Chapter 2 - THE NAME LILY WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SAY
Adrian did not sleep that night.
At 2:17 in the morning, he was still sitting inside the security room, watching the same eighteen-minute gap on the monitor.
The footage before the blackout showed Nora entering the west parlor.
The footage after it showed her leaving with a bandaged hand.
Between those two moments, there was nothing.
No image.
No sound.
No explanation.
Adrian had ordered the security supervisor to retrieve every backup copy.
There were none.
Someone had not merely turned off one camera.
They had erased the corresponding footage from the secondary system.
That required authorization.
And access.
Both Damian and Vivian had it.
Nora did too.
But Adrian had never given Nora permission to access the security system.
Which left two possibilities.
Either someone had stolen her credentials.
Or Nora had lied about how little she knew.
Neither possibility pleased him.
He finally stood at 3:06.
“Where is Damian?”
The security supervisor looked at his screen.
“Main residence.”
“Sleeping?”
“Yes, sir.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“Then wake him.”
The supervisor hesitated.
“Now?”
Adrian turned.
“When I say wake him, I mean now.”
Five minutes later, Damian entered the security room.
His hair was slightly disheveled, but his expression was calm.
Too calm.
“You wanted me?”
Adrian pointed toward the monitor.
“Eighteen minutes.”
Damian looked at the screen.
“What about them?”
“Why were they erased?”
Damian shrugged.
“Could be a system error.”
“The system doesn't erase only one camera.”
“Maybe someone made a mistake.”
“Who?”
Damian looked at him.
“How should I know?”
Adrian walked closer.
“You were one of four people with authorization.”
“So were you.”
“And the supervisor.”
“Yes.”
“And Nora.”
Damian nodded.
“Then ask Nora.”
Adrian studied him.
“You don't seem concerned.”
“Should I be?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether you're lying.”
For the first time, Damian's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Adrian saw it.
A tiny tightening around the mouth.
Then Damian smiled.
“You've been awake too long.”
“Maybe.”
“You're seeing conspiracies everywhere.”
“Maybe.”
Damian stepped closer.
“You trust me.”
Adrian looked directly into his eyes.
“I used to.”
The words landed.
Damian's smile disappeared.
Before either man could say more, footsteps sounded outside.
Nora appeared.
She was still wearing the plain gray uniform she used during night shifts.
Her hair was tied back.
Her face was exhausted.
She stopped when she saw Damian.
Then looked at Adrian.
“Mr. Kane?”
Adrian gestured toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Nora sat.
Her hands remained folded tightly in her lap.
Adrian placed a photograph on the desk.
It showed her leaving the west parlor three weeks earlier.
Her injured hand was visible.
“What happened?”
Nora looked at the photograph.
“Nothing.”
“Your hand was bleeding.”
“I cut it.”
“On what?”
“A vase.”
“Who broke the vase?”
Nora hesitated.
“I did.”
Adrian looked at Damian.
Damian said nothing.
Adrian returned his attention to Nora.
“Why did you lie?”
“I didn't.”
“You said you broke it.”
“I did.”
“You didn't.”
Nora's eyes lowered.
“Mr. Kane…”
“Who did?”
She remained silent.
Adrian waited.
He had learned long ago that silence could be more effective than intimidation.
Eventually, Nora whispered,
“I don't want trouble.”
“Neither do I.”
“Then please let it go.”
“Someone threatened you.”
Nora looked up sharply.
Adrian saw the answer in her eyes.
Damian saw it too.
“Nora,” Adrian said quietly, “who?”
She looked toward Damian.
The room changed.
Damian's expression remained perfectly still.
Adrian noticed.
Nora noticed too.
She swallowed.
“I shouldn't have come here.”
“You work here.”
“I mean tonight.”
Adrian leaned back.
“Tell me.”
Nora's lips parted.
Then she heard a tiny voice from the hallway.
“Mommy?”
Nora turned.
Lily stood there in pink pajamas.
Barefoot.
Rubbing one eye.
Adrian immediately stood.
“What are you doing awake?”
Lily ignored him.
She ran to Nora.
Nora pulled her into her lap.
“I told you to stay in bed.”
“I had bad dream.”
Adrian's expression softened.
“What kind of dream?”
Lily looked at him.
“Mommy was gone.”
Nora hugged her tighter.
“It was only a dream.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian crouched beside them.
“Lily.”
She looked at him.
“Do you remember what I asked you yesterday?”
“What?”
“Your second order.”
Nora went completely still.
“Mr. Kane…”
Adrian raised one hand.
“It's okay.”
Lily thought.
Then she whispered,
“Don't let the man take Mommy.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“What man?”
Lily looked toward the hallway.
“The bad man.”
Nora closed her eyes.
“Lily, no.”
“It's okay,” Adrian said.
He kept his voice gentle.
“Can you tell me his name?”
Lily shook her head.
“He doesn't have one.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“Everybody has a name.”
Lily thought harder.
Then her face changed.
She looked frightened.
“He says everybody calls him Uncle D.”
Adrian slowly turned toward Damian.
Damian had gone completely pale.
The room became silent.
Lily looked between the two men.
“Uncle D.”
Adrian stood.
Damian did not move.
“Lily,” Adrian said carefully, “does he mean Damian?”
The child nodded.
“Yes.”
Nora immediately stood.
“That's enough.”
She took Lily's hand.
“We're going upstairs.”
Adrian blocked the door.
Not aggressively.
Just enough to stop them.
“Nora.”
She looked at him.
“Is Damian the man who threatened you?”
Tears filled her eyes.
She said nothing.
Adrian understood.
He turned toward Damian.
“Leave.”
Damian stared at him.
“Adrian—”
“Leave my house.”
“You're making a mistake.”
“Maybe.”
Damian's voice became quieter.
“You know me.”
“I thought I did.”
Damian's jaw tightened.
Then he walked away.
Adrian waited until he disappeared.
Only then did Nora breathe.
“You're not going to fire me?”
“No.”
She looked surprised.
“Why?”
“Because you were afraid.”
Nora lowered her eyes.
“I still am.”
“Of Damian?”
She nodded.
“And Vivian.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“What did Vivian do?”
Nora looked at Lily.
Then at him.
“Nothing I can prove.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Nora's eyes filled.
“She hurts me where nobody can see.”
Adrian stood completely still.
“She threatens Lily.”
That sentence changed everything.
Nora finally told him about the missing money.
The necklace.
The broken vase.
The threats.
The warning that one accusation could destroy her job and separate her from Lily.
Adrian listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he asked one question.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Nora looked at him.
“Because she's your fiancée.”
Adrian said nothing.
Nora continued.
“People believe her.”
“And not you?”
She gave a small, bitter smile.
“I'm a maid.”
Adrian looked toward Lily.
The little girl had fallen asleep against Nora's shoulder.
“No,” he said quietly.
“You're a mother.”
Nora looked at him.
“And from tonight forward, nobody threatens you or your daughter.”
Nora's eyes filled with tears.
“Mr. Kane…”
“Adrian.”
She froze.
He had never corrected her before.
“Call me Adrian.”
Nora nodded.
Then Lily stirred.
Her eyes opened halfway.
“Uncle Adrian?”
“Yes?”
She whispered,
“Don't let Uncle D take Mommy.”
Adrian's expression became cold.
“I won't.”
Lily closed her eyes again.
Nora carried her upstairs.
Adrian remained alone.
He looked at the security monitor.
Then at the dark corridor.
Damian had been his brother for twenty years.
Vivian was supposed to become his wife.
And now his three-year-old had just identified Damian as the man threatening Nora.
But Adrian had learned something else.
Lily hadn't said Damian's name.
She had said Uncle D.
That meant there was another possibility.
Someone was using Damian's identity.
Someone Lily had seen.
Someone who wanted Adrian to believe Damian was guilty.
Adrian picked up his phone.
He called the security supervisor.
“Find every image of Damian entering this estate during the last three months.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then find every image of anyone wearing Damian's usual coat.”
The supervisor paused.
“Why?”
“Because I want to know how many Dam ians have been walking through my house.”
Adrian ended the call.
Then he looked toward the window.
Across the lawn, a figure stood briefly beneath the trees.
A man wearing Damian's long black coat.
Adrian reached for his weapon.
But when the figure turned—
Adrian saw the face.
It wasn't Damian.
It was someone Adrian had believed dead for twelve years.
His older brother.
May you like
Julian Kane.
And Julian was looking directly at Lily's bedroom window.
