Chapter 10: Someone Inside This House Wants You Dead
931 Words
Adrian Vale hadn’t slept.
The silver pocket watch sat on his desk.
His father’s pocket watch.
The engraving inside haunted him.
Some memories are buried for a reason.
He had searched every inch of the study.
There was no sign of forced entry.
No security alerts.
No explanation for how the watch had appeared.
Which left him with only one conclusion.
Someone inside Vale Manor had put it there.
Someone who knew his father.
Someone who knew about Sophia.
Someone who wanted Adrian afraid.
A knock sounded against the study door.
“Come in.”
Sophia stepped inside.
Dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Adrian broke first.
“Did you put this here?”
He held up the pocket watch.
Sophia’s composure cracked.
Just slightly.
“No.”
“You recognize it.”
It wasn’t a question.
Sophia hesitated.
Then nodded.
“It belonged to your father.”
Adrian’s patience snapped.
“Then tell me what the hell is going on.”
Sophia looked away.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Sophia’s voice dropped.
“Both.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“Do you know how insane this sounds?”
“I know exactly how it sounds.”
He took a step closer.
“People are trying to kill me.”
Another step.
“My dead father’s belongings are appearing out of nowhere.”
Another.
“And my wife refuses to tell me the truth.”
Sophia met his gaze.
Pain flickered across her face.
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Silence.
“Sophia.”
Her voice trembled.
“Yourself.”
Dinner that evening was unbearable.
The tension around the table had become suffocating.
Eleanor watched Sophia carefully.
Isabella pretended not to stare.
Adrian barely touched his food.
Only Damian Cross, Adrian’s head of security, appeared unaffected.
“We’ve increased security around the estate,” Damian said.
“Additional guards have been assigned to all entrances.”
Adrian nodded absentmindedly.
“What about the internal cameras?”
“They’re functioning properly.”
Sophia looked up sharply.
“Every single one?”
Damian frowned.
“Yes.”
Sophia leaned back in her chair.
“No.”
The room fell silent.
“What do you mean?” Adrian asked.
Sophia placed her fork down.
“The camera in Adrian’s study shouldn’t exist.”
Damian’s expression tightened.
“It doesn’t.”
Sophia’s gaze sharpened.
“Then explain the footage.”
No one answered.
Eleanor spoke instead.
“Are you accusing someone?”
Sophia glanced around the table.
At the faces watching her.
Studying her.
Judging her.
“Not yet.”
Isabella scoffed.
“Convenient.”
Sophia ignored her.
Because something had been bothering her since the previous night.
The footsteps.
The disappearing intruder.
The photograph.
The watch.
Someone wasn’t just trying to kill Adrian.
They were sending messages.
Someone wanted Adrian to remember something.
That night, a storm rolled across the city.
Lightning illuminated Vale Manor.
Thunder rattled the windows.
Sophia stood outside Adrian’s study.
Listening.
The house felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Then—
A sound.
A faint click.
Sophia’s head snapped toward the hallway.
She moved silently.
Following the noise.
Past the library.
Past the east wing.
Toward the kitchen.
Another sound.
Footsteps.
Fast.
Sophia broke into a run.
The back staircase.
Someone was descending it.
“Stop!”
The figure didn’t hesitate.
Black clothing.
Gloved hands.
Face hidden beneath a hood.
Sophia chased them through the servants’ corridor.
Lightning flashed.
The intruder shoved open the basement door.
Sophia followed.
The basement was dark.
Dusty.
Unused.
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
Then—
A crash echoed from upstairs.
Sophia froze.
Adrian.
She sprinted back toward the main floor.
The smell hit her first.
Gas.
Her blood ran cold.
The kitchen.
The industrial stove had been left on.
Flames licked toward the curtains.
And Adrian—
Adrian stood near the doorway.
Confused.
“What happened?”
“Get down!”
Sophia lunged.
The explosion rocked the room.
Glass shattered.
Heat scorched the air.
Sophia shielded Adrian with her body as they crashed onto the marble floor.
Someone screamed.
Footsteps echoed throughout the manor.
Staff rushed toward the kitchen.
Damian appeared moments later.
“What the hell happened?”
Sophia slowly pushed herself upright.
Her ears rang.
Adrian stared at the flames consuming part of the kitchen.
The realization settled heavily between them.
This wasn’t an accident.
Again.
Sophia turned toward Damian.
“Where were the guards?”
Damian’s expression hardened.
“Every entrance was secured.”
Sophia looked around.
At the frightened staff.
At Eleanor standing frozen in the doorway.
At Isabella clutching her phone.
At Adrian.
Someone had bypassed security.
Again.
Which meant—
Sophia slowly faced Adrian.
Her expression had never looked more serious.
“What?”
Adrian asked.
Sophia swallowed.
Then said the words that changed everything.
“The person trying to kill you isn’t outside these walls.”
Lightning illuminated the destruction around them.
Sophia held Adrian’s gaze.
“Someone inside this house wants you dead.”
Silence.
Then—
A voice spoke from behind them.
Cold.
Amused.
Terrifyingly calm.
“She’s right.”
Every head turned.
A phone rested on the kitchen counter.
Its screen illuminated.
A distorted voice echoed through the speaker.
“The question is…”
A pause.
“Which one of you is lying?”
The call disconnected.
The screen went black.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Because for the first time since the threats had begun—
The enemy had spoken directly to them.
And everyone in Vale Manor had heard it.
- Writer
