Chapter 4 – The Enemy Inside the House
The sound of gunfire echoed through the Carter mansion.
Glass rained down from the broken windows.
Lily screamed.
Evelyn immediately covered her daughter with her body, moving on instinct.
Six months away from home had not weakened her training.
If anything...
It had sharpened it.
"Everyone down!" Marcus shouted.
His agents moved instantly.
One flipped the dining table onto its side for cover.
The other rushed toward the hallway, checking angles and exits.
Evelyn held Lily tightly.
"It's okay."
Her voice was calm.
Even though her heart was racing.
"I'm here."
Lily buried her face into her mother's shoulder.
"I knew they would come..."
Evelyn froze.
She looked down.
"What did you say?"
The little girl trembled.
"I knew they would come."
A cold feeling moved through Evelyn.
"Who?"
Lily didn't answer.
She just cried harder.
"Mommy... Daddy said if I told anyone, bad people would come back."
The world stopped.
Evelyn slowly looked toward Grant.
Her husband stood behind the overturned table.
Pale.
Terrified.
But not surprised.
Not anymore.
"You told her that?"
Grant shook his head.
"No."
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
"Then why does she know?"
"I was trying to protect her."
"Protect her?"
Evelyn almost whispered the words.
"You taught our daughter to be afraid."
Grant looked away.
A mistake.
Again.
Marcus noticed.
"Evelyn."
She looked at him.
"Keep Lily safe."
Marcus nodded.
But Evelyn was already moving.
She grabbed the handgun from one of the agents.
Marcus immediately stepped forward.
"No."
"She was targeted because of something inside this house."
"Evelyn."
"I need answers."
Her voice became colder.
"And I know exactly where to find them."
She moved toward Grant.
He stepped back.
For the first time in their marriage...
Grant looked afraid of her.
Not because she was dangerous.
Because he knew she was finally seeing him clearly.
"How much did they pay you?"
Grant stared.
"What?"
"How much was my life worth?"
His face collapsed.
"Evelyn..."
"Answer."
"I didn't know."
"You keep saying that."
She stepped closer.
"But somehow you always knew enough."
The gunfire outside suddenly stopped.
That silence was worse.
Everyone waited.
Marcus looked toward the broken windows.
"That wasn't random."
Evelyn nodded.
"No."
She looked around the room.
"The shooter wasn't trying to kill everyone."
Marcus understood immediately.
"They were sending a message."
Exactly.
The attack wasn't about ending a life.
It was about creating fear.
And someone wanted Evelyn to know they could reach her.
Anywhere.
Even home.
Marcus's phone vibrated.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
"What?"
Evelyn asked.
Marcus turned the phone toward her.
A message.
Unknown sender.
Only one line:
ASK YOUR HUSBAND ABOUT THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT.
Evelyn stared.
"What accident?"
Grant went completely still.
Vanessa noticed.
And whispered:
"Oh my God..."
Everyone looked at her.
Evelyn turned slowly.
"You know."
Vanessa shook her head.
"No."
"Don't lie."
Vanessa swallowed.
"I didn't know everything."
"What did you know?"
She hesitated.
Then said:
"That Grant wasn't supposed to marry you."
Silence.
The words hit harder than the gunshots.
Evelyn stared at her husband.
"What?"
Grant closed his eyes.
"Evelyn..."
"No."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"Tell me."
Grant didn't move.
So Vanessa did.
"Years ago, before you met him, Grant had another life."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
"What kind of life?"
"A desperate one."
Vanessa looked at Grant.
"He was drowning in debt."
Grant whispered:
"Stop."
"You made a deal."
Grant's face turned pale.
"A deal with Blackridge."
Evelyn felt cold.
"So my marriage..."
She couldn't finish.
Vanessa did.
"Wasn't an accident."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Evelyn looked at Grant.
"Did you marry me because you loved me?"
The question seemed to destroy him.
Because there was no easy answer.
Finally...
He whispered:
"At first..."
Evelyn's expression changed.
At first.
Two words.
Two words that destroyed ten years.
Marcus looked away.
Even he knew.
There was no recovering from that.
Then suddenly...
Lily screamed.
"Mommy!"
Everyone turned.
The little girl was pointing toward the staircase.
A small figure stood there.
Watching.
A man.
Wearing black.
Holding something in his hand.
Evelyn immediately moved in front of Lily.
"Who are you?"
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he looked directly at Grant.
Then said:
"You failed."
Grant's face went white.
The stranger continued:
"She was never supposed to come home."
Evelyn raised the weapon.
"Don't move."
The man smiled.
Not afraid.
Almost relieved.
"Agent Carter."
He looked at her.
"You still don't understand."
A pause.
"You weren't the target."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
"Then who was?"
The man's smile disappeared.
"The person who ordered your death."
Everyone waited.
Then he pointed at Grant.
And said:
"Your husband."
The room exploded into silence.
Grant whispered:
"No..."
The man continued:
"He hired Blackridge to make you disappear."
Evelyn felt like the floor vanished beneath her.
Because there were lies.
There were betrayals.
There were secrets.
But this...
This was something else.
Marcus raised his weapon.
"Drop it!"
The man suddenly smiled.
"Too late."
A small device in his hand flashed red.
Evelyn recognized it instantly.
A trigger.
An explosive device.
Marcus shouted:
"Everyone out!"
But before anyone could move...
The stranger pressed the button.
And the lights went out.
The mansion disappeared into darkness.
And in that darkness...
Evelyn heard Grant whisper the words she never thought she would hear.
"I'm sorry."
May you like
Then...
A second explosion shook the house.
