Approaching one of the built-in shelves, Serena observed how the absence of books left the woodwork looking skeletal. To the untrained eye, it appeared unremarkable. But she had a keen sense of what lay beneath the surface.
As a teenager, she had once bumped her shoulder against this very section while helping the maids clean. The dull thud it produced had sounded different, echoing in a way that piqued her curiosity.
She recalled that moment vividly-Victor had yanked her away, his voice sharp and accusatory as he warned her never to touch anything in the study again. His overreaction had only fueled her determination to uncover its secrets.
Her fingertips grazed the edges of the vertical panel on the far left side of the shelf, tracing the grain of the wood until she felt a thin indentation that appeared decorative.
With a cautious press of her thumb, a faint click resonated within the frame, sending a thrill of anticipation coursing through her.
Serena froze, her breath hitching in her throat.
Gently, she pushed against the narrow vertical panel, barely ten inches wide, and watched in awe as it slid sideways, revealing a hidden safe nestled within the wall cavity-a secret the police had overlooked.
Her heart raced as she contemplated the combination lock. Just as she was about to attempt to unlock it, her phone vibrated insistently in her pocket. She answered the call, Alicepto voice crackling through the line Serena two cars just pulled up; and another police vehicle. I can’t see from where I’m hiding, but they’re heading inside the house. You need to get out-now!”
But the thought of leaving felt unbearable. She was so close!
“Combination,” she murmured, her mind racing. “What combination would Victor use?”
She tried her mother’s birthday first, but the lock remained stubbornly closed.
By the time she attempted her father’s birthday, she could hear footsteps and voices approaching in the hallway.
“Oh no!” Panic surged through her as she quickly concealed the safe, her eyes darting around the room in desperation. They were coming closer!
Her gaze landed on the closet that once held her father’s business suits. Without thinking, she rushed toward it, brushing against a pen holder on the table, sending it clattering to the floor.
“What was that?” a voice called out, sharp and inquisitive.
“It’s in the study!” another voice responded.
With no time to spare, Serena dove into the closet, her heart pounding in her chest. She could only pray that the police wouldn’t think to look there; the thought of being caught for trespassing sent chills down her spine.
But her worst fears materialized moments later when the closet door swung open, and a figure stood frozen in the doorway, his blue-gray eyes widening in shock at the sight of her.
Serena swallowed hard, her heart racing against the tide of dread that enveloped her.
The Safe.
Serena stood frozen, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if seeking comfort from the very fabric of her clothes.
Her heart raced like a wild animal trapped within her chest, each beat echoing her silent plea, ‘Please, don’t tell the police.’
Before her, Nathaniel Thorne towered, his features sharp and defined under the harsh glow of the overhead light. His jaw was taut, and she could see the way his breath caught in his throat, his blue-gray eyes momentarily betraying a flicker of the man he once was-a man full of life, unburdened by the weight of the world.
In an instant, he regained his composure, standing tall as he moved toward the window, crossing the room with an air of urgency. He opened it wide, the cool night air rushing in, before returning to the closet and shutting it with deliberate slowness, as if to keep their secret safe.
“Stay quiet,” he instructed, his voice low and firm.
“Is there someone there?” a voice, unfamiliar and authoritative, called from the other side.
“Nothing, officer,” Nathaniel replied, his tone smooth and familiar. “It was probably just the wind. A pen holder got knocked over.”
Within moments, the sound of footsteps filled the study, accompanied by a chorus of voices, each one adding to the tension in the air.
“Everything seems to be in order,” one officer remarked.
“Yeah, we would have noticed anyone coming onto the property. I must not have closed the window properly earlier,” another added, as if to reassure themselves. “Officer, you should make sure to close the window properly. Stray cats could easily get in,” Bianca’s voice chimed in, laced with concern.
Serena’s mind raced as she pondered what Nathaniel and Bianca were doing there at such a late hour. Her thoughts were interrupted when Bianca continued, “Officer, have you searched the place thoroughly? I really need to retrieve that unpublished research on neurological disorders.”
“We have checked every corner of the house, Ma’am. We found nothing,” the officer responded, his tone professional yet slightly weary.
“Officer, do you mind if I take a look around myself?” Nathaniel interjected, his voice steady. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
“Mother, you should head back. The driver can take you home,” Nathaniel suggested, his demeanor shifting as he turned to Bianca. “I can ask Gavin to pick me up.”
“What? No, we should just go back together, Son,” Bianca urged, her tone insistent.
“Mother, the research is very important to us,” Nathaniel insisted, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. “You should go home and rest.”
Serena listened intently, her heart pounding with anxiety. She silently thanked whatever forces were at play that Nathaniel had chosen not to reveal her presence. The mere thought of Bianca discovering her hiding place sent shivers down her spine.
A brief silence hung in the air before Bianca finally relented, “Okay, I am feeling a bit tired.”
“Officer, could you please escort my mother back to the driveway?” Nathaniel asked, his voice calm yet urgent. “I’ll start looking around.”
Another moment of stillness passed, but the officer eventually agreed. Soon, the sound of footsteps receded, leaving the study in a tense silence.
“Call me when you get home, Mom,” Nathaniel called out, his voice echoing softly as the door clicked shut behind them.
Serena remained motionless in the closet, her breath shallow as she heard Nathaniel’s familiar footsteps returning. Suddenly, he flung open the closet door, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that felt almost accusatory.
“WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING?” he demanded, his voice a mixture of anger and concern. “If the police had found you, you would have been arrested!”
“You know your parents’ property is under court-ordered custodianship,” he continued, his voice rising but still controlled, careful not to let the outside world hear. “Aside from the police, I’m the only one allowed inside without an escort you could be accused of tampering with evidence, obstructing an ongoing legal process, and so much more! Why would you put yourself in such danger?”
“Look,” she said, stepping out of the closet and raising her hands in a gesture of peace. “I know how this looks, but I really need to find something.”
She gestured toward the bookshelf, her eyes pleading. “Let me show you.”
Nathaniel stepped back, allowing her to move across the room. As she did, he scrutinized her appearance, his brow furrowing. “What happened to you? You look like a mess.”
She chose silence, focusing instead on the hidden safe behind one of the panels. Turning to him, she explained, “I’m looking for something, and I think it might be inside.”
Nathaniel’s expression shifted to one of urgency. “Hurry, then. The officers could return at any moment. They can’t find you here.”
Seeing that the study door was locked, Serena quickly tried another combination, her heart racing with each failed attempt. She entered her parents’ anniversary next, but that didn’t work either. Desperation clawed at her as she tried her birthday, not expecting anything.
happen. To her astonishment, the safe clicked open.
Her mouth fell agape, a wave of disbelief washing over her. ‘Why would Victor use my birthday? He never treated me as if I mattered!’
Without wasting a moment, she rifled through the contents inside. There were several documents, and nestled among them was her father’s favorite cigar, still encased in its box.
Serena sifted through the documents one by one, her heart pounding with anticipation.
‘Come on. Show me an adoption paper,’ she urged silently, but disappointment washed over her as she found nothing to prove she wasn’t Victor’s daughter.
However, there were numerous medical research files and documents indicating that Victor had been evading taxes.
The audacity of Victor Kline!
With trembling hands, she pushed the documents toward Nathaniel. “Here, this might help your case.”
“You didn’t find what you were looking for?” he asked, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny. Serena shook her head, but her gaze fell upon the cigar box once more, a frown creasing her brow.
A cigar cutter might very well hold Victor’s DNA.
She opened the box to find it half-filled, the cigar cutter nestled inside. The brand was one of those expensive cigars, and she turned to Nathaniel with hope. “Can I take this? It’s a very expensive cigar. I could sell it for a thousand dollars.” “Serena, if you need money, you can just ask me,” he replied, but when she frowned, he relented, “Fine, take it.”
She quickly stowed the cigar box inside her sling bag, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.
Nathaniel began sifting through the documents from the safe, his focus intense. After a moment, he pulled out one file, his expression shifting to one of realization. “This is what we were looking for.”
Serena’s eyes landed on the clear folder, her heart racing as she read the title: [Emerging Therapeutic Approaches for Cerebrovascular Disorders.]
Just a year ago, Serena had suggested studying neurological disorders and potential treatments The work before them was an unfinished study by one of the old college professors She had wanted to continue it, but Nathaniel had firmly stated, “We don’t invest in projects that bleed money for years without guaranteed breakthroughs.”
Confusion clouded her thoughts as she asked, “Why are you suddenly interested in that research?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.