Chapter 14 - The Man Who Came for the Final Transfer
Margaret's first reaction to the doorbell told me more than any denial could have.
"Don't answer it."
Brandon stared at her.
"It's Caleb."
"I know who it is."
"You said we needed him."
"We did before she found this."
The countdown hit 01:44.
I looked at the recorder.
"Nora, keep filming."
Margaret reached for the power strip.
I slapped her hand away with my left hand.
She stared at me, shocked more by defiance than force.
"You have no idea what you're interfering with."
"My own attempted murder seems like a reasonable place to interfere."
The doorbell rang again.
Then the house intercom activated.
A man's voice came through the ceiling speaker.
"Margaret? It's Caleb. Open the door."
Brandon looked at the pantry service screen.
At the audio waveform.
At the ceiling speaker.
The two voices were similar.
Not enough for me to swear they were identical.
Enough for him to notice.
"Was that him?" I asked.
Brandon's mouth opened.
Margaret answered first.
"No."
Too quickly.
The countdown reached 00:58.
Nora aimed her phone at the screen.
The system suddenly displayed CACHE PURGE CANCELLED.
REMOTE ADMIN SESSION TERMINATED.
We all froze.
Someone had stopped the deletion.
The doorbell rang once more.
Then Caleb's voice came over the intercom again.
"I know you're home. The gate logged me in."
Margaret's face had gone rigid.
"Brandon, get the USB."
"Why?"
"Now."
"What aren't you telling me?"
She grabbed his sleeve.
"Get it."
He pulled away from her.
That was the moment I realized their alliance was breaking.
Not because either had found a conscience.
Because both were starting to suspect the other had hidden something.
Nora unlocked the pantry door.
"We need another exit."
"No," I said.
She looked at me.
"Emma."
"He came here for the transfer. I want to hear what he says when he sees me alive."
I took Nora's phone.
"Keep the recorder running."
We moved toward the foyer.
Brandon followed.
Margaret stayed behind for three seconds, then came after us.
The villa's front doors were ten yards away.
Through the glass, Caleb Sloan stood on the stone portico in a charcoal suit, silver hair neatly combed, a red document box tucked under one arm.
My father's red box.
I stopped breathing.
He had brought it back.
Caleb looked through the glass and saw me.
His face did not register surprise.
That frightened me more than if he had panicked.
Brandon unlocked the door.
Caleb stepped inside.
His gaze traveled over the blood at my mouth, my injured shoulder, the way I leaned against Nora to stay upright.
Then he looked at Brandon.
"Why is she conscious?"
Nobody spoke.
Caleb's eyes moved to Margaret.
"You said this would be finished before I arrived."
Brandon took one step back.
"Finished how?"
Caleb finally seemed to realize the room was no longer following the script he expected.
Then he saw Nora's phone pointed at him.
His expression changed.
Not fear.
Calculation.
He placed the red box slowly on the foyer table.
"Turn that off," he said.
I held the phone steady.
May you like
"Open the box."
📖 Discover what Caleb brought inside Emma's father's red box—and why his first words prove he expected her to be incapacitated before the final transfer in CHAPTER 15. 👇
