CHAPTER 10 — The Lockdown Meeting
1072 Words
The mansion’s main hall had never felt so tense.
Ariella walked down the sweeping staircase dressed in a fitted black sweater and dark jeans—simple, comfortable, ready for anything. She kept one hand lightly on the railing, grounding herself as the low murmur of voices drifted upward.
Half the household staff waited below.
Her father’s private security team stood in rigid formation near the back, every one of them armed. The sight alone made her stomach twist.
Michael Hart stood at the center of the room.
Her father looked older today—shoulders heavier, eyes more strained. As if the night had carved a year into him.
Gina stood at his side, wrapped in a silk robe even though it was well past morning. Her hand rested lightly on Michael’s arm, performing worry rather than feeling it.
Ophelia sat on the couch, legs crossed, fake sympathy plastered across her face.
Elias stood off to the right—sharp, composed, silent.
Damien stood closest to the stairs.
When he saw Ariella, something eased in his posture, almost imperceptibly. Elias noticed too—his jaw ticked once.
Ariella kept her steps even, controlled.
No fear. No weakness. Not here.
When she reached the last step, Michael’s voice softened.
“Ariella… sweetheart… come sit.”
She took a seat beside him, though a part of her wanted to sit closer to Damien. Or Elias. Or anywhere except between Gina’s watchful eyes and Ophelia’s hungry glare.
Michael cleared his throat.
“Thank you all for gathering on short notice. As you know, there was an incident last night.”
His voice trembled once, barely noticeable, but Ariella heard it.
“There was an intruder,” he continued. “Someone breached the east wing. Someone who was after my daughter.”
Murmurs spread through the staff.
Gina pressed closer to Michael as if she needed comfort.
Ophelia widened her eyes dramatically. “It’s horrifying. We barely slept.”
Damien shot her a cold look. “That’s not what I heard.”
Ophelia’s smile faltered.
Elias stepped forward, arms crossed.
“We’re not here for commentary. We’re here to find the breach.”
Michael nodded. “Right. Elias will be leading the internal investigation.”
Ariella blinked in surprise.
“Elias?” she whispered.
Damien glanced her way but didn’t speak.
Elias met her gaze briefly—calm, steady, reassuring.
“I’m the only one who isn’t compromised,” Elias said simply.
Gina stiffened. “Excuse me? Are you accusing us—”
“I’m stating facts,” Elias replied. “Someone inside this house gave access to the intruder. Someone unlocked a window latch, someone knew Ariella’s routine, and someone timed the attack for when she was most vulnerable.”
The room fell silent.
Ariella’s hands tightened in her lap.
Michael rubbed his forehead. “Please, Elias, proceed.”
Elias turned to face the staff first.
“All employees will be questioned individually. Devices will be checked. Schedules reviewed. If you’re innocent, you have nothing to worry about.”
A few staff members shifted nervously.
Gina let out an indignant huff. “This is ridiculous. We’re being treated like criminals in our own home.”
Damien finally spoke.
“What you’re being treated as is irrelevant. What matters is protecting Ariella.”
His voice was sharp. Controlled.
Gina flinched as if struck.
Ophelia muttered under her breath, “He’s obsessed.”
Damien heard it. His jaw flexed, but he didn’t respond.
Ariella had had enough.
“Stop,” she said quietly but firmly.
The room went still.
She breathed in deeply.
“We can’t waste time with accusations or theatrics. Someone tried to hurt me. That’s real. So we need answers—not denial.”
Michael looked at her in shock, as if he didn’t expect her to speak at all.
But Damien…
His eyes softened for a heartbeat.
And Elias…
He looked almost proud.
Ariella continued, calmer now.
“If there’s someone in this house who wants me gone, then I want to know who. So let the investigation happen.”
Gina pressed a hand to her chest as if deeply offended.
Ophelia rolled her eyes.
The staff exchanged uneasy looks.
Elias inclined his head slightly, a quiet good.
Michael straightened. “We’ll begin questioning immediately. Damien, Elias—assist any way you see fit.”
Damien stepped closer to Ariella’s chair.
“We’ll keep you updated,” he said, voice low.
She nodded once.
“Thank you.”
But before anyone could move, one of the guards stepped forward hurriedly.
“Sir—new information. The drones picked up something on the west perimeter at dawn.”
A hush swept through the hall.
Michael tensed. “What was it?”
The guard looked at Ariella before answering.
“A message carved into the snow.”
Ariella’s pulse quickened painfully.
Damien’s expression darkened.
Elias’s hand moved toward the weapon under his jacket.
Michael’s voice was barely audible.
“What did it say?”
The guard swallowed.
“It said:
YOU HID HER THEN. YOU CAN’T HIDE HER NOW.”
The room gasped.
Ariella’s blood turned to ice.
Damien’s entire body went rigid.
Elias stepped forward, voice deadly calm.
“Where is the footage?”
The guard flinched. “Corrupted. Just static. Same as the east wing cameras last night.”
Michael cursed under his breath.
Gina gripped his arm. “Michael, this is too much. Maybe we should send Ariella away—somewhere else. Somewhere safe.”
“No,” Damien said immediately.
Elias echoed him. “Absolutely not.”
Ophelia rose from the couch, folding her arms.
“She’s not safe here either.”
Ariella stood.
“I’m not running.”
Her voice was steady.
Damien looked at her with a flicker of something deeper—relief? Admiration?
Elias’s eyes softened.
Michael looked torn between fear and pride.
Ariella lifted her chin.
“If someone wants to find me, they will—no matter where I go. So I’d rather stay where I have people who will fight for me.”
Her gaze flicked between Damien and Elias.
A quiet, powerful tension settled between the three.
And then—
Michael placed a trembling hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll keep you safe,” he whispered. “I promise.”
But promises felt thin now.
The snow outside shifted with the wind.
And somewhere beyond its white veil…
Someone was watching.
Waiting.
Closing in.
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- Writer
