Chapter 13 - The Accomplice in the Shadows
My breath hitched in my throat as I bolted across the kitchen, sliding the door open and throwing myself out onto the wet patio.
“Who’s there?!” I shouted into the rain, the cold drops stinging my face.
The backyard was completely empty. The wooden fence at the back of the property rattled in the wind, its latch swinging open. Whoever had been watching me had already vanished into the maze of neighborhood alleys.
I rushed back inside, locked the heavy deadbolt, and immediately dialed David.
Within ten minutes, David’s car tires crunched up the driveway. He jogged through the rain, bursting through the front door with a flashlight in hand, scanning every corner of the house to ensure Chloe and I were safe.
“You’re sure it wasn’t just a reflection?” David asked gently, handing me a warm cup of tea—brewed by his own hands, from a sealed box he bought himself.
“I’m positive, David,” I said, my hands shaking as I held the mug. “Someone was watching me. And they left a message on my phone earlier today. They think they can terrorize me just because Eleanor and Aria are behind bars.”
David’s jaw tightened, a dangerous edge settling into his features. “Eleanor and Aria are locked away in maximum security. They have no outside communication. But… that doesn’t mean they didn’t have a third partner.”
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“What do you mean?”
“During my father’s operations years ago, it wasn't just Eleanor and Arthur,” David murmured, pacing across the living room rug. “There was a silent investor. Someone who funded the initial embezzlement scheme—someone whose identity was scrubbed from all court records. If they’re back, Nora, they aren't just after the money. They want to finish what Eleanor started.”
