Chapter 6 - CHILDREN IN THE MANSION
The Ashford estate had hosted presidents, celebrities, royalty, and billionaire investors.
It had never hosted twenty children simultaneously.
By breakfast, Eleanor called it “the first interesting thing to happen in this house in twenty years.”
Nathaniel called it chaos.
Lucy discovered the indoor elevator at 6:15 a.m.
Tyler discovered the theater room at 6:22.
Three children discovered that shouting into the grand staircase produced an echo at 6:31.
By seven, Nathaniel stood in the entrance hall wearing sweatpants and a black T-shirt, watching a plastic dinosaur descend the marble staircase on a silver serving tray.
Grace appeared beside him.
“Good morning.”
Nathaniel stared at the dinosaur.
“Is it?”
“You survived.”
“Something is happening in my fountain.”
Grace looked outside.
Two boys were floating toy boats in it.
“That seems harmless.”
“One of those boats is my shoe.”
Grace covered her mouth.
Nathaniel looked at her.
“Are you laughing?”
“No.”
“You are.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You are not.”
She finally laughed.
It changed her entire face.
Nathaniel forgot about the shoe.
Then Tyler ran through the hallway.
“Mr. Rich Guy!”
Nathaniel closed his eyes.
Grace laughed harder.
The nickname had started the previous evening.
Apparently it was permanent.
“What?”
“Your mom said pancakes!”
“She did.”
“She made forty-two.”
Nathaniel looked toward the dining room.
“My mother doesn’t cook.”
“She does now.”
Breakfast was loud.
And messy.
And strangely wonderful.
Eleanor sat between Maya and Lucy, asking about school.
Nathaniel watched his mother listen to Maya explain a science project as though the girl were briefing her on international diplomacy.
He had not seen Eleanor this animated since his father died.
Grace moved between tables.
Not serving.
Belonging.
Nathaniel noticed that too.
Then Diane arrived carrying three boxes and destroyed the morning.
“We found deleted emails.”
Nathaniel’s smile vanished.
They moved into the study.
Rebecca joined remotely.
Diane opened a file.
“Conrad’s project account used an external backup service. IT recovered messages he deleted yesterday.”
“How many?”
“Hundreds.”
Grace stood behind Nathaniel.
One email concerned Rosa.
Subject: MARTINEZ.
Phillip Grant wrote:
She will not accept revised package. C.V. says escalate.
Another message followed.
Heat interruptions approved. Maintenance deferment extended.
Grace whispered, “They froze them out.”
Nathaniel felt sick.
Not metaphorically.
He physically felt pressure in his stomach.
“These are criminal acts.”
Rebecca’s voice came through the speaker.
“Potentially.”
Diane opened another.
This one came from Conrad.
Need Martinez removed before city inspection. She is documenting everything.
Nathaniel stared.
“Removed.”
Grace’s hand tightened on the chair.
“What does that mean?”
No one answered.
Then Diane opened a message dated the day after Rosa disappeared.
Situation resolved. Children remain with relative. Proceed.
Maya stood in the doorway.
Everyone froze.
Nathaniel shut the laptop.
Too late.
“What situation?”
Grace rushed toward her.
“Maya—”
“No!”
The girl backed away.
“What situation was resolved?”
Nathaniel stood.
“We don’t know.”
“You know something!”
“We know Conrad was communicating about your mother.”
“Is she dead?”
Grace’s face crumpled.
“We don’t know.”
Maya looked at Nathaniel.
“You’re rich.”
The words sounded almost accusing.
“Yes.”
“You know police.”
“I can reach people.”
“Then why haven’t you found her?”
Nathaniel had no answer.
Because until forty-eight hours ago, he had not known Rosa existed.
But explaining that would not help.
He approached slowly.
“I’m going to find out what happened.”
“You keep saying things.”
The sentence hit him.
“You rich people always say things.”
Nathaniel stopped.
Maya wiped her face.
“My mom said people like you promise things because promises are free.”
She ran from the room.
Grace followed.
Nathaniel remained still.
Diane looked at him.
“She’s twelve.”
“I know.”
“She’s terrified.”
“I know.”
“And she’s not entirely wrong.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
“I know.”
The FBI meeting happened at noon.
Two agents arrived discreetly.
Special Agent Monica Reyes led the interview.
She was forty, direct, and unimpressed by Nathaniel’s wealth.
He liked her immediately.
She reviewed the evidence.
Then asked the question everyone feared.
“Where is Conrad Vale?”
Nathaniel looked at Diane.
“He didn’t come to work.”
“Home?”
“Empty.”
“Phone?”
“Off.”
Reyes sat back.
“When was he last seen?”
“Yesterday evening.”
Grace whispered, “He ran.”
Reyes looked at her.
“Maybe.”
Nathaniel’s phone buzzed.
Security alert.
Someone was at the estate gate.
Eleanor called from downstairs.
“Nathaniel!”
He rushed from the study.
A woman stood beyond the gates.
Thin.
Bruised.
Wearing a hospital bracelet.
Two guards supported her.
Maya came into the entrance hall.
She saw the woman.
Everything stopped.
“Mom?”
Rosa Martinez lifted her head.
Maya screamed.
She ran barefoot through the open doors.
Rosa fell to her knees as her daughter reached her.
“Mama!”
They collided.
Rosa wrapped both arms around Maya.
Tyler appeared.
For half a second he did not move.
Then he ran too.
Rosa cried so hard she could barely breathe.
Grace covered her mouth.
Nathaniel stood frozen.
Eleanor’s eyes filled with tears.
Agents rushed outside.
Reyes knelt.
“Ms. Martinez, can you tell us who did this?”
Rosa looked toward Nathaniel.
Fear flashed across her face.
Then recognition.
“You’re Ashford.”
“Yes.”
She clutched her children closer.
“Stay away from them.”
Nathaniel stepped backward immediately.
Grace moved beside Rosa.
“He helped us.”
Rosa looked at her.
“Grace?”
“He stopped the demolition.”
Rosa’s gaze returned to Nathaniel.
“They’ll kill you too.”
Nathaniel crouched several feet away.
“Who?”
Rosa began trembling.
“Conrad Vale.”
Agent Reyes moved closer.
“Where did he keep you?”
Rosa swallowed.
“Warehouse.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you remember?”
“Trains.”
“Anything else?”
“Chemical smell. River maybe.”
Reyes signaled another agent.
Rosa suddenly grabbed Grace’s hand.
“He wasn’t working alone.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Rosa looked directly at him.
“Someone in your family.”
Silence.
Nathaniel felt the ground shift.
“My family?”
Rosa nodded weakly.
“I heard Conrad talking.”
“To whom?”
“A woman.”
Eleanor stepped closer.
Nathaniel glanced at his mother.
Rosa continued.
“He called her Mrs. Ashford.”
Everyone looked at Eleanor.
Eleanor’s face went completely white.
Nathaniel stared at his mother.
“Mother?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Rosa’s voice trembled.
“He said, ‘Mrs. Ashford wants Mercer cleared before Nathaniel finds out.’”
Nathaniel’s pulse roared.
There was only one Mrs. Ashford in his immediate family.
Eleanor.
Grace moved between them instinctively.
Eleanor looked wounded.
“Nathaniel, I swear to you—”
He wanted to believe her.
He did believe her.
But facts had already betrayed him too many times.
Agent Reyes stood.
“No one leaves the estate.”
Eleanor straightened.
“You believe I had this woman kidnapped?”
“I believe I need answers.”
Rosa collapsed against Maya.
The children cried.
May you like
And Nathaniel realized the enemy might not simply be sitting in his boardroom.
It might have been eating dinner at his table.
