Chapter 14 - THE LAST PERSON INSIDE THE HOUSE
The video showed Oliver playing in the garden.
Yesterday afternoon.
After Celeste had been arrested.
Someone was still watching him.
Damian locked down the estate.
Every employee was questioned.
Every camera was reviewed.
Nobody slept.
Eliza refused to leave Oliver’s room.
At 2:13 a.m., she heard the door handle move.
She sat up.
“Damian?”
No answer.
The door opened slowly.
A man stepped inside.
Eliza recognized him.
The security guard who had opened the gate for Celeste.
He raised a pistol.
Eliza threw herself over Oliver.
The gun clicked.
Nothing.
The guard cursed.
Eliza grabbed the bedside lamp and swung it.
It smashed across his face.
He stumbled.
Oliver screamed.
Eliza shoved the child toward the bathroom.
“Lock the door!”
The guard tackled her.
She hit the floor.
His hands closed around her throat.
“You ruined everything.”
Eliza clawed his face.
He squeezed harder.
Black spots filled her vision.
Then the pressure disappeared.
Damian hit the man from the side.
They crashed into the dresser.
The guard swung wildly.
Damian ducked.
Eliza crawled toward the gun.
The guard saw her.
“No!”
He kicked Damian away and charged.
Eliza grabbed the weapon.
Pointed it.
Her hands shook.
“Stop.”
He didn’t.
“STOP!”
He came closer.
Damian shouted.
“Eliza!”
She pulled the trigger.
Click.
Empty.
The guard smiled.
Then Marcus appeared in the doorway.
“Bad night to bring an empty gun.”
He slammed the guard to the floor.
Security rushed in.
Oliver opened the bathroom door.
“Mommy?”
Eliza dropped the useless gun.
She ran to him.
Damian sat against the wall, breathing hard.
Marcus cuffed the attacker.
“Who hired you?”
The man laughed.
Nobody answered.
Eliza stepped closer.
“Celeste?”
He smiled.
“No.”
Damian’s face tightened.
“Then who?”
The guard looked directly at him.
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Damian stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“Mrs. Harlow knew Celeste would go down eventually.”
“Why watch Oliver?”
“Insurance.”
Eliza looked sick.
“Against what?”
The guard laughed again.
“Against you.”
Later that morning, Damian confronted Victoria in the hospital.
She was handcuffed to the bed.
He stood beside Eliza.
Victoria looked at her son.
“You brought her.”
“Yes.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
Damian placed a recording device on the table.
“Tell the truth.”
“I’ve told enough truth.”
“You ordered someone to watch my son.”
“I ordered someone to protect the family.”
“You threatened a child.”
“I never told him to hurt Oliver.”
“You used him as leverage.”
Victoria looked at Damian.
“You think love makes people good?”
“No.”
He took Eliza’s hand.
“I think it gives them something worth becoming better for.”
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“You sound like her now.”
Damian looked at Eliza.
“Maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
Victoria stared at their hands.
For the first time, she seemed old.
Defeated.
“What happens to Harlow Global?” she asked.
Damian’s expression hardened.
“I’m tearing out everything you built in the dark.”
“You’ll destroy the company.”
“Then I’ll build something better.”
He turned to leave.
Victoria called his name.
“Damian.”
He stopped.
She whispered, “I did love you.”
He looked back.
“I believe you.”
Hope appeared in her eyes.
Then he finished.
“That’s what makes it worse.”
He walked out.
But outside the hospital, Eliza pulled her hand away.
Damian looked at her.
“What?”
She took a breath.
“There’s one more thing we need to talk about.”
His heart dropped.
May you like
She looked directly into his eyes.
“I don’t know if I still want to be your wife.”
