Chapter 2 - The Silent Empire
Vanessa took another step down, her face morphing from artificial elegance into desperate malice.
"She’s lying to you, Nathaniel!" Vanessa shrieked.
"Ask your head butler! Ask the head housekeeper!"
"They will tell you she came here as a homeless beggar!"
Nathaniel turned his head slowly toward the head butler, Harrison, who had worked for the Whitmore family for twenty years.
Harrison lowered his head, his hands trembling violently behind his back.
"Harrison," Nathaniel said softly. "Look at me."
Harrison didn't lift his gaze from the marble floor.
"If you don't answer me in three seconds, Harrison, I will ensure you spend the rest of your life in a federal penitentiary."
Harrison fell to his knees on the wet marble, tears streaming down his aged face.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Whitmore!" Harrison sobbed out.
"Miss Vanessa... she threatened my family!"
"She told us three years ago that Mrs. Claire had a deadly psychological breakdown!"
"She showed us medical papers saying Mrs. Claire would hurt herself if she left the estate!"
"And what about her voice?" Nathaniel demanded, taking a step toward the kneeling butler.
"Why didn't anyone call me when I was traveling for the search?!"
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"You were never reachable on the private satellite lines, sir!" Harrison wept.
"Miss Vanessa intercepted every call you made to this house!"
