Chapter 1 - THE SECOND WATCHER
Grace stared at the photograph on her phone until the room seemed to tilt beneath her.
Noah was asleep in his crib.
His blue blanket was tucked beneath his chin.
One tiny fist rested beside his face.
The photograph looked peaceful.
That was what made it terrifying.
Because Grace remembered that night.
She had put Noah to bed herself.
She had checked the nursery window.
She had locked the hallway door.
She had left the room at 9:17 p.m.
No one should have been inside after her.
Yet someone had stood close enough to Noah’s crib to photograph him while he slept.
Another message appeared.
DON’T LOOK AT THE CAMERAS.
WE CONTROL WHAT THEY SEE.
Grace’s fingers turned cold.
Across the foyer, two Chicago police officers were leading Camille toward the front entrance.
Camille’s perfect composure was gone.
Her hair had fallen loose around her face.
Her wrists were secured behind her.
But when Grace looked at her, Camille wasn’t panicking.
She was staring at Grace’s phone.
And smiling.
Barely.
A tiny movement.
Almost invisible.
Grace understood immediately.
Camille knew.
“Damian.”
Her voice came out too softly.
Damian turned.
Noah was still curled against Grace’s shoulder.
“What happened?”
Grace hesitated.
The threat flashed through her mind.
IF YOU WANT THE BABY TO LIVE, DO NOT TELL DAMIAN.
She looked down at Noah.
Then at Damian.
“No more secrets.”
She handed him the phone.
Damian read the messages.
Nothing moved in his face.
But the entire atmosphere of the foyer changed.
“Cole.”
The security chief stepped forward.
“Sir.”
“Lock the estate.”
Cole did not hesitate.
“Nobody enters.”
“Nobody leaves.”
“Staff included?”
“Everyone.”
The officers glanced at each other.
Damian ignored them.
“Disable every external network connection.”
Cole nodded.
“Check the nursery.”
“Already moving.”
“And Cole?”
“Yes?”
Damian’s eyes lifted.
“If someone inside this house photographed my son…”
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“…I want to know who had access.”
Camille laughed from the doorway.
Everyone looked at her.
She turned slowly.
“Still giving orders.”
Damian stared.
Camille’s smile trembled.
“You think you’re the most dangerous person in this house.”
One officer tightened his grip on her arm.
“Keep moving.”
Camille ignored him.
She looked directly at Grace.
“You should have deleted the message.”
Grace felt Noah shift against her.
“What do you know?”
Camille’s expression changed.
Fear entered her eyes.
Real fear.
“More than you.”
“Who sent it?”
Camille said nothing.
Damian stepped forward.
“Camille.”
She laughed again.
But now there was no arrogance in it.
Only desperation.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Understand what?”
“I wasn’t trying to get into your family.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was trying to survive it.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“You dragged my son across the floor.”
“I know.”
“You framed Grace.”
“I know.”
“You threatened them both.”
“I KNOW!”
Her scream echoed through the foyer.
Noah began crying.
Grace immediately turned away, rocking him gently.
Damian’s expression hardened.
Camille breathed rapidly.
Then she whispered,
“You think I planned this?”
Damian said nothing.
Camille looked toward the dark hallway.
“You think I woke up one morning and decided to marry Chicago’s most feared man so I could steal a trust?”
“Then tell me who did.”
Camille’s lips shook.
She glanced toward the officers.
“No.”
“Who?”
“They’ll kill me.”
Damian stepped closer.
“They?”
Camille realized her mistake.
Her face went blank.
Damian saw it.
Grace saw it.
Cole saw it.
“There’s more than one person,” Damian said.
Camille closed her eyes.
Damian lowered his voice.
“Who is controlling you?”
Camille opened her eyes.
For one second, Grace thought she might answer.
Then Camille looked toward Noah.
“He has your eyes.”
Damian’s face hardened.
“What?”
“Your father used to say the same thing about you.”
Silence.
Damian went completely still.
Grace had never seen him frightened before.
Now she did.
Not visibly.
Not dramatically.
But something inside his eyes changed.
“My father?”
Camille smiled weakly.
“Ask yourself why Elias Hawthorne made Noah’s trust so difficult to break.”
Damian stepped closer.
“What did my father know?”
Camille shook her head.
“You’re asking the wrong question.”
“What question should I ask?”
Camille stared directly at him.
“Why did your father believe someone in his own family would eventually try to kill his grandson?”
Nobody moved.
Then the lights went out.
The entire Hawthorne estate fell into darkness.
Grace tightened both arms around Noah.
Someone shouted.
A crash came from the west corridor.
Damian’s voice cut through the dark.
“GRACE!”
“I have him!”
A red emergency light flickered on.
Cole drew his weapon.
Security men rushed toward the stairs.
Then Grace heard something from the nursery monitor clipped to her waistband.
Static.
A breath.
And a man’s voice.
“You should have listened.”
Grace looked down.
The monitor screen illuminated.
Noah’s nursery appeared.
Empty.
Except for one figure standing beside the crib.
A tall man in a black coat.
Watching the camera.
May you like
He lifted one gloved finger to his lips.
Then the screen went dead.
