Chapter 3 - The Man Inside the House
The name was Peter Vaughn.
Assistant house manager.
My supervisor.
The man who had hired me three years earlier.
Daniel brought him into Jude's office at 1:17 a.m.
Peter looked terrified.
"I can explain."
Jude sat behind his desk.
"Excellent."
Peter swallowed.
"Bryce wanted somewhere private to smoke."
"You gave eight guests security blind spots?"
"I didn't know what they planned."
I stared at him.
"You're lying."
Peter looked at me.
"Audrey—"
"Last week you changed my assignments."
Silence.
Jude leaned forward.
"What assignments?"
I suddenly remembered everything.
Bryce requesting the west wing.
Peter insisting I personally deliver drinks.
The service corridor.
My stomach turned.
"You knew Bryce was bothering me."
Peter shook his head.
"You misunderstood."
"I told you twice."
Jude's voice interrupted.
"She told you?"
Peter went still.
"Mr. Mercer—"
"Answer carefully."
Peter's face collapsed.
"Yes."
Jude stood.
"And what did you do?"
"I told her to avoid him."
I couldn't believe it.
Jude walked around the desk.
"So one of my employees reported harassment by a guest."
Peter said nothing.
"And instead of removing the guest, you told her to hide."
"I was protecting the event."
Jude stopped.
"From what?"
"Scandal."
Jude stared at him.
Then he looked at Daniel.
"Fire him."
Peter's face drained.
"Mr. Mercer, please."
"Tonight."
"I've worked here twelve years."
"Then you should have learned what this house protects."
Peter became desperate.
"Bryce paid me."
That stopped everyone.
Jude turned.
"How much?"
"Twenty thousand."
"For what?"
Peter looked at the floor.
"Information."
"What information?"
"Her schedule."
My skin went cold.
Jude didn't move.
"My schedule?" I whispered.
Peter nodded.
Jude stepped between us.
"Take him away."
Two guards entered.
Peter panicked.
"I didn't know they'd hurt her!"
Jude grabbed the front of Peter's jacket.
It was the first time I'd seen him physically touch anyone all night.
"You sold a woman's location to eight drunk men."
His voice was barely audible.
"What exactly did you think they wanted?"
Peter had no answer.
Jude released him.
"Get him out."
Afterward, I sat on the sofa.
Jude poured water and handed it to me.
My fingers trembled.
"Why?" I whispered.
"What?"
"Why me?"
Jude sat opposite me.
"Because predators choose people they believe nobody will defend."
I looked at him.
"You sound like you know."
"I do."
That was all he said.
Daniel returned carrying a tablet.
"We found something else."
Security footage showed Bryce entering Peter's office three days earlier.
Another recording showed money changing hands.
Then came audio from a hallway microphone.
Bryce's voice.
"Friday. Make sure Sinclair handles the west corridor."
My throat tightened.
Jude stopped the recording.
"Enough."
Daniel nodded.
"This gives us conspiracy, bribery, assault—"
"And witnesses," I said.
They looked at me.
"His friends."
Daniel frowned.
"They'll protect each other."
"Not all of them."
Jude studied me.
"Explain."
I remembered their faces.
One man laughing.
Another filming.
But one had frozen when my shoulder popped.
Ethan Caldwell.
He'd loosened his grip.
Maybe deliberately.
"Ethan."
Jude nodded.
Five minutes later, Ethan Caldwell was sitting across from us.
He looked twenty-four.
Suddenly very young.
Jude placed the tablet on the table.
"Tell the truth."
Ethan looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," I said. "Talk."
He lowered his head.
"Bryce planned it."
"Planned what?"
"Humiliating you."
My stomach twisted.
"He said you'd embarrassed him when you rejected him at another party."
Jude's jaw tightened.
Ethan continued.
"We thought we'd scare you."
"You grabbed me."
"I know."
"You helped hold me."
His eyes filled with shame.
"I know."
"Then say their names."
Ethan looked toward Jude.
Jude said nothing.
Finally Ethan listed all eight.
Bryce Whitmore.
Tyler Crawford.
Mason Reed.
Connor Hale.
Liam Prescott.
Grant Ellison.
Ethan Caldwell.
Nathan Cole.
May you like
Then Ethan said something none of us expected.
"There's a video."
