CHAPTER 3 — The Name Written in Blood
Rain continued to fall over Providence that night.
The kind of rain that covered footsteps.
The kind of rain that made secrets easier to keep.
Inside the Carver mansion, nobody slept.
Not after what happened.
Not after Daniel Carver learned that Aaron Brooks’s death was not an accident.
He sat alone in his study, the city lights reflecting against the glass windows behind him.
On his desk was a file.
Aaron Brooks.
A simple name.
A simple man.
A harbor mechanic who had spent his life repairing machines instead of creating problems.
But someone had wanted him gone.
Daniel opened the report again.
Cause of death: fall from loading platform.
Official ruling: accidental.
Attached evidence: incomplete.
Witness statements: inconsistent.
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
He had seen this before.
People with money made problems disappear.
They changed reports.
They paid the right people.
They turned murder into paperwork.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Come in.”
Marcus entered.
His expression was serious.
“You found something?”
Marcus placed a folder on the desk.
“More than something.”
Daniel opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Shipping records.
Financial documents.
Names.
His eyes stopped on one page.
A transfer.
Seventy thousand dollars.
Paid from Whitlock Shipping.
To an account belonging to Aaron Brooks.
Daniel looked confused.
“Why would Whitlock pay him?”
“They didn’t.”
Marcus pointed at the details.
“The money was transferred three days after his death.”
Daniel looked up.
“So someone used his name.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Marcus hesitated.
“That’s the problem.”
Daniel waited.
“The person who authorized the transfer used an internal Carver security code.”
Silence filled the room.
Daniel slowly closed the file.
Someone inside his organization was involved.
Meanwhile, Hannah sat in her bedroom, still holding the phone.
Caleb’s voice repeated in her mind.
Don’t trust Daniel Carver.
She wanted to believe him.
She had spent months searching for answers.
Months believing the Carver family was connected to everything.
But tonight had complicated everything.
Daniel had protected her.
He had covered her with his jacket.
He had looked at her like she was a person.
Not a servant.
Not a problem.
A person.
Hannah hated that it confused her.
Because trust was dangerous.
Especially for someone like her.
A soft knock came at the door.
She quickly hid the phone.
“Come in.”
Martin Hale entered.
The older man immediately noticed her expression.
“What happened?”
Hannah looked away.
“Nothing.”
Martin sighed.
“You are terrible at lying.”
She almost smiled.
“Did Daniel ask you to watch me?”
Martin looked surprised.
“No.”
“Then why do you care?”
The question made him quiet.
After a moment, he answered.
“Because years ago, someone cared about me when nobody else did.”
Hannah looked at him.
Martin sat down carefully.
“I know what it feels like to be invisible.”
The words touched her.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Hannah, you need to leave this house.”
Her heart stopped.
“What?”
“I have worked here for thirty years.”
Martin looked toward the hallway.
“I have watched powerful people destroy lives because they thought nobody could stop them.”
“Who?”
Martin looked at her.
“The same people who killed your husband.”
Hannah froze.
“You know who killed Aaron?”
“I know enough.”
“Then tell me.”
Martin looked away.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you, you won’t survive long enough to use the information.”
Before Hannah could answer, the door suddenly opened.
Daniel stood there.
Both of them turned.
His expression was unreadable.
“How much did you hear?”
Martin stood.
“Enough.”
Daniel looked at Hannah.
Then at Martin.
“Leave us.”
Martin hesitated.
But eventually walked out.
The door closed.
Hannah faced Daniel.
“Were you listening?”
“Yes.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Of course you were.”
Daniel ignored the accusation.
“Your brother called you tonight.”
Her face changed.
“You know about that?”
“I know everything that happens inside this house.”
“Then you know I have no reason to trust you.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Actually, I know exactly why you don’t trust me.”
Hannah stared at him.
“Because everyone connected to your family has taken something from me.”
Daniel was silent.
Then he said something she never expected.
“I believe you.”
The words shocked her.
“What?”
“I believe Aaron was murdered.”
Hannah’s eyes filled with emotion.
After months of being ignored…
After months of people telling her she was imagining things…
Someone finally believed her.
But Daniel wasn’t finished.
“And I believe someone in my family helped do it.”
The room went cold.
Hannah whispered:
“Why would you help me?”
Daniel looked toward the photograph of Aaron on her table.
Then back at her.
“Because whoever killed your husband made one mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“They thought Aaron Brooks was alone.”
A pause.
“But he wasn’t.”
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“He had you.”
Hannah looked at him.
For the first time, she saw something beneath the powerful man everyone feared.
A man carrying his own guilt.
A man who also wanted answers.
Then Daniel said the words that changed their entire relationship.
“Help me find who killed Aaron.”
“And I’ll help you find your brother.”
Outside the mansion, hidden in the darkness…
A figure watched through the rain-covered window.
Holding a phone.
Listening.
Then sending one message.
May you like
Daniel knows too much.
Hannah must disappear before the baby is born.
