Chapter 5: Deeper Into the Web (Ethan and Luis Keep Digging)
1015 Words
The hallway outside the security room was quiet. Too quiet.
Ethan and Luis walked side by side, their pace slow, deliberate. Thinking. Calculating.
Ethan exhaled sharply. “We’re getting nowhere.”
Luis didn’t respond immediately. He was focused on his tablet, flipping through reports. Patterns. Gaps.
Finally, he murmured, “What if we’re looking at this the wrong way?”
Ethan glanced at him. “What do you mean?”
Luis stopped walking, turning the screen toward Ethan. It showed a list of staff movements over the past three weeks. But Luis had filtered something out.
Ethan’s brow furrowed. “You removed security personnel.”
Luis nodded. “Because if someone in the estate wanted to stay hidden, they wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave a digital footprint.” He scrolled further. “So I focused on the gaps instead. Moments where security cameras went offline, where logs weren’t updated on time, where staff changed schedules last minute.”
Ethan’s expression darkened. “How many?”
Luis looked up. “Three.”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “Three people who were unaccounted for during key moments?”
Luis nodded. “Not just that. Three people who wouldn’t normally be in Elise’s private spaces.”
Ethan straightened. “Who?”
Luis tapped the screen. Three names. Three staff members.
One was a cleaner. One worked in maintenance. The last—a personal assistant.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Maria Reyes?”
Luis exhaled slowly. “She was inside Elise’s office the day before the breach.”
A heavy silence settled.
Then Ethan rolled his shoulders, expression unreadable. “Let’s pay her a visit.”
Maria Reyes sat stiffly in the chair, arms crossed. Her usual warmth was gone—replaced with quiet frustration.
“I don’t understand why I’m here.”
Ethan leaned against the wall, arms folded, unreadable. Luis, seated across from her, was calm as ever.
“You were inside Elise’s office the day before the breach,” Luis said.
Maria blinked, confused. “Yeah. I bring her coffee every morning.”
Ethan’s voice was cool. “You didn’t just bring coffee.”
Maria exhaled sharply. “I also set out her outfit for the day. Like I always do.” She shot Luis an annoyed look. “You know this.”
Luis didn’t deny it. Instead, he tapped on his tablet. “Security logs show you were in the office for eight minutes. That’s longer than usual.”
Maria frowned. “I don’t count how long I stay in a room.”
Ethan pushed off the wall, stepping closer. “What were you doing?”
Maria’s frustration deepened. “Does it matter? I—” She stopped suddenly. A hesitation.
Luis caught it. “Maria.” His voice was even. “If there’s something you’re not saying, now is the time.”
She bit her lip, looking away. “I wasn’t going to say anything because it’s stupid.”
Ethan’s patience thinned. “Say it anyway.”
Maria sighed. “I dropped one of Elise’s rings.”
Luis raised a brow. “Her ring?”
Maria nodded. “She left it on the desk, and when I was setting her things down, it fell behind the cabinet. I had to move stuff around to grab it.” She looked between them. “That’s why I was in there longer.”
Ethan glanced at Luis, weighing her words.
Luis studied Maria carefully. No guilt. No deception. Just irritation.
Finally, Luis leaned back. “Alright.”
Maria frowned. “That’s it?”
Ethan gave her one last look before turning away. “For now.”
Maria huffed, standing up. “I love Elise. I would never betray her.” Then, softer—“You should know that.”
Luis didn’t reply.
As Maria left, Ethan exhaled, shaking his head. “Another dead end.”
Luis didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tapped a finger against his tablet.
Then, slowly, he murmured, “Maybe. Maybe not.”
...............
Elise walked through the halls of her estate, heels clicking softly against the marble floor. The silence was different today.
Not calm. Not disciplined.
Strained.
She caught the subtle glances from passing staff—averted eyes, whispers that stopped the second she was near.
By the time she reached her office, her patience was already wearing thin.
Maria was waiting inside, setting down her morning tea. “Good morning, Miss Cruz.”
Elise studied her. “Is it?”
Maria hesitated. “You seem tense.”
Elise moved to her desk, fingers skimming the surface, feeling for anything out of place. Something was wrong in her house. And if she was the only one who felt it—then the problem wasn’t coming from outside.
She looked at Maria. “People are talking.”
Maria blinked. “About what?”
Elise tilted her head slightly. “Me.”
Maria’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I—I’m sure it’s nothing.”
Elise smiled. Sharp. Cold. “Is it?”
Maria hesitated. Then—too quickly—“Of course.”
A pause. A long one.
Then Elise walked past her, toward the window. “You’ve been with me for how long?”
Maria’s voice softened. “Two years.”
Elise nodded. “Then you know I don’t like lies.”
Maria stiffened. “I—I wouldn’t—”
Elise turned back to her. “Tell me the truth, Maria.” Her voice was quiet, dangerous. “What exactly are people saying?”
Maria lowered her gaze. “They just… They think you’re hiding something.”
Elise didn’t flinch. Didn’t react.
Instead, she walked back to her desk and slowly took a seat. She lifted the tea Maria had brought, watching the steam curl.
Then, softly—“Good.”
Maria looked up, startled. “Miss Cruz?”
Elise took a slow sip of her tea before setting it down.
“If they’re watching me,” she murmured, “then they’re not watching the real threat.”
And that meant whoever was behind this?
They were getting too comfortable.
- Writer
