Chapter 7: The Enemy Inside the House
The mansion had never felt so quiet.
Harper had always thought expensive homes were supposed to feel safe.
Big walls.
Locked doors.
Security cameras.
People standing outside making sure nobody dangerous got in.
But that night, inside the Ashford mansion, she realized something important.
A person didn’t need to break into a house to bring danger inside.
Sometimes danger already had a key.
Victor stood near the window, staring into the darkness beyond the glass.
Gabriel watched him carefully.
“You know who sent that message.””
It wasn’t a question.
Victor didn’t turn around.
“No.””
Nobody believed him.
Harper noticed the way his shoulders tightened.
The way his hand moved slightly toward the old scar on his wrist.
A nervous habit.
A crack in the armor.
“You’re lying,” Gabriel said.
Victor finally faced his son.
“You think you know everything because you found one message?””
“No.””
Gabriel stepped closer.
“I think I know enough to realize every time something gets close to the truth, you tell us to stop asking questions.””
Victor’s expression hardened.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with.””
“Then tell me.””
Silence.
Again.
Harper felt exhaustion creeping into her bones.
She had spent years begging Derek for honesty.
Now she was surrounded by people doing the same thing.
Giving pieces.
Never the whole truth.
She looked at Eleanor.
“Did Derek know who killed Thomas?””
Eleanor didn’t answer.
Harper walked toward her.
“Did he?””
Eleanor looked at the floor.
“Yes.””
The answer shocked everyone.
Gabriel turned.
“What?””
Eleanor’s voice shook.
“Derek found out years later.””
“How?””
“I don’t know.””
Victor interrupted.
“You know more than you’re saying.””
Eleanor looked at him.
“And you know exactly why I couldn’t tell him.””
The accusation landed.
Harper looked between them.
“What happened?””
Eleanor closed her eyes.
“When Derek discovered the truth, he came to me.””
“And?””
“He wanted justice.””
Gabriel frowned.
“But you stopped him.””
Eleanor looked at her son.
“I tried to stop him from getting himself killed.””
Harper studied her.
That didn’t sound like the same woman who humiliated her at dinner.
That sounded like someone who had lived with fear for decades.
“Who was he after?””
Eleanor looked toward Victor.
Victor remained silent.
And that silence answered everything.
Harper’s stomach dropped.
“Victor.””
Nobody spoke his name like that.
Not in that house.
But she did.
“You know.””
Victor looked at her.
“You need to be careful.””
“No.””
Her voice became stronger.
“I need the truth.””
For a moment, Victor looked almost impressed.
Then he looked tired.
“The person Derek was investigating was someone close to the family.””
Gabriel stared.
“Who?””
Victor didn’t answer.
The sound of footsteps interrupted them.
Everyone turned.
A security guard entered the room.
“Mr. Ashford.””
Victor immediately noticed something was wrong.
“What happened?””
The guard looked uncomfortable.
“There’s a problem with the cameras.””
Gabriel frowned.
“What problem?””
“They were disabled.””
Harper felt cold.
“When?””
The guard looked at Victor.
“About thirty minutes ago.””
Nobody moved.
Thirty minutes.
Around the same time Derek’s message arrived.
Around the same time they had been arguing.
Around the same time someone knew Harper was there.
Victor’s voice became quiet.
“Who had access?””
The guard hesitated.
“Only family and senior security staff.””
Gabriel looked around the room.
The answer sat between them.
Someone inside.
Someone they trusted.
Harper felt her heart race.
She thought about Derek.
About the bruises.
About the warning.
If someone had found him...
If someone had silenced him...
Then maybe coming to the Ashfords had never been about finding answers.
Maybe it had put her in danger.
Gabriel noticed her fear.
“Harper.””
She looked at him.
“We need to leave.””
Victor immediately shook his head.
“No.””
Gabriel turned.
“No?””
“If someone disabled those cameras, they wanted us blind.””
Victor’s eyes moved across the room.
“They’re still here.””
The words made everyone freeze.
The guards moved quickly through the mansion.
Doors were checked.
Rooms searched.
Nobody found anything.
But the feeling remained.
Someone was watching.
Harper stood beside Gabriel.
“I should have never come here.””
Gabriel looked at her.
“Don’t say that.””
“Why?””
“Because Derek didn’t send you here.””
Harper looked confused.
“He sent the message.””
“No.””
Gabriel pointed at the phone.
“He sent you a warning.””
She looked down.
And for the first time, she saw it differently.
Derek hadn’t told her where to go.
He hadn’t asked her to trust the Ashfords.
He had told her to ask questions.
Because he knew she would find something.
Something dangerous.
A sound came from upstairs.
Everyone stopped.
Then Lily screamed.
Gabriel ran.
“Lily!””
Harper followed.
They rushed upstairs to the child’s room.
The door was open.
Lily sat on the bed, shaking.
Gabriel grabbed her immediately.
“What happened?””
The little girl pointed toward the closet.
“There was someone in there.””
The guards moved toward it.
Victor stood frozen.
Harper looked around the room.
Then she saw something on the floor.
A small object.
A photograph.
She picked it up.
Her blood ran cold.
It was an old picture.
Derek.
Thomas.
And one more person.
Someone Harper recognized.
Someone standing in the room.
She slowly looked up.
May you like
And whispered:
“No…”
