Chapter 6 - BENEATH THE HOUSE The service hallway ended at a locked door.
Michael had lived in the mansion for years.
He had never known it existed.
Daniel broke the lock.
Stone steps descended into darkness.
“Lily!”
Her scream echoed below.
The basement was not a basement.
It was an underground archive.
Filing cabinets lined the walls.
Monitors covered one side.
Documents filled shelves.
And near the far wall stood Maria.
The housekeeper.
She held Lily against her.
A knife trembled in her hand.
“Don't come closer.”
Michael stopped.
“Maria, look at me.”
Her eyes were filled with terror.
“She'll kill my son.”
“Who?”
“Vanessa.”
Michael's voice softened.
“She can't hurt you here.”
“You don't understand.”
Maria's hand shook.
“I drove the second car that night.”
Michael's face went numb.
“The night Rachel died?”
Maria nodded.
“I followed her.”
“Why?”
“Henry ordered me.”
“Why?”
“He said they only wanted the ledger.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't know Vanessa would force Rachel toward the road.”
Michael couldn't breathe.
“You saw it?”
“I saw everything.”
Maria pointed toward a metal box.
“I kept the dashcam card.”
Daniel opened it.
A memory card.
An envelope.
The name Michael written across it.
Before he could open the letter, every monitor in the basement turned on.
Vanessa's face appeared.
“Hello, husband.”
Michael stared at the screen.
Her smile was cold.
“If you play that card…”
A video appeared.
Ethan.
Tied to a chair.
Michael's heart broke.
May you like
Vanessa leaned toward the camera.
“…your son dies.”
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