CHAPTER 4 The Locked Room
Richard had lived in the Hale mansion for almost ten years.
He knew every hallway.
Every staircase.
Every hidden corner.
At least, he thought he did.
But after reading Anna's message, one question kept repeating in his mind.
The locked room.
He had never heard about any locked room.
Not once.
The next morning, Richard called the head of security.
"James, I need you to check something."
The security manager immediately stood up.
"What do you need?"
"Find every room in this house that has restricted access."
James hesitated.
"Restricted access?"
"Yes."
A few minutes later, James returned with a confused expression.
"There's something strange."
Richard looked up.
"What?"
"An old storage room on the third floor."
"Why is that strange?"
"Because the door has a new lock."
Richard frowned.
"When was it installed?"
James checked the records.
"Three years ago."
Three years.
The same year Anna died.
Richard walked toward the third floor without saying another word.
The hallway was quiet.
Dust covered the old paintings.
The mansion suddenly felt different.
Like it was hiding something.
When they reached the door, Richard noticed something scratched into the wooden frame.
A small mark.
A symbol.
The same symbol that appeared on the back of Anna's photograph.
His heart started racing.
"Open it."
James unlocked the door.
Inside was not storage.
It was a room.
A room that looked untouched for years.
There were boxes.
Old documents.
Photos.
And children's drawings.
Richard stepped inside slowly.
Then he saw something that made him freeze.
A small table.
On top of it was a notebook.
With Anna's handwriting.
He picked it up.
The first page contained only one sentence.
"If you found this, then Sophie is no longer safe."
Richard's hands trembled.
He continued reading.
Anna had written about Vanessa.
Not as a friend.
Not as a family member.
But as someone she feared.
Years before Anna's death, Vanessa had been close to the family.
She had worked with Anna on charity projects.
She had gained their trust.
But Anna discovered something.
Vanessa wasn't interested in friendship.
She was interested in Richard's wealth.
And more importantly...
She wanted control.
The next pages were filled with details.
Arguments.
Threats.
Manipulation.
But one part made Richard stop breathing.
Anna wrote:
"Vanessa knows something about Sophie's birth."
Richard stared at the sentence.
Something about Sophie's birth?
He turned the page.
But the next pages had been removed.
Someone had ripped them out.
Someone had deliberately hidden the truth.
Suddenly...
A noise came from the hallway.
Richard turned around.
Vanessa was standing there.
Watching him.
Her face was pale.
"You weren't supposed to find this room."
Richard closed the notebook.
"How long have you known about it?"
Vanessa said nothing.
"Answer me."
Her calm mask disappeared.
"You don't understand what you're doing."
Richard stepped closer.
"No."
His voice was cold.
"You don't understand who you're dealing with."
For the first time, Vanessa looked afraid.
Because she realized something.
Richard wasn't the man who ignored problems anymore.
May you like
He was a father.
And fathers protected their children.
