A 7-YEAR-OLD TRAPPED IN A BURNING ROOM. AND THE HORRIFYING REASON HER MOTHER DIDN'T OPEN THE DOOR. / Chapter 7 / 14

Chapter 7 - THE INFILTRATIONWithin three weeks, I was indispensable.

Jessica was lazy and incredibly insecure, two traits I weaponized with surgical precision. I managed her schedules, covered up her messy tabloid scandals, and stroked her ego until she believed she couldn't function without me. She fired her nervous assistant and hired me as her Chief of Staff, doubling my salary.

It was almost too easy.

But I wasn't there for a paycheck. I was there for access.

One evening, while Jessica was passed out on her velvet sofa after mixing too many martinis with prescription pills, I sat at her sleek Mac desktop. I bypassed her rudimentary password (Jessica123, naturally) and accessed her private family network.

I downloaded five years' worth of financial records, emails, and calendar appointments directly to a secure flash drive. My eyes scanned the documents rapidly.

My mother had built a fortress. Evelyn Holdings LLC controlled properties across the eastern seaboard. But as I dug deeper into the offshore accounts, I found the rot.

My mother was bleeding the company dry. Millions were being funneled into private, untraceable shell accounts in the Caymans. She was liquidating assets quietly, preparing for something. A run? A retirement?

Then, I saw the email thread between my mother and a private investigator.

Subject: The State Facility Message: Confirm her status. Make sure she is still heavily medicated. We cannot have a loose end.

My blood ran cold, then hot with fury. She was still checking on me. She was still afraid of the little girl she had thrown away.

"Elena?"

I clicked off the screen instantly, slipping the flash drive into my pocket. I turned around. Jessica was stirring on the couch, rubbing her temples.

"I'm here, Jess," I said softly, walking over with a glass of water and two Aspirin.

"My head is killing me," she groaned, sitting up. She looked at me, her makeup smeared. "You're the only one who actually cares about me, you know that? Even my mother just uses me for good press."

"I'll always be here to take care of you," I promised, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You and I are practically family."