Chapter 6 - The Viper in the Estate
The cold steel of the pistol dug painfully into Norah's skin.
She looked directly into Arthur's furious, bloodshot eyes and realized he was entirely capable of pulling the trigger.
"He left a note on my serving tray during the dinner," Norah gasped, speaking as fast as she could.
"He threatened to tell Silas that I had the missing ledger."
Arthur's eyes widened fractionally, his finger loosening slightly on the trigger.
"You found the ledger?" he demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"It was in the lining of the bloody jacket you told me to destroy," Norah confessed rapidly.
"Dominic also claimed he knew what you did to my father, Thomas Bennett."
Arthur completely froze.
He slowly lowered the gun, staring at her in absolute disbelief.
"Thomas Bennett was your father?" Arthur asked, the anger draining from his face.
"Yes," Norah breathed, tears of pure terror finally spilling down her cheeks.
Arthur leaned back against his seat and ran a hand aggressively through his dark hair.
"I didn't kill your father, Nora."
"Your father was an accountant for my family who discovered someone inside my organization was stealing millions."
"He was murdered before he could tell me who the traitor was."
Norah felt the world spin wildly around her as the horrible truth settled in.
"The ledger," Arthur continued, his voice returning to a cold, calculated tone.
"It doesn't just hold gambling debts."
"It contains the bank routing numbers that prove exactly who the traitor is."
He looked at her, his expression hardening into absolute resolve.
"Only someone inside my own house could have tipped Dominic off about your meeting."
"I need you to find out who it is."
"No one pays attention to the cleaning staff."
Norah understood the terrifying weight of what he was asking.
When they returned to the estate, she began her investigation immediately.
She waited until Silas was summoned to a security meeting in the basement.
She quietly picked the lock on Silas's private quarters and slipped inside.
She frantically searched his desk, finding a hidden compartment beneath a false drawer.
Inside was a burner phone filled with encrypted text messages sent directly to Dominic Rossi.
She had the definitive proof that Silas was the traitor.
Suddenly, she bumped her elbow against the desk, knocking a crystal whiskey glass onto the floor.
It shattered with a deafening crash.
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The heavy door behind her clicked open.
Silas stood in the doorway, staring directly at her.
