Chapter 3 - THE ACCIDENTThe call lasted less than thirty seconds.
Serena ended it before reaching the elevator.
Then she stood alone.
Perfectly still.
Anyone watching her would have seen a beautiful woman in an elegant cream-colored dress.
Her hair was perfectly styled.
Her makeup flawless.
A diamond engagement ring glittered beneath the lights.
Nothing about Serena Montigue suggested danger.
That was why she was dangerous.
People trusted appearances.
Victor had trusted hers.
For almost two years.
She entered the elevator.
The doors closed.
Her reflection stared back at her.
For a moment, Serena looked at the woman in the mirror.
Then she smiled.
“Cheap nanny.”
The elevator began moving downward.
Meanwhile, Lily remained inside Victor’s office with Thomas.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence was heavy.
Finally Lily turned toward him.
“Who is Serena?”
Thomas looked at her.
“She’s Victor’s fiancée.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Thomas sighed.
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve been investigating her.”
“Quietly.”
“Why?”
Thomas walked toward the window.
“When Victor first introduced her to the household, I ran a background check.”
Lily stared.
“And?”
“Nothing.”
“What does that mean?”
Thomas turned.
“It means nothing.”
Lily frowned.
“Everyone has something.”
“Exactly.”
Thomas folded his arms.
“School records. Employment. Old addresses. Friends. Social media. Tax records.”
“And Serena?”
“Almost nothing.”
Lily felt a chill.
“Who has no past?”
“Someone who worked very hard to erase it.”
Before Lily could respond, Victor’s phone rang.
Thomas immediately looked toward it.
The screen showed the hospital.
Lily rushed forward.
“Answer it.”
Thomas hesitated.
“It’s Victor’s phone.”
“Answer it.”
Thomas picked up.
“Thomas.”
He listened.
His face changed.
“What?”
Lily stared at him.
“What happened?”
Thomas continued listening.
Then he slowly lowered the phone.
“Victor wants you at the hospital.”
Lily felt relief.
“Good.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“He said security found something.”
“What?”
Thomas looked directly at her.
“A recording.”
Lily stopped breathing.
“The foyer?”
“No.”
Thomas looked confused.
“A garage camera.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“I don’t know.”
Lily suddenly remembered Serena.
The message.
The phone call she had not heard.
Thomas grabbed his jacket.
“We need to leave.”
Lily followed him.
They moved quickly through the mansion.
Two security guards joined them.
Lily noticed immediately that Thomas looked uneasy.
“Why do we need guards?”
“No questions.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Lily.”
“What?”
Thomas stopped walking.
“There may be people inside this house who aren’t working for Victor.”
Her blood turned cold.
“You mean Serena.”
“I mean I don’t know.”
They entered the underground garage.
Victor’s black SUV waited near the elevator.
Thomas opened the rear door.
“Get in.”
Lily climbed inside.
Thomas entered beside her.
Two guards took the front seats.
The vehicle began moving.
Lily looked through the window.
The Blackwood estate gates opened.
For the first time since Ethan’s injury, she allowed herself to breathe.
They were leaving.
She would see Ethan.
She would see Victor.
Maybe everything would finally make sense.
Then the driver’s phone rang.
The guard answered.
Thomas immediately looked toward him.
“What is it?”
The guard listened.
Then looked in the rearview mirror.
“There’s been an accident.”
Thomas frowned.
“Where?”
The guard gave an address.
Thomas went pale.
Lily recognized it.
It was the road leading toward the hospital.
“What accident?”
Thomas asked.
The guard listened again.
Then his eyes widened.
“Another Blackwood vehicle.”
Thomas grabbed his phone.
“Turn around.”
The driver slowed.
“What?”
“Turn around now.”
Lily stared at Thomas.
“What happened?”
Thomas ignored her.
“Turn around!”
The SUV turned sharply.
Lily’s heart raced.
“What is happening?”
Thomas finally looked at her.
“The hospital vehicle.”
“What about it?”
“It was forced off the road.”
Lily froze.
“Who was in it?”
Thomas did not answer.
She knew.
Ethan.
“Victor?”
Thomas called someone.
“Get me Victor.”
Lily grabbed his sleeve.
“Was Ethan in the car?”
Thomas pulled away.
“Thomas!”
“He was supposed to be.”
Lily felt the world disappear.
“No.”
She reached for the door.
Thomas grabbed her.
“Sit down.”
“Ethan!”
“We don’t know.”
“I need to go.”
“We are going.”
The SUV accelerated.
Lily stared through the window.
Her hands shook uncontrollably.
Serena.
It had to be Serena.
But why would she attack Ethan again?
Unless—
A terrible thought entered Lily’s mind.
What if Serena had never wanted Ethan to survive?
Thomas was still making calls.
“No.”
His voice was tense.
“Keep him on the line.”
Lily looked at him.
“What?”
Thomas ended the call.
“Victor changed vehicles.”
Lily stared.
“What?”
“Ethan wasn’t in the SUV that crashed.”
Lily nearly collapsed with relief.
“Where is he?”
“Victor took him in another vehicle.”
“Why?”
Thomas looked at her.
“Because Victor doesn’t trust the security team anymore.”
Lily stared out the window.
That meant Victor was beginning to believe her.
But someone had attacked a Blackwood vehicle.
Someone inside the organization had known where Ethan was supposed to be.
Thomas’s phone rang again.
He answered.
Then listened.
His face became pale.
“Are you sure?”
He looked at Lily.
“No.”
He ended the call.
“What?”
Lily demanded.
Thomas said nothing.
“Tell me.”
“The security footage.”
“What about it?”
“They recovered part of it.”
Lily leaned forward.
“Does it show Serena?”
Thomas’s silence told her everything.
“Yes?”
“It doesn’t show Serena hurting Ethan.”
Lily’s heart sank.
“What?”
Thomas looked toward the driver.
“Keep going.”
Lily grabbed his arm.
“What does it show?”
Thomas finally answered.
“It shows you.”
Lily stared at him.
“What?”
“Standing over Ethan.”
“That’s because I was trying to help him.”
Thomas shook his head.
“The footage starts after Serena was already gone.”
Lily felt sick.
“No.”
“The first image is you beside Ethan.”
“No.”
“And then Serena runs into the room.”
Lily stared at him.
“She edited it.”
“Maybe.”
“She disabled the cameras.”
“Maybe.”
Lily looked away.
Everything Serena had said was happening.
Nobody would believe her.
A nobody.
A nanny.
Thomas’s phone rang again.
This time, he answered and immediately put the call on speaker.
Victor’s voice filled the vehicle.
“Where are you?”
“On the way.”
“Is Lily with you?”
Lily’s heart stopped.
Thomas answered.
“Yes.”
“Keep her there.”
Lily whispered, “Victor?”
The call went silent.
Then Victor spoke.
“Lily.”
“Ethan?”
“He’s alive.”
Relief overwhelmed her.
“Can I see him?”
A pause.
“We need to talk first.”
Lily felt the fear return.
“About the video?”
Victor’s voice became colder.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t hurt him.”
“I know what you said.”
“And?”
“And I have a problem.”
Lily closed her eyes.
“What?”
“The footage doesn’t support your story.”
“She edited it.”
“Do you have proof?”
Lily nearly laughed.
Again.
Proof.
“No.”
Victor was silent.
Then Lily whispered, “You think I did it.”
“I don’t know what to think.”
That hurt more than an accusation.
Because Victor was not saying she was innocent.
He was saying she might be guilty.
Lily looked out the window.
Chicago moved past them.
Gray streets.
Frozen sidewalks.
Strangers walking beneath the winter sky.
Somewhere among those millions of people was a woman who wanted her dead.
And the only person who could protect her did not know whether to believe her.
Then the SUV suddenly swerved.
Lily screamed.
The driver slammed the brakes.
A black truck had cut directly in front of them.
Thomas shouted.
“Reverse!”
Another vehicle appeared behind them.
The guards reached for their weapons.
Lily’s entire body went cold.
The front doors of the black truck opened.
Two men stepped out.
Thomas grabbed Lily.
“Get down.”
Gunshots exploded against the SUV.
Lily screamed.
Glass shattered.
The driver accelerated.
The vehicle crashed through a metal barrier.
Thomas pulled Lily toward the floor.
“Who are they?”
Lily cried.
Thomas looked through the window.
His face was filled with terror.
“I don’t know.”
But one of the attackers was shouting.
And Lily heard something that made her blood freeze.
“Get the nanny!”
Not kill everyone.
Not stop the Blackwood vehicle.
Get the nanny.
May you like
Serena had been right.
Someone had come for her.
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