Chapter 5 - THE UNINVITED GUEST
"He's here," Ethan said, his jaw tightening into iron.
"Does he know I told you?" Elena asked, watching Arthur Vance on the monitor.
"No," Ethan replied, closing down the private vault terminal and sliding the wallpaper mechanism back into place, concealing the hidden room completely. "Arthur thinks I'm still a broken, grieving hermit who spends his days drinking alone in the library."
Ethan turned off the third-floor lights and locked the oak door behind them.
"We go down to the library," Ethan instructed as they descended the marble staircase. "Elena, you are still my housekeeper. You act normal. You carry your cleaning supplies. Let me handle Arthur."
"Understood," Elena said, adjusting her apron and grabbing her cleaning caddy from the hallway landing.
The mansion's front doorbell chimed—three slow, arrogant rings.
Ethan walked to the grand front doors, opened them smoothly, and stood in the entryway, framing his broad shoulders against the rainy evening backdrop.
Arthur Vance stood on the porch, holding a black umbrella. He was forty-five, thin, with slicked-back silvering hair, sharp blue eyes, and a fake, practiced smile that didn't reach his eyes. Two heavy-set men in dark suits stood behind him on the driveway.
"Ethan, my dear brother!" Arthur greeted smoothly, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. He shook out his umbrella and handed it to Arthur's driver. "I was in the neighborhood visiting our legal counsel and thought I'd check in on you. You haven't been answering your personal cell."
Ethan's expression was a masterclass in controlled coldness.
"I was resting, Arthur," Ethan said flatly. "It's eight o'clock on a rainy Tuesday. What do you want?"
Arthur's sharp eyes swept over the grand foyer, taking in the dim lighting, the quiet atmosphere, and finally landing on Elena, who was quietly wiping down the wooden bannister with a microfiber cloth near the stairs.
"Ah," Arthur noted, a condescending smirk touching his lips. "Housekeeper number twelve? I see she hasn't fled yet. What's her name?"
"Her name is Elena," Ethan said, his voice clipped. "And she is performing her duties. Speak your mind, Arthur, or leave."
Arthur walked slowly into the living room, pouring himself a glass of scotch from Ethan's crystal decanter.
"Our network engineers at Vanguard noticed an unauthorized ping originating from your private IP address twenty minutes ago," Arthur said casually, taking a slow sip of scotch. "It was probing historical financial records from St. Gabriel's Hospital."
Ethan didn't flinch. He walked over to the armchair opposite Arthur and sat down, crossing one leg over his knee in a display of effortless calm.
"I was reviewing old estate tax filings from the year Isabel died," Ethan lied smoothly. "My accountants found a discrepancy in the emergency medical billing from that night. I had my automated system pull the hospital's public registry."
Arthur paused, his glass hovering near his mouth. His sharp blue eyes searched Ethan's face for any sign of deceit.
"Estate taxes," Arthur repeated slowly. "I see. You shouldn't torture yourself with records from that night, Ethan. It's been three years. You need to let Isabel and little Lily rest in peace."
The mention of Lily's name from the mouth of the monster who stole her sent a surge of white-hot rage through Ethan's veins, but he forced his expression to remain completely impassive.
"I am managing, Arthur," Ethan said coldly.
Arthur set his glass down, pulling a sleek leather document folder from his coat pocket.
"While I'm here, brother," Arthur said, laying the folder on the coffee table, "the Vanguard board needs your signature on the corporate merger with Aethelgard Pharma. It requires eighty percent shareholder approval. Since you own seventy percent of Carter Global, I need your consent."
Ethan looked at the folder. He knew instantly that if he signed those papers, Arthur would gain complete control of Vanguard's research facilities, making it legally impossible for Ethan to inspect their medical labs.
"I'll review it with my legal team tomorrow," Ethan said flatly.
Arthur's smile vanished. His tone turned sharp, predatory.
"You've been delaying this merger for six months, Ethan," Arthur said, stepping closer. "Don't let your... mental instability... compromise our family's fortune."
"My mind is clearer than it has been in three years, Arthur," Ethan replied, standing up and towering over his stepbrother. "Leave my house."
Arthur stared at Ethan for three long seconds, sensing a profound, dangerous shift in his brother's energy.
Arthur turned his gaze toward Elena, who stood quietly near the stairs, her eyes lowered to her work.
"Keep a close eye on him, Elena," Arthur said softly, a subtle, chilling threat embedded in his words. "Grief makes people do foolish things."
Arthur turned on his heel and walked out the front door, his two bodyguards following close behind.
The heavy front doors clicked shut.
May you like
Ethan turned to Elena instantly.
"He knows I'm onto something," Ethan said. "We don't have three days. We move tonight."
