Chapter 6 - The Enemy Inside the Walls
Nathan destroyed the monitor with his bare hands.
The mansion erupted into chaos.
Security teams searched every hallway.
Every room.
Every entrance.
But whoever sent the message was already gone.
Or worse.
Still inside.
I stood near the boys’ room, staring at the photograph.
It bothered me.
Not because someone was watching.
I already knew that.
It bothered me because of the angle.
The picture had been taken from inside the room.
Not through the window.
Not from the hallway.
Inside.
Someone had been standing close to the boys.
Close enough to hear them breathe.
“Sarah.”
I turned.
Nathan stood behind me.
His face was different.
The anger was gone.
Replaced by something much worse.
Fear.
“I need you to leave.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“You’ve helped my sons. More than anyone.”
“Then why are you asking me to go?”
“Because whoever did this knows you’re involved now.”
I looked at him.
“And?”
“And they might come after you.”
I almost laughed.
“Mr. Coleman, someone poisoned your children.”
“I know.”
“Someone framed a doctor.”
“I know.”
“Someone is hiding inside your home.”
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
“Then leaving won’t solve anything.”
Nathan stared at me.
“You’re not afraid?”
I thought about it.
“Of course I am.”
That surprised him.
“But fear doesn’t mean running.”
For the first time, Nathan looked at me differently.
Not like an employee.
Like an ally.
We started rebuilding the timeline.
Eight months ago.
The boys became sick.
Their mother died.
The ventilation system was changed.
Victoria disappeared.
Dr. Ashford appeared.
Everything connected.
But one thing didn’t make sense.
The poisoning started after Elena’s death.
Why?
Unless…
Elena’s death wasn’t an accident.
I looked at Nathan.
“Tell me about the crash.”
His expression hardened.
“It was ruled an accident.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
A long silence.
Then he answered.
“Her car was pushed off the road.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“The police said the evidence was unclear.”
“And you believed them?”
Nathan looked away.
“I wanted to.”
That sentence said everything.
We reopened Elena’s case.
Nathan’s security team found old evidence reports.
The crash site.
The vehicle damage.
The missing camera footage.
Everything that had been ignored.
Then we found something.
A witness.
Someone who had never spoken.
An old mechanic who lived near the crash location.
Nathan brought him to the mansion.
The man looked terrified.
“I didn’t want trouble.”
Nathan’s voice was cold.
“You saw something.”
The mechanic nodded.
“The night your wife died…”
He looked at me.
“There was another car.”
“What kind?”
“A black SUV.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
The mechanic swallowed.
“I saw someone get out before the crash.”
“Who?”
The man hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Your housekeeper.”
Everyone went silent.
The name hit harder than expected.
Not Dr. Ashford.
Not Victoria.
Not some outsider.
Someone who had worked inside the mansion.
Someone who had cooked meals.
Cleaned rooms.
Walked past the boys every day.
Nathan immediately ordered a search.
The housekeeper, Maria, was gone.
Her room was empty.
But she left something behind.
A letter.
Nathan opened it.
His hands tightened as he read.
Then he handed it to me.
The message was short.
Only one sentence.
“Elena discovered the truth. I tried to stop them.”
I looked up.
“Them?”
Nathan stared at the letter.
Because suddenly we understood.
There wasn’t one person behind this.
There was an entire group.
And they had been hiding inside Nathan Coleman’s world for years.
Then Gerald Russo walked into the room.
His face was pale.
“Mr. Coleman.”
Nathan turned.
“What?”
Gerald held a small envelope.
“We found this in the security office.”
Nathan opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
A recent photograph.
Taken inside the mansion.
Of Marcus and Mason sleeping.
On the back was a handwritten message.
“The nanny is next.”
I looked up.
And for the first time since entering the Coleman estate...
I realized something.
The person hunting this family wasn’t afraid of being discovered.
They wanted us to know they were there.
Because the next move...
May you like
was already planned.
TO BE CONTINUED...
