Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO NEVER LEFT
Matthew watched the recording twice.
Then a third time.
He couldn't accept it.
"My mother raised me."
Grace stood behind him.
"That doesn't mean she can't betray you."
Matthew turned.
"You don't understand."
"I understand more than you think."
"You don't know my family."
Grace looked at him.
"No."
She paused.
"But I know what fear looks like."
Matthew looked back at the screen.
Jessica's recording continued.
"I didn't leave because I hated you."
"I left because Evelyn discovered that I had found the financial records."
"She threatened me."
Matthew stopped the video.
His hands were trembling.
"She threatened Jessica?"
Grace nodded.
"What did she threaten her with?"
"The boys."
Matthew stood abruptly.
"We need to get home."
They drove back.
Security met them at the gate.
Matthew immediately asked for his sons.
"They're upstairs."
He ran inside.
The twins were playing in the living room.
His mother sat nearby.
Evelyn smiled.
"Matthew."
He stopped.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
His mother stood.
"You came home early."
"Where's Grace?"
"She went upstairs."
Matthew's eyes narrowed.
"No, she didn't."
Evelyn's smile faded.
"Of course she did."
He looked toward the staircase.
Then shouted:
"GRACE!"
No answer.
He ran upstairs.
The guest room was empty.
The twins were still downstairs.
Matthew searched every room.
Nothing.
Then his phone buzzed.
A message.
If you want Grace alive, come alone.
His blood froze.
He turned toward his mother.
She was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Her face was unreadable.
"What's wrong?"
Matthew stared at her.
"Where is she?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
"You've become very suspicious lately."
Matthew slowly descended.
"Did you hurt Jessica?"
His mother's face changed.
Only for a second.
But Matthew saw it.
"Jessica was unstable."
"Did you threaten her?"
"She was destroying your family."
"Did you?"
Evelyn stepped closer.
"You never understood what she was doing."
Matthew laughed bitterly.
"What she was doing?"
"She was trying to take everything from you."
"You mean she discovered your fraud."
Evelyn went silent.
That silence was an answer.
Matthew felt something inside him break.
"You stole from me."
"I protected you."
"You stole millions."
"I protected this family!"
"You threatened my wife."
"I warned her."
"Where is Grace?"
Evelyn looked at him.
"She's not who you think she is."
Matthew froze.
"What does that mean?"
"Ask her why she really came into this house."
A security alarm suddenly screamed.
Matthew turned.
One of the monitors showed the driveway.
Three black vehicles had entered the property.
His security chief shouted through the intercom.
"Mr. Carter, we have multiple unauthorized vehicles."
Matthew grabbed the twins.
"Take them to the panic room."
Evelyn stared.
"You don't know what you're doing."
Matthew looked at her.
"For the first time in my life, Mother, I know exactly what I'm doing."
He carried his sons downstairs.
Then the lights went out.
The entire house fell into darkness.
A crash sounded from the front door.
Someone had broken in.
Matthew pulled the twins close.
Then a voice echoed through the house.
"Matthew!"
He recognized it.
Michael.
"Bring me the notebook!"
Matthew looked at the hidden safe.
The notebook was still there.
But Michael didn't know that.
Matthew whispered to the boys:
"Don't make a sound."
Then another voice came through the darkness.
A woman's voice.
Grace.
"Matthew!"
He nearly shouted her name.
But something was wrong.
Her voice sounded frightened.
Then he heard a man say:
"Tell him where the drive is."
Grace screamed.
Matthew's blood boiled.
He reached for the emergency weapon hidden beneath the desk.
But before he could move, Evelyn grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Matthew stared at her.
"Why?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because if you go after them, they'll kill Grace."
Matthew looked at his mother.
"How do you know?"
May you like
Evelyn whispered:
"Because I hired them."
