow in the mansion
"Lock down the entire estate," Nicholas commanded, his voice echoing like thunder across the study. "Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. Shut down the main grid and switch to internal analog security. If my sister is alive, she knows every digital blind spot in this house."
Marco nodded sharply, tapping his earpiece. "Code Red. Seal the perimeter. Sweep every hallway, every room, every vent."
Nicholas paced the floor, running a hand through his dark hair. The reality of the situation was settling over him like a heavy winter chill. His sister, the brilliant, ruthless heir who was meant to run the family before her tragic accident, was alive. And she had orchestrated this entire month. She had manipulated Maria into the house, planted the lineage documents, and played the ghost in the shadows to trigger the trust clause.
"Boss," Marco called out from the desk, rapidly typing on a secured laptop. "I pulled the analog backups from last night. Look at this."
Nicholas leaned over the screen. The black-and-white footage showed the darkened hallway outside Maria and Lucy’s room at two in the morning. A tall woman with auburn hair walked casually down the corridor. Two armed night guards stood by the staircase. As the woman approached, the guards did not raise their weapons. They did not stop her. Instead, they respectfully lowered their heads and stepped aside, allowing her to walk right into the child's room.
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Nicholas clenched his jaw. "They didn't stop her because they recognize her. They belong to her."
"She hasn't just breached the house," Marco realized with horror. "She controls half the security team. She's been living inside the walls of this mansion the entire month, waiting for day thirty."
