It had been signed off at 1400 hours today.

Just three hours ago.

At that time, I had been sitting in the library, drinking tea with my mother.

The thought of my mother made my stomach turn.

“Does Mom know?” I asked.

My father did not answer immediately.

He looked away, toward the dark window.

“Your mother has always preferred not to know the details,” he said.

“She’s in danger too, isn’t she?” Madison asked, her voice cracking. “If this all comes out…”

“Nothing will come out,” my father said, his voice dropping to a low, warning tone. “Unless your sister decides to be foolish.”

A sudden sound cut through the room.

It was the muffled chime of my phone again.

The screen lit up with another notification.

It was not a text message this time.

It was an active connection alert from the security gate at the edge of the estate.

A vehicle had just bypassed the primary entrance.

I glanced at the small security monitor on the wall to my left.

Through the rain-streaked camera feed, I saw the headlights of a black SUV cutting through the darkness.