Chapter 3 - The Woman in the Hallway.
Daniel had never seen his mother look embarrassed.
Evelyn Carter could turn accusation into etiquette and cruelty into concern without changing the pitch of her voice.
Now, standing in the nursery doorway, she looked annoyed.
That frightened him more.
"What recording?" Daniel asked again.
Evelyn folded her arms.
"You are exhausted."
"Answer me."
"I came here because your housekeeper called and said there was shouting."
"There was no shouting."
"Then perhaps your staff has become dramatic."
Elise's jaw tightened.
Daniel stepped between them.
"Rebecca wrote that if you called Elise dangerous, I should see a recording."
Evelyn's eyes flicked toward the envelope.
Only once.
It was enough.
"Your wife was under tremendous stress."
Daniel stared at her.
"That is not an answer either."
Evelyn entered the nursery as if she still owned every room her son stood in.
She stopped beside Rosie's crib and touched the rail.
"Rebecca was frightened after the twins were born."
"Of what?"
"Everything."
Elise shook her head.
"That is not true."
Evelyn turned.
"I was speaking to my son."
"And you were rewriting his wife."
The air changed.
Daniel watched both women.
Evelyn's expression cooled.
"This is precisely why I advised Daniel to replace you."
Daniel looked at his mother.
"You advised me?"
Evelyn hesitated.
Then she recovered.
"I told you months ago that the household needed professional structure."
"You recommended the agency that sent three replacement candidates."
"Because Elise was too involved."
Elise let out a quiet breath.
"Rebecca asked me to be involved."
Evelyn ignored her.
"Daniel, you are allowing a nanny to manipulate your grief with private notes from your dead wife."
The twins shifted at the change in tone.
Daniel looked down at the letter.
Rebecca's handwriting seemed suddenly louder than anyone in the room.
"Where is the recording?"
Elise reached toward the pocket of her robe.
Evelyn stepped forward.
"Do not."
Daniel's head snapped up.
The command had been too fast.
Too sharp.
Elise stopped.
Daniel looked at his mother.
"Why not?"
Evelyn's lips parted.
For the first time that night, she had no polished answer ready.
Elise pulled out her phone.
"The original is not on here."
Evelyn's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"But a copy is."
The relief vanished.
Daniel held out his hand.
Elise unlocked the device.
Before she could tap the file, the nursery lights went dark.
Both babies cried out.
The city remained bright beyond the windows.
Only the apartment had lost power.
Daniel swore under his breath.
Emergency lighting flickered on in the hallway.
Elise moved toward the cribs.
Evelyn did not.
Daniel noticed.
"Stay with them," he told Elise.
He walked into the hall.
The apartment's control panel near the kitchen was flashing red.
SYSTEM OVERRIDE.
Daniel frowned.
The building had backup power.
His apartment had its own battery system.
A normal outage should not have killed the nursery lights.
Cole appeared from the guest wing wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt.
"What happened?"
Daniel looked at him.
"Why are you here?"
Cole rubbed his face.
"Mom called me."
Daniel turned toward Evelyn.
She remained by the nursery door.
"You called Cole before the lights went out?"
Evelyn said nothing.
Daniel's skin went cold.
Elise stepped into the hall holding Rosie against her shoulder.
"Mr. Carter."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Someone just tried to log into the home server."
Daniel looked at her.
"How do you know?"
"Rebecca showed me the alert system."
Evelyn's face hardened.
Daniel took Elise's phone.
The screen showed a security notification.
REMOTE ARCHIVE ACCESS FAILED.
Timestamp: 2:11 A.M.
Cole stared at it.
"What archive?"
Elise looked at Daniel.
"The one with Rebecca's recording."
A soft electronic chime came from the office at the end of the hallway.
Daniel turned.
May you like
The locked office door was standing open.
And someone was inside.
