Chapter 3 - Emily’s StoryEmily woke with Adrian standing beside the hospital window.
For a second, panic crossed her face.
Then she saw Lucy asleep in the armchair.
Wrapped in Adrian’s suit jacket.
Her entire body relaxed.
“Lucy.”
“She’s safe.”
Emily closed her eyes.
“Thank God.”
Adrian pulled a chair closer.
“You have a concussion.”
She glanced at her cast.
“I noticed something went wrong.”
Despite himself, he almost smiled.
Then became serious.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Emily looked toward Lucy.
“Will she hear?”
“She’s asleep.”
Emily hesitated.
Then began.
Mrs. Hale had asked her to verify that the private library doors were locked.
Emily entered around eleven forty-five.
Vanessa was behind Adrian’s desk.
A laptop open.
A flash drive connected.
The floor safe exposed.
Documents on the rug.
“I thought maybe she had permission.”
“Did you say anything?”
“I asked if she needed help.”
“And?”
“She looked terrified.”
Vanessa immediately removed the flash drive.
Told Emily to leave.
Emily bent down to collect several dropped papers.
Vanessa grabbed her wrist.
Hard.
“She said I hadn’t seen anything.”
Emily pulled away.
Vanessa followed her into the hallway.
Then:
“She asked where Lucy was.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“She said if I spoke to you, she could make both of us disappear.”
Emily’s voice shook.
“I told her to stay away from my daughter.”
Vanessa grabbed her again.
Emily resisted.
Then Vanessa shoved her.
Emily struck a brass table.
Then the mirror.
Everything went black.
Adrian sat silently.
When Emily finished, she whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
His head snapped toward her.
“For what?”
“The documents.”
“What about them?”
“I wasn’t supposed to see them.”
“You were attacked.”
“I know, but—”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“You will not apologize because someone else committed a crime in front of you.”
Emily looked stunned.
Perhaps because no employer had ever spoken to her like that.
Adrian leaned back.
“How long have you worked at my house?”
“Three months.”
“What do you know about me?”
She almost smiled.
“That depends.”
“On?”
“Whether you want the polite employee answer.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“The honest one.”
“You terrify most people.”
“Reasonable.”
“You work too much.”
“Also reasonable.”
“You pretend you don’t notice Lucy stealing strawberries from the breakfast tray.”
Adrian glanced toward the sleeping child.
“I have no evidence.”
“She does it every morning.”
“Allegedly.”
Emily smiled for the first time.
Then winced because smiling hurt her ribs.
Adrian felt something unfamiliar.
Not romance.
Not yet.
Responsibility.
He had allowed Vanessa access.
Vanessa had brought danger into his home.
Emily and Lucy had been caught inside it.
That made the consequences his problem too.
“Emily.”
“Yes?”
“You and Lucy are not returning to staff quarters.”
Her face tightened.
“Sir, I can still work.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“I need the job.”
“You still have the job.”
“Then where do we go?”
“Guest residence.”
Her eyes widened.
“I can’t afford—”
“You work for the estate.”
“Recovery housing is part of your compensation until I know the threat is gone.”
Emily looked uncertain.
“Why?”
Because Adrian understood something she didn’t.
Arthur Carlisle had spent twenty years ensuring that witnesses became financially vulnerable before they became physically vulnerable.
And Emily Bennett had just become a witness.
He answered simply:
“Because Vanessa knows your name.”
May you like
Then looked at Lucy.
“And your daughter’s.”
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