Chapter 2 - THE HIDDEN SERVER
Marcus directed two guards to detain the intruder.
I did not wait to learn his name.
Clara needed medical attention.
I carried her into the library and laid her on the leather sofa.
One of Marcus’s officers, a former Army medic named Tessa Ward, knelt beside her.
She examined Clara’s hands and checked her pulse.
“How long was she in that kitchen?”
I looked toward Sienna.
She said nothing.
Tessa’s expression hardened.
“Her hands have second-degree burns.”
Helena released an impatient breath.
“She was only washing dishes.”
“In nearly boiling water,” Tessa replied.
Clara opened her eyes.
“I’m all right.”
“No, you’re not,” I said.
She looked frightened by the firmness in my voice.
I softened it immediately.
“You don’t need to protect anyone.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re still apologizing for being hurt.”
Her gaze dropped.
Tessa requested an ambulance.
Helena objected.
“We do not need flashing lights outside the estate.”
I stared at her.
“My wife needs treatment.”
“You are overreacting because you arrived during an unfortunate moment.”
“An unfortunate moment does not last for months.”
The room became still.
Sienna’s face changed.
She knew I understood more than I had revealed.
Marcus entered with a young man restrained between two guards.
I recognized him as Damian’s assistant, Eric Sloan.
His dress shirt was damp with sweat.
A black external drive protruded from his pocket.
Marcus placed a scorched metal box on the table.
“He poured champagne into the primary server.”
Damian stepped backward.
Eric looked at him.
That single glance was enough.
“You told me the system was already disconnected,” Eric blurted.
Damian raised both hands.
“I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
Marcus removed the external drive from Eric’s pocket.
“The backup network recorded him entering Mr. Vale’s study eleven minutes ago.”
Helena looked at me sharply.
“What backup network?”
“The one none of you knew existed.”
Years earlier, after a former business partner attempted to steal confidential files, I installed an independent security system.
It had its own cameras, storage, power supply, and encrypted remote access.
Only Marcus and I possessed the credentials.
The visible cameras around the house could be disabled from the main panel.
The hidden ones could not.
Sienna gripped the edge of a chair.
“Julian, whatever you think you saw, you need to understand the context.”
“I saw Clara sleeping on the laundry room floor while all of you ate dinner.”
Clara turned toward me.
“You saw that?”
“I saw thirty-seven days of footage while I was traveling.”
Her breathing changed.
I had started reviewing the recordings in the car after receiving an unusual security alert.
At first, I thought the kitchen camera had malfunctioned.
Then I saw Clara carrying trays into the dining room while Helena criticized her clothing.
I saw Sienna remove Clara’s phone.
I saw Damian corner her near the stairs.
I saw my wife working until two in the morning.
There were hundreds of hours I had not yet reviewed.
Marcus’s radio crackled.
“Sir, ambulance at the east gate.”
I reached for Clara.
She caught my sleeve.
“Julian, there’s something you need to know before we leave.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I tried to call you.”
“I know.”
“No.”
May you like
She shook her head.
“I tried to tell you that I’m pregnant.”
