Chapter 3 - The Secret Hidden Behind the Walls
The basement smelled different.
Dust.
Old wood.
Metal.
And underneath it all...
That same sweet chemical smell.
The one I noticed when I arrived.
I followed it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The basement was enormous.
Storage rooms.
Equipment areas.
Security systems.
Everything was organized.
Except one section.
A small door near the back wall.
No label.
No lock.
That alone was strange.
In a house like this, everything had a purpose.
I reached for the handle.
Then stopped.
Because I heard footsteps.
Someone was behind me.
I turned.
Gerald Russo.
“Miss Mitchell.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
“What are you doing down here?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
His expression remained unreadable.
“I was checking the house.”
“This area is restricted.”
“Why?”
Silence.
That was my answer.
“Does Mr. Coleman know about this room?”
Gerald stared at me.
“Some questions are dangerous.”
I looked at him.
“So are some answers.”
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then he stepped aside.
“You should leave this alone.”
“Why?”
“Because people who search for things they don’t understand usually regret finding them.”
I walked closer.
“Two children are sick.”
His face changed.
“They are my responsibility too.”
“Then help me.”
He looked away.
That told me everything.
He knew something.
Later that afternoon, Nathan found me in the hallway.
“You found something.”
It wasn’t a question.
I looked at him.
“What makes you say that?”
“Because everyone who enters this house eventually learns two things.”
“What?”
“My sons are sick.”
“And?”
Nathan’s voice lowered.
“And someone doesn’t want to know why.”
I studied him.
“Do you suspect someone?”
His silence answered before his words did.
“I trust very few people.”
“Then why keep them around?”
“Because sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you can’t afford to lose.”
I understood that sentence.
Too well.
“Mr. Coleman, I need access to the ventilation system.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because I think your sons aren’t suffering from a disease.”
A long silence.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying someone may be making them sick.”
Nathan froze.
The powerful mafia boss.
The man feared by thousands.
For one moment...
He looked like a father.
A terrified father.
“Who?”
“I don’t know yet.”
His hands tightened.
“But I intend to find out.”
That night, Nathan gave me permission to inspect the system.
A technician arrived.
The vents were opened.
Samples were collected.
Everyone waited.
Including Dr. Ashford.
He stood in the hallway with a confident smile.
“You’re wasting everyone’s time.”
I ignored him.
The technician removed the final filter.
Then suddenly stopped.
“Mr. Coleman?”
Everyone turned.
“What is it?”
The technician looked nervous.
“We found something.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“What?”
The technician slowly pulled out a small hidden device attached inside the ventilation system.
Not a filter.
Not a machine part.
A container.
Designed to release something into the air.
The hallway went completely silent.
Dr. Ashford’s face lost color.
Nathan looked at the device.
Then at his sons’ bedroom.
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“Someone has been poisoning my children.”
Nobody answered.
Because everyone already knew.
The question was no longer if someone was responsible.
The question was...
Who?
And before anyone could investigate further, Nathan’s security alarm suddenly activated.
A guard’s voice echoed through the mansion.
“Mr. Coleman!”
Everyone turned.
“Someone accessed the basement security room.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
“Who?”
The guard swallowed.
“We don’t know.”
A pause.
“But the camera caught them.”
Nathan looked at the screen.
And the moment the image appeared...
his entire face changed.
Because the person standing inside the restricted room...
was someone he trusted.
Someone who had been in his home every day.
May you like
Someone who had been helping care for his dying sons.
TO BE CONTINUED...
