Chapter 4 - The Game of Cats and Mice
The silence in the grand foyer stretched like a taut wire, threatening to snap. Elena recovered with a practiced, breathy laugh, waving a dismissive hand as if swatting away an annoying gnat.
"The old kennel? Arthur, darling, you must be hallucinating from stress," she said, stepping closer and running a manicured fingernail down the lapel of his tailored suit. "The gardeners cleared out that entire section last Tuesday. There’s nothing out there except old lumber and rusted wire."
"Is that so?" Arthur murmured. He reached out, gently catching her wrist before she could pull away. His grip wasn't overtly aggressive, but it was unbreakable—a steel shackle disguised as a caress. "Because my eyes have always been remarkably sharp, Elena. And my security cameras? State of the art. They never miss a beat."
The color drained from Elena’s face, leaving her complexion the shade of old parchment. The wine glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble floor, splashing deep red stains across the pristine white stone like arterial spray.
"What... what are you talking about?" she whispered, her voice losing its melodic composure.
"I’m talking about property management," Arthur said smoothly, releasing her wrist. He turned and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the east wing. "Come with me, darling. Let's go check on your gardening work."
Elena’s heart slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her mind raced through a dozen escape routes, a hundred different lies, but none of them mattered. She turned her head toward the control panel by the kitchen—the emergency kill switch she had used to shut down the cameras. It was dark. Completely dead.
May you like
He couldn't have seen, she told herself frantically. The system was offline.
She followed him out the sliding glass doors into the courtyard, her high heels clicking a frantic, uneven rhythm against the cobblestones, dread pooling heavily in her stomach.
