Chapter 4: The Watchers In The Shadows
1125 Words
Ethan paced the length of the office, tension radiating from every step. “No digital trail. No known aliases. No leaks from Elise’s team.” He exhaled sharply. “Who the hell are we even chasing?”
Luis sat on the edge of the desk, arms crossed, gaze steady. Thinking.
“They want us frustrated,” Luis said. “They want us scrambling.”
Ethan stopped pacing, eyes narrowing. “Then we stop playing their game.”
Luis gave a slow nod. “We stop chasing the message. Instead, we focus on the messenger.”
Ethan frowned. “You mean Elise’s inner circle.”
Luis didn’t confirm or deny it. Instead, he reached for his tablet and pulled up the guest logs, security footage, and internal communications from the past month. “Someone had to give them access. Whether they realized it or not.”
Ethan crossed his arms. “And if no one did?”
Luis met his gaze. “Then the only other explanation is worse.”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “An inside threat.”
Luis didn’t respond immediately, but his silence was answer enough.
Ethan turned back to the screen, scanning the files Luis had pulled up. “We need to start eliminating suspects.”
Luis nodded, already filtering through the data. “We start with proximity. Who had the easiest access to Elise’s private channels?”
Ethan frowned, his gaze flickering toward the screen. Then, slowly—he exhaled.
“Damn it.”
Luis glanced up. “What?”
Ethan’s voice was tight. “The security breach wasn’t external.” He looked at Luis. “It was triggered from inside Elise’s estate.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
Then Luis stood, already reaching for his coat.
“We need to talk to Elise.”
.............
Elise stood at the head of the room, arms crossed, her gaze sharp enough to cut through stone.
Ethan and Luis had barely stepped inside before she spoke. “Tell me.”
Luis was composed as ever, but Ethan saw the flicker of **something rare—**unreadable tension in his posture.
Ethan exhaled. “The breach came from inside.”
Elise’s expression didn’t change. No shock. No hesitation. Just cold, dangerous calculation.
Luis took a measured step forward. “It wasn’t an external hack. Someone within your estate triggered it.”
Elise tilted her head slightly. “Who?”
Luis didn’t answer immediately. Because he didn’t know.
That was the problem.
Elise exhaled sharply, turning toward the large window overlooking the city. Her reflection stared back at her—calm, in control. But inside, the warning from her mysterious contact echoed in her mind.
Look closer at the people around you.
She turned back to Ethan and Luis. “How many people had access?”
Luis didn’t hesitate. “Less than ten. Maybe fewer.”
Elise’s gaze darkened. “Then I want all of them vetted. Every file. Every conversation. Every move they’ve made in the last month.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Elise—”
She cut him off. “Someone in my house thinks they can manipulate me.” Her voice was low, lethal. “They’re wrong.”
Luis nodded, already moving toward his tablet. Ethan, however, didn’t look away from her.
“Elise,” he said carefully. “If someone inside your estate is behind this, that means they’re watching you.”
She held his gaze. Unshaken. “Then let them watch.”
A slow, sharp smile.
“I want them to know—I’m watching back.”
Ethan and Luis Begin the Interrogations
The estate’s security room was colder than usual—not in temperature, but in tension.
Ethan stood by the door, arms crossed, as the first person sat across from Luis. The low light cast sharp shadows across their face.
Luis’s voice was calm. Controlled. “Tell me exactly where you were at the time of the breach.”
The staff member—a mid-level security officer—shifted in his seat. “I was at my post. Outside the west wing.”
Ethan’s gaze didn’t waver. He was watching for more than words.
Luis tapped on the tablet. “Cameras confirm that?”
A brief hesitation. “I… I think so.”
Ethan stepped forward. “You think so?”
The officer swallowed. “I mean—yes. The logs should show it.”
Luis glanced at Ethan before pressing a few keys, pulling up the estate’s security footage. A few seconds later, he turned the screen toward the officer.
“You weren’t at the west wing.”
The man’s face paled.
Ethan crouched slightly, bringing himself level. “Want to try again?”
The officer’s face broke into a cold sweat. “Wait—hold on. I wasn’t at the west wing because I got called to check the main gates. There was a delivery mix-up. You can check the logs.”
Luis’s eyes flicked to the tablet, his fingers moving fast. A moment later, he exhaled through his nose.
“He’s telling the truth.”
Ethan didn’t look convinced. “Convenient excuse.”
The officer swallowed hard. “I swear, I didn’t do anything.”
Luis leaned back. No tells. No deception. Just a scared man under pressure.
“Alright,” Luis finally said, closing the file. “You’re clear.”
The officer sagged in relief, rubbing his hands over his face. “Damn… I thought—”
Ethan cut him off. “You thought what?”
The man hesitated. Then, quietly, “…I thought something bad happened.”
Ethan and Luis exchanged a glance.
Luis folded his arms. “Why would you assume that?”
The officer licked his lips. “Because… everyone’s on edge. People are whispering about Miss Cruz. That something’s wrong.” He swallowed. “Some of the staff think she’s—”
Ethan’s voice was sharp. “Think she’s what?”
The man hesitated again. Then, finally—
“…That she’s hiding something.”
A heavy silence settled.
Luis closed the file. “We’re done here.”
The officer didn’t wait to be told twice. He hurried out of the room, shoulders tense.
Once he was gone, Ethan ran a hand down his face. “Well, that was a waste of time.”
Luis didn’t respond right away. Instead, he glanced at the security footage still playing on the monitor. Slowly rewinding.
Finally, he murmured, “Not completely.”
Ethan frowned. “What?”
Luis’s expression was unreadable. “The way he said it.” He leaned back in his chair. “He wasn’t lying about the rumors.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “You think someone’s spreading them on purpose?”
Luis exhaled. “I think someone wants Elise isolated.”
- Writer
