Chapter 13 - The Hammer Beneath the Camera
Sawyer opened the live security feed.
Carolina stood on a dining chair beneath the indoor control panel.
A hammer hung from her right hand.
She struck the panel once.
The screen shattered.
Then she moved toward the router cabinet.
Mara spoke sharply through the phone.
“Do not confront her. The footage is backed up remotely.”
Bonnie stared at the screen.
“She knows that system stores copies online.”
“Apparently not,” Sawyer said.
Carolina struck the router.
The live feed went black.
Two seconds later, a cloud alert confirmed the video had already uploaded.
Mara instructed Daniel to preserve his neighbor footage separately.
She also arranged for an independent technician to retrieve Sawyer’s recordings.
“We need a clean chain of custody,” she said.
Sawyer looked toward Gracie.
“I don’t care about winning an argument. I care about keeping her safe.”
“Then evidence matters.”
Carolina called.
Sawyer answered and recorded.
Her breathing was heavy.
“You locked me out of my own accounts.”
“You destroyed the security system.”
“It malfunctioned.”
“I watched you use a hammer.”
Silence.
Then her voice softened.
“Sawyer, please come home. We can fix this.”
“You hurt Gracie.”
“I made a mistake.”
“You locked her away.”
“She was screaming.”
“You left her injured and wet.”
Carolina began crying.
“I was overwhelmed.”
“You were afraid of being seen.”
Her crying stopped.
“You always choose her.”
“She is our child.”
“No,” Carolina said bitterly. “She is your child. She has never wanted me.”
Sawyer finally understood.
This was not discipline.
It was jealousy.
May you like
Carolina resented the love between father and daughter.
👉 And a hidden message on Gracie’s tablet revealed Carolina had been planning to send the child away before Sawyer returned.
