CHAPTER 9 — "HE CAME FOR MY SON... BUT HE WALKED INTO MY TRAP."
The alarm sirens echoed through Whitmore Manor.
Every hallway was locked down.
Emergency steel doors slid into place with a deafening roar.
Emily held Oliver tightly against her chest inside the reinforced nursery.
Grace stood beside her, gripping the fireplace poker with trembling hands.
Outside...
Heavy footsteps thundered through the hallway.
Someone was trying to force the nursery door open.
BANG!
Another violent hit.
The hinges groaned.
Emily whispered to Oliver,
"It's okay, sweetheart... Mommy's here."
Downstairs...
Nathan sprinted through the mansion with Victor and the security team.
"Second floor!" Nathan shouted.
"They're heading for the nursery!"
A guard ran toward him.
"Sir, we found three masked men."
"Where's Edward?"
The guard hesitated.
"We can't find him."
Nathan's heart sank.
Edward wasn't leading the attack.
He was already inside.
Suddenly—
The nursery lights went out.
Emily froze.
Only the moonlight poured through the windows.
A slow clap echoed from the darkness.
Edward stepped out from behind the curtains.
He smiled calmly.
"Good evening."
Emily instinctively moved between him and Oliver.
"You'll never touch my son."
Edward chuckled.
"I don't want the baby."
Emily frowned.
"What?"
"I want Nathan."
He slowly removed a small remote control from his pocket.
"This entire house has become his weakness."
Grace stepped forward.
"Stay away from them."
Edward laughed.
"The forgotten daughter."
"You should have stayed an orphan."
Grace swung the fireplace poker.
Edward stepped aside easily.
Before she could react...
One of the masked men grabbed her from behind.
Emily screamed.
"Grace!"
Edward calmly walked toward Oliver's crib.
"You know, Emily..."
"If Margaret had succeeded..."
"None of this would have been necessary."
He reached toward the bassinet.
Then—
A loud metallic click echoed behind him.
Edward slowly turned around.
Nathan stood in the doorway.
A handgun pointed directly at Edward's chest.
"Take one more step..."
"...and it's over."
Edward smiled.
"I knew you'd come."
Nathan's eyes never left him.
"You underestimated one thing."
Edward raised an eyebrow.
"The nursery cameras?"
Nathan smiled for the first time.
"No."
"My wife."
Emily suddenly pressed a hidden panic button beneath the crib.
Steel shutters instantly slammed over every window.
Every exit locked automatically.
Edward looked around in shock.
Nathan lowered the gun slightly.
"You thought you trapped us."
"You walked into the safest room in this entire mansion."
Within seconds...
The walls opened.
Armed security officers rushed inside from concealed passages.
Edward tried to run.
Victor struck his arm with his cane.
The remote fell to the floor.
Grace kicked it across the room.
Edward lunged toward Nathan.
The two men crashed into the nursery floor.
One desperate struggle.
One furious punch.
One final blow.
Nathan pinned Edward to the ground.
Police officers stormed in.
Handcuffs snapped shut around Edward's wrists.
As officers pulled him away...
Edward began laughing.
Nathan frowned.
"What's so funny?"
Edward looked directly into his eyes.
"You still don't know the biggest secret."
Nathan's smile disappeared.
Edward whispered only five words.
May you like
"Ask about your birth."
Then he was gone.
