Chapter 5 - The Woman Behind the DoorAndrew searched the room quickly.

"There has to be another exit."

"You built this?"

"Grandfather did."

"You knew about it?"

"Only after I came back."

Noah clung to his father's coat.

"What is happening?"

Andrew knelt.

"Stay with me."

The footsteps above grew louder.

Then Vanessa's voice came through the basement door.

"Alex."

She sounded calm.

Almost gentle.

"You don't want to make this worse."

Andrew's face went pale.

I whispered.

"What does she want?"

"Noah."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because he's proof."

"Proof of what?"

Andrew shook his head.

"You need to see the files."

He opened a cabinet.

Inside were ledgers.

Names.

Dates.

Payments.

Shipping records.

And a series of photographs showing people entering and leaving the Whitmore estate.

One photograph made my blood run cold.

Maria.

Standing beside a younger Andrew.

Another showed Maria holding an infant.

Noah.

The date was seven years ago.

But there was something else.

At the bottom corner was a handwritten note:

SUBJECT 03.

I turned to Andrew.

"What does Subject 03 mean?"

Andrew hesitated.

"Maria wasn't only our housekeeper."

"What was she?"

"She worked for me."

"Doing what?"

"Collecting evidence."

"Against Vanessa?"

"Against all of them."

"Who are all of them?"

Andrew stared at me.

"The people who built this family."

A metallic sound came from the door.

Someone was unlocking it.

Andrew looked around.

"There's a tunnel."

"Where?"

He pointed toward the far wall.

"No time."

We pushed the cabinets aside.

Behind them was a narrow opening.

Andrew carried Noah through.

I followed.

The tunnel was dark and cramped.

We moved quickly.

Behind us, the basement door opened.

Vanessa shouted.

"Alex!"

I turned.

She stood at the entrance.

"Listen to me."

I aimed my gun.

"Don't come closer."

Her eyes were wet.

"I never wanted Noah hurt."

Andrew stepped between us.

"You've been hunting him for seven years."

"Because you know what happens if he talks."

Andrew's face tightened.

"You still work for him."

Her expression collapsed.

I looked at her.

"Who?"

She whispered a name.

I had never heard it before.

"Sebastian Voss."

Andrew closed his eyes.

"No."

I looked at him.

"Who is Sebastian Voss?"

But Vanessa answered.

"Your grandfather's former business partner."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"My grandfather died ten years ago."

"Yes."

"And Sebastian?"

Vanessa looked at Andrew.

"He's alive."

Andrew said nothing.

Vanessa stepped closer.

"And he's been controlling this family from the shadows ever since."

Before anyone could move, a shot cracked through the tunnel.

Vanessa stumbled.

She looked down.

Blood spread across her dress.

Then she collapsed.

I rushed forward.

Andrew grabbed my arm.

"Don't!"

"What?"

"That wasn't meant to kill her."

The gunshot had come from behind us.

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Someone else was in the tunnel.

And whoever it was had followed us in.