Chapter 4 - The Woman Behind the SmileAdrian called his security director before leaving Renee’s apartment.
Adrian stared at the photograph on Thomas’s phone.
The timestamp read 10:14 a.m.
The day before Renee fell.
Vanessa stood clearly beside the ladder.
Her fingers were curled around the warning tag.
Adrian enlarged the image.
There was no mistake.
“Where did this come from?”
“Hall camera,” Thomas said. “It catches the library entrance.”
Vanessa came downstairs quickly.
“This is absurd.”
Adrian looked at her.
“What is?”
“You’re making a conspiracy out of nothing.”
Thomas glanced between them.
Adrian held up the phone.
“You removed the tag.”
“I moved it.”
“Why?”
Vanessa laughed nervously.
“Because it looked ugly.”
Thomas frowned.
Adrian said nothing.
Vanessa continued.
“We had the florist coming. Photographers were walking through. A giant red tag hanging off an antique ladder looked terrible.”
“So you knew the ladder was unsafe.”
“I knew Thomas was being cautious.”
Thomas stiffened.
“I tested the rail myself. It was splitting.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
“You people act like everything is life or death.”
Adrian’s voice dropped.
“Today it almost was.”
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
“She shouldn’t have climbed it if she was afraid.”
Thomas looked stunned.
Adrian stepped closer.
“You ordered her.”
“I asked her to clean.”
“You threatened her job.”
“I did not.”
Adrian looked toward Thomas.
The estate manager hesitated.
Then said quietly, “She’s threatened several employees.”
Vanessa spun around.
“What?”
Thomas looked down.
Adrian stared at him.
“What do you mean, several?”
Thomas inhaled.
“Since Ms. Whitmore moved in, we’ve lost five household staff.”
“I thought they resigned.”
“Some did.”
“And the others?”
Thomas hesitated again.
Adrian’s stomach tightened.
“Thomas.”
“They were dismissed.”
“By whom?”
Silence answered him.
Adrian turned slowly toward Vanessa.
“You fired people in my house?”
“It was supposed to become our house.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“They were incompetent.”
“Which people?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
She scoffed.
“A gardener. A kitchen assistant. Two cleaners. Some overnight security person.”
Thomas corrected her.
“Mr. Alvarez worked here eleven years.”
Vanessa glared at him.
“He was rude.”
“He asked you not to park on the lawn because irrigation lines were underneath it.”
“He embarrassed me in front of my friends.”
Adrian closed his eyes briefly.
How had he missed this?
The answer came easily.
Because he was barely home.
For six months he had been opening a new development division in Dallas and Chicago. Vanessa had spent more time at the estate than he had.
He had handed her access.
Authority.
Trust.
And apparently she had used all three.
“I want records,” Adrian said.
Thomas nodded.
“Every termination. Every complaint. Everything.”
Vanessa laughed.
“This is insane.”
Adrian looked at her.
“No. A woman falling fifteen feet because you removed a safety warning is insane.”
“You caught her.”
“That doesn’t make what you did disappear.”
Vanessa walked toward him.
Her eyes softened.
“Adrian, sweetheart, think about what’s happening. You’re letting employees turn us against each other six weeks before our wedding.”
“Employees?”
“Yes.”
He stared at her.
She touched his chest.
“We have a life together.”
Adrian stepped away.
Vanessa’s hand fell.
“Did you tell Renee she’d be fired if she refused?”
“No.”
“Did you imply it?”
“I don’t remember.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“Why are you suddenly obsessed with Renee?”
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
“I should go.”
“No,” Adrian said. “Stay.”
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“You’ve defended that woman all day.”
“That woman has a name.”
“There. Again.”
Adrian stared at her incredulously.
“You’re jealous because I used an employee’s name?”
“She’s attractive.”
Thomas looked at the floor.
Adrian almost laughed.
“This is what you think this is about?”
“I think men are predictable.”
“And apparently you think cruelty is acceptable as long as the victim works for you.”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“You’re twisting everything.”
Adrian handed Thomas back the phone.
“Save the footage.”
“Already copied.”
“Good.”
Vanessa took another step.
“Are you seriously keeping evidence against your own fiancée?”
Adrian looked at her for a long time.
“Why does that scare you?”
That silenced her.
Later that evening, Adrian sat alone in his study.
Vanessa had gone upstairs.
Thomas placed a folder on the desk.
“Employment records.”
Adrian opened it.
Five terminations.
Three had no written cause.
Two contained Vanessa’s signature.
She had signed using the title:
Future Mrs. Harrington — Household Authority.
Adrian almost smiled at the arrogance.
Almost.
Then he found Renee’s name.
Not termination paperwork.
A complaint.
Filed two months earlier.
Employee alleges repeated verbal intimidation by resident guest. Employee requests reassignment to daytime kitchen duties.
Resident guest.
Vanessa.
Adrian looked up.
“Why wasn’t I told?”
Thomas looked ashamed.
“She withdrew it.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who convinced her?”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian turned the page.
Attached was a handwritten note.
Request withdrawn. I need to remain in current position. Please do not contact Mr. Harrington. — Renee Carter
He stared at the signature.
“Something happened.”
Thomas nodded.
“I think so too.”
The next morning, Adrian drove to Renee’s neighborhood.
He told himself he was checking on an injured employee.
He knew that was only partly true.
Renee opened the apartment door wearing sweatpants and an oversized college T-shirt.
She looked surprised.
“Mr. Harrington.”
“Adrian.”
“You’re at my apartment.”
“So it appears.”
Maya appeared behind her holding a bowl of cereal.
“The rich guy!”
Renee covered her face.
Adrian smiled.
“Good morning, Maya.”
“Mom said you don’t usually visit employees.”
“Maya.”
“What? You did.”
Adrian looked at Renee.
“She’s observant.”
“She’s dangerous.”
Maya grinned.
Renee stepped aside.
The apartment was small but warm.
Children’s drawings covered the refrigerator.
A secondhand couch sat beneath the window.
Books were stacked everywhere.
Adrian noticed a framed nursing-school certificate on the wall.
“You were a nurse?”
Renee followed his eyes.
“Almost.”
“What happened?”
“Life.”
He wanted to ask more.
Instead, he placed a grocery bag on the counter.
Renee stared.
“What’s that?”
“Food.”
“I can buy food.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you bring food?”
Adrian thought about it.
“I have no idea.”
Maya peeked inside.
“Blueberries!”
Renee tried not to smile.
She failed.
Adrian smiled too.
For a few minutes, the tension disappeared.
Then he pulled the folded complaint from his coat pocket.
Renee’s smile vanished.
“I found this.”
Her face changed.
“Thomas gave you that?”
“I asked for records.”
“You weren’t supposed to see it.”
“Why did you withdraw it?”
Renee looked toward Maya.
“Baby, take your cereal to your room.”
“I’m watching cartoons.”
“In your room.”
Maya sighed theatrically and disappeared.
Renee waited until the door closed.
Then she turned toward Adrian.
“Because Vanessa found out.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did she do?”
Renee folded her arms tightly.
“She told me if I wanted to make trouble, she could make trouble too.”
“What does that mean?”
“She knew Maya attends Jefferson.”
Adrian felt his stomach drop.
Renee continued.
“She knew my landlord’s name. She knew I didn’t have family nearby.”
“What exactly did she say?”
Renee stared at the floor.
“She said wealthy people don’t threaten people.”
Adrian waited.
Renee looked up.
“They remind them how small their lives are.”
A terrible silence filled the apartment.
Adrian’s anger became something colder.
More controlled.
“What else?”
“She said if I complained again, she’d make sure no Harrington property or contractor hired me.”
Adrian went still.
“Using my name?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Renee laughed once, bitterly.
“When?”
He had no answer.
“You were gone constantly,” she said. “And she was marrying you. Why would you believe the housekeeper over the woman you loved?”
Adrian wanted to argue.
But he could not promise she had been wrong.
Renee saw that.
“That’s what I thought.”
His phone rang.
Vanessa.
He ignored it.
It rang again.
Ignored.
A third time.
Renee looked at the screen.
“You should answer.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
Hearing his name from her sounded unexpectedly personal.
He answered.
“What?”
Vanessa’s voice exploded through the speaker.
“Where are you?”
“Busy.”
“At her apartment?”
Adrian froze.
Renee’s face changed.
“How do you know where I am?”
Vanessa said nothing.
Adrian slowly looked toward the apartment window.
Across the street sat a black SUV.
Engine running.
Dark windows.
His voice became deadly calm.
“Vanessa.”
The SUV pulled away.
Renee whispered, “Who was that?”
Adrian watched it disappear.
May you like
Then said quietly:
“I think we’re about to find out how much worse this really is.”
Related Stories
