Chapter 3 - THE RECORDING IN THE WALL
Elena and Margaret stared at the door.
Neither woman breathed.
The handle moved again.
Slowly.
Someone was trying to enter.
Margaret grabbed Elena’s hand.
“Hide.”
“What?”
“Now.”
Elena looked around the room.
There was nowhere to go.
Then Margaret pointed toward an old bookshelf.
“Behind there.”
Elena pushed the bookshelf aside just enough to squeeze behind it.
Seconds later, the door opened.
Victoria walked in.
“Good morning.”
Her voice was warm.
Fake.
Margaret forced a smile.
“Victoria.”
Victoria walked into the room carrying a tray.
Tea.
Two cups.
Elena watched from her hiding place.
She felt sick.
The same pattern.
Always tea.
Always kindness.
Always control.
“I thought we could talk about the wedding arrangements,” Victoria said.
Margaret nodded.
“I’m tired today.”
Victoria smiled.
“You’ve been tired a lot lately.”
The words sounded innocent.
But the meaning was clear.
Margaret looked down.
“I suppose I have.”
Victoria poured tea.
“You should rest more.”
Elena noticed something.
Victoria never drank from her own cup.
Only Margaret’s.
Her hands tightened.
Then Victoria said something that made Elena’s blood freeze.
“After the wedding, everything will become much easier.”
Margaret looked up.
“What do you mean?”
Victoria smiled.
“Ethan will finally stop making decisions without me.”
Silence.
Margaret stared at her.
Then Victoria continued.
“And once the trust papers are changed, there won’t be any more complications.”
Elena felt her heart pounding.
She needed proof.
Not just memory.
Proof.
After Victoria left, Elena stepped out.
Margaret looked at her.
“You heard everything.”
“Yes.”
Margaret’s eyes filled with tears.
“I knew something was wrong.”
“What happened to Charles?”
Margaret looked away.
“My husband trusted the wrong person.”
Elena pulled out the flash drive.
“I found this.”
Margaret stared at it.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
A sudden noise came from the hallway.
Both women froze.
Footsteps.
Someone was coming.
Elena grabbed the flash drive.
They needed to leave.
But before they could move, Margaret pointed at the wall.
“There.”
“What?”
“Behind the painting.”
Elena removed the painting.
Behind it was a small device.
A hidden recorder.
Her breath caught.
Someone had been listening.
Someone had been recording.
Margaret whispered:
“Victoria installed those months ago.”
Elena stared.
“Why?”
Margaret’s face turned pale.
“Because she never trusted anyone.”
Elena removed the recorder.
Then she noticed a small red light.
It was still recording.
A live connection.
Someone was listening right now.
Then a voice came through the speaker.
Victoria.
“I know you’re there, Elena.”
Elena froze.
Margaret covered her mouth.
The voice continued.
“You really should have learned something about rich people.”
A pause.
“We always know when someone enters our world.”
Elena slowly turned toward the door.
The lock clicked.
Again.
Victoria’s voice came from outside.
“Open the door.”
Elena looked at Margaret.
Margaret whispered:
“She knows.”
The door handle began to turn.
May you like
And Elena realized the woman she thought she was exposing…
Had been waiting for her to find the evidence all along.
