Chapter 2 - The Woman Who Recognized HimGrace stepped forward.
“Mrs. Whitmore, I’m sorry. He was hungry.”
Evelyn barely heard her.
Her eyes remained fixed on the beggar.
Adrian lowered his face.
He had dirt around his cheekbones.
A false scar above his eyebrow.
An uneven beard.
A cap pulled low.
No one should have recognized him.
No one.
Evelyn walked closer.
“Look at me.”
Adrian kept his eyes down.
The kitchen suddenly felt too small.
Evelyn reached toward his face.
Grace stepped between them.
“Mrs. Whitmore?”
Evelyn stopped.
Her voice remained calm.
“You should return to work, Grace.”
Grace hesitated.
“But…”
“Now.”
Grace looked at the beggar.
Adrian gave the tiniest shake of his head.
She obeyed.
The door closed behind her.
Evelyn sat across from Adrian.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she whispered:
“You have no idea what you are doing.”
Adrian slowly looked up.
Evelyn’s expression had changed.
The elegant socialite was gone.
What remained was a woman terrified by something only the two of them understood.
“You recognized me.”
“I recognized your eyes.”
Adrian said nothing.
Evelyn leaned closer.
“Why are you doing this?”
“To find out who can be trusted.”
Evelyn laughed softly.
It was not amused laughter.
“You think this house is full of people who hate you?”
“I think everyone wants something.”
“You hired half of them.”
“Exactly.”
She stared at him.
“You should stop this.”
“Why?”
“Because some things are better left unknown.”
That sentence struck him.
“What do you know?”
Evelyn stood.
“Nothing you’ll believe.”
She walked toward the door.
Adrian grabbed her arm.
“Evelyn.”
She looked back.
“If you know something, tell me.”
Her eyes filled with something dangerously close to panic.
“You think the biggest threat inside Whitmore House is a servant?”
Adrian frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
“You should be asking who benefits if you die.”
He released her.
Evelyn opened the door.
Then stopped.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“Don't trust Malcolm.”
She left.
Adrian sat motionless.
Malcolm Reed had been beside him for twenty-two years.
His most loyal advisor.
The man who knew his schedule, finances, passwords, business structures, and family secrets.
The man Adrian trusted almost without question.
Yet now, for the first time, doubt entered his mind.
Later that evening, Adrian watched the household through the mansion’s internal cameras.
Grace returned to work.
Victor spoke to someone on the phone.
Evelyn locked herself in her bedroom.
And Malcolm arrived unexpectedly.
Adrian frowned.
Malcolm wasn't supposed to be at the estate.
On the security feed, Victor opened the gate for him.
Malcolm stepped out of his car.
He looked around.
Then he handed Victor a small envelope.
Adrian leaned closer to the screen.
Victor opened it.
Inside was cash.
A lot of cash.
Then Malcolm said something the microphone barely captured.
“Tomorrow night.”
Victor nodded.
Adrian froze.
Tomorrow night?
For what?
He switched to another camera.
Then another.
He followed Malcolm through the mansion.
Malcolm entered Adrian’s private study.
The door closed.
Adrian felt a cold sensation run through him.
He had installed hidden cameras throughout the mansion as part of the experiment.
But his private study had one camera that Malcolm didn't know about.
Adrian watched.
Malcolm walked directly toward the wall safe.
He entered a code.
The safe opened.
Adrian whispered:
“How do you know my code?”
Malcolm removed a folder.
Then he opened it.
Inside were documents bearing Adrian’s signature.
Documents Adrian had never seen.
Malcolm picked up his phone.
“They believe he’ll be gone by Friday.”
A voice answered through the phone.
Adrian could not hear it.
But Malcolm smiled.
“Once Whitmore Global is transferred, nobody will stop us.”
Adrian stared at the screen.
His face went cold.
This was no longer a loyalty test.
Someone was planning to steal his empire.
May you like
Then Malcolm said the words that made Adrian’s blood run cold.
“The only problem is the maid.”
