Chapter 3: The Person Behind The Door
I knew that voice before I saw the face.
Vanessa stood in the doorway, wearing a silk robe and holding a glass of wine as if she had simply walked into the room to ask about dinner.
But her eyes were different.
The fake kindness was gone.
The woman standing there was the same woman who had watched a child panic in the water without moving.
Daniel stepped forward immediately.
“What are you doing out here?””
Vanessa smiled.
“I could ask you the same thing.””
Her gaze moved from Daniel to me, then to the flash drive in his hand.
For a second, nobody spoke.
The quiet felt heavier than any argument.
Then Vanessa looked at me.
“You always thought you were smarter than everyone else, didn’t you, Renee?””
I stared at her.
“I only did my job.””
“No,” she said coldly.
“You interfered.””
Daniel’s face hardened.
“You put my son in danger.””
Vanessa laughed softly.
“Your son?””
The words made Malik, who was standing behind the hallway corner, step back.
Daniel noticed him.
“Malik, go upstairs.””
“But Dad—”
“Now.””
The boy disappeared slowly, but not before seeing the anger on Vanessa’s face.
Once he was gone, Daniel lowered his voice.
“Why were you near the equipment room?””
Vanessa took a sip of wine.
“I already told you. I don’t know anything about those snakes.””
“You lied.””
Her expression changed.
Just slightly.
Daniel held up the flash drive.
“The camera recorded everything.””
For the first time, Vanessa looked afraid.
But instead of admitting anything, she turned her anger toward me.
“You.””
I blinked.
“What?””
“This is because of you.””
I almost couldn’t believe it.
“Because I saved him?””
“You ruined everything.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa looked at him, realizing she had said too much.
She quickly changed her expression.
“I mean you ruined our family by trusting a stranger over your own wife.””
I shook my head.
“You’re not upset that I saved Malik.””
Her eyes moved toward me.
“You’re upset that I saw.””
The room became silent.
Because she knew I was right.
Before Vanessa could respond, Daniel’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face immediately changed.
“What is it?”” I asked.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A few seconds passed.
Then his expression became confused.
“Who is this?””
Vanessa’s face turned pale.
Daniel listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
“What did they say?”” Vanessa asked.
Daniel looked at her.
“The security company said they didn’t send the footage.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Daniel looked at the flash drive.
“This copy came from someone else.””
Vanessa suddenly moved.
She reached for the drive.
Daniel stepped back.
“No.””
Her calm mask finally cracked.
“You don’t understand what you’re holding.””
Daniel stared at her.
“Then explain.””
She didn’t.
Instead, she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“If that footage gets out, more than just me will lose everything.””
A threat.
Not an explanation.
A threat.
Then the lights in the house flickered.
Everyone looked upward.
The hallway cameras went dark.
Vanessa smiled.
And that smile told me everything.
She wasn’t scared anymore.
She had someone helping her.
Daniel grabbed his phone.
“No signal.””
I looked toward the security panel near the wall.
Someone had disabled the system.
Someone who knew the house.
Someone who knew exactly where every camera was.
Then we heard a sound from upstairs.
A door opening.
Daniel’s face changed.
“Malik.””
We ran.
The hallway felt longer than it had ever been.
When we reached Malik’s room, the door was open.
The bed was empty.
My heart stopped.
“Malik!””
No answer.
Then Daniel noticed something on the floor.
A small piece of paper.
He picked it up.
His hands started shaking.
“What does it say?”” I asked.
Daniel looked at me.
“It says…”
He swallowed.
“Come to the pool if you want to know who really put those snakes there.””
A cold feeling moved through my body.
Because whoever took Malik didn’t just want him.
May you like
They wanted us to follow.
And they wanted us afraid.
