Chapter 15 - EVERYTHING WE LOST
They took us both to the basement.
Robert and the officer—whose name was Miller—locked us inside the old wine cellar. The walls were stone. The door was iron. There was no window. No way out.
Emily sat on the floor, holding me tight. She had a cut on her forehead. Her lip was bleeding. But her voice was steady.
"Don’t cry," she whispered, though her own eyes were wet. "Don’t let them see you afraid."
"Who is he?" I asked quietly. "The policeman."
"Robert bought him," she said. "Just like he bought everything else. He has been planning this for years. Every piece in place."
She leaned her head back against the cold stone.
"Your grandfather knew. That is why he put everything in your name. He knew Robert would come for it. He hoped… that would be enough to stop him."
"But it’s not enough," I said.
Emily was quiet. Then she said:
"It is not over yet. He still needs something. He needs you. Alive. And he needs me… out of the way. But he cannot simply kill us. People would ask questions. He needs to make it look like an accident. Or like we ran away. Or like we were never here."
She pulled me closer.
"That means… he needs time. To arrange things. To plant stories. To alter more records. While he does that… we are alive. And while we are alive… we have a chance."
Hours passed. We had no way of knowing how long. The darkness was absolute. We spoke in whispers. Emily told me stories. About her father. About the house. About what kind of man he really was.
"He loved you so much," she said. "He used to say… Noah will be the one to set things right. I didn’t understand what he meant. But now… I think I do."
Footsteps sounded above us. Heavy. Slow.
The key turned in the lock. The door creaked open. Light flooded in.
Robert stood there. Miller stood behind him.
"Time to go," Robert said.
"Where?" Emily demanded, standing up and placing herself between us.
"Somewhere quieter," Robert said. "Where no one will ever find you."
Emily stood tall. She looked him straight in the eye.
"You will never get away with this. My father left backups. Copies. If we disappear… everything is released. The police get everything. Your name. Your crimes. Everything."
Robert paused. For the first time, he looked uncertain.
"Is that true?"
Emily held his gaze.
"Yes. Only I know where they are. Only I know how to release them. If you hurt us… you lose everything. The money. The house. Your freedom. All of it."
Robert stared at her. He studied her face, searching for a lie.
Then he smiled.
"Clever girl," he said. "But your father was thorough. And so am I. I have already found the backups. And I have already destroyed them."
Emily’s face crumpled.
"You… you can’t have…"
"Oh, I can," Robert said. "And I did. Thomas kept copies. I burned those. Your lawyer kept copies. I paid him to hand them over. Your father kept copies in three different places. I found them all."
He stepped closer.
"You have nothing, Emily. No proof. No witnesses. No one left to help you. You have nothing… and I have everything."
He gestured to Miller.
"Take the boy. She stays here."
"No!" Emily screamed, reaching for me.
Miller caught her arms, dragging her back.
"NOAH!" she cried out. "RUN! REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU! REMEMBER—"
May you like
Robert put his hand over my eyes. I was lifted up, carried away. Her voice faded behind the heavy iron door.
I was alone.
