Chapter 2 - The Woman He Didn’t Trust
The next morning, Emma found two armed security men outside the playroom.
She stared at them.
“Did the Lego situation get worse overnight?”
Neither man smiled.
Emma walked downstairs.
Vincent was in his study with Aaron and three security officers.
She entered without knocking.
“Why are there guards outside the children’s bedroom?”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“We’re having a meeting.”
“Congratulations.”
“Emma.”
“Vincent.”
Aaron slowly looked away.
Vincent stood.
“Take the children upstairs.”
“They are upstairs.”
“Then stay with them.”
Emma studied him.
“Something happened.”
“No.”
“You doubled security.”
“Routine precaution.”
“You’re terrible at lying.”
Nobody spoke.
Vincent walked around his desk.
“You are employed by me.”
“Yes.”
“That means when I give you an instruction concerning my children, you follow it.”
“Not if I don’t understand what danger they’re in.”
His voice became colder.
“That is not your concern.”
Emma stared at him.
Then she nodded.
“Fine.”
She turned toward the door.
Vincent seemed surprised.
“Fine?”
“Yes.”
She reached the doorway.
“Where are you going?”
“To pack.”
His expression changed.
“What?”
“You hired me to protect your children while they’re with me. If somebody is threatening them and you refuse to tell me what I’m protecting them from, I can’t do my job.”
“Emma—”
“You want obedience?”
She faced him.
“Hire a bodyguard.”
Then she left.
Aaron waited three seconds.
“I like her.”
Vincent glared at him.
“Find the photographer.”
Twenty minutes later, Vincent found Emma upstairs putting clothes into her cheap canvas bag.
Lily was crying.
Noah stood beside the door.
“You’re leaving?” Lily asked.
Emma crouched.
“I might have to.”
“You promised.”
Emma froze.
Lily’s lip trembled.
“You promised you’d be here tomorrow.”
Vincent heard the words from the doorway.
Emma looked at him.
“Tell me.”
He understood.
So he sent the children downstairs with Aaron.
Then he handed Emma the photograph.
She studied it.
Her face went pale.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Where was security?”
“We’re determining that.”
“Who wants to hurt them?”
“Several people.”
“That is not comforting.”
“It wasn’t intended to be.”
Emma examined the picture.
“Why the twins?”
“To hurt me.”
“Then why are they still here?”
Vincent stared at her.
“This estate is one of the safest properties in Pennsylvania.”
“Somebody stood outside it yesterday and photographed your children.”
He had no answer.
Emma placed the picture down.
“Do the kids know?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She unpacked her bag.
Vincent watched.
“You’re staying?”
“You finally told me the truth.”
“Part of it.”
“I assumed.”
Over the following days, Emma followed every security instruction.
But she also refused to let fear become the twins’ childhood.
They painted.
They baked terrible cookies.
They built a blanket fort in Vincent’s library.
When Vincent discovered it, he stared at two chairs covered by an antique Italian throw.
“That blanket is worth six thousand dollars.”
Noah whispered to Emma.
“Are we dead?”
Emma considered it.
“Possibly.”
Vincent looked at his son.
Then at Lily hiding inside the fort.
“Move the juice away from it.”
Noah grinned.
Emma smiled.
Vincent walked away.
She called after him.
“Mr. Calder?”
He turned.
“There’s room for one more.”
“No.”
Ten minutes later, Vincent was sitting inside the fort.
Aaron took a photograph.
Vincent pointed at him.
“Delete that.”
“Already backed it up.”
For one evening, Calder House felt almost normal.
Then, shortly after midnight, Aaron entered Vincent’s study.
“We found the photographer.”
“Name?”
“Elias Vane.”
Vincent went still.
Elias had once worked for the Calder organization.
Until Vincent discovered he had been selling information.
“What does he want?”
“Revenge.”
“Where is he?”
“We don’t know.”
Aaron placed another item on the desk.
A security map.
Calder House.
Detailed.
Including the greenhouse.
Vincent stood.
“Move the twins.”
Aaron nodded.
“Tonight?”
“Now.”
Neither man noticed Emma standing outside the study.
May you like
And neither knew Elias Vane was already inside the estate perimeter.
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