Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN HE WAS WATCHINGClara Hayes knew she was being watched.
The question was by whom.
The mansion made it difficult to tell.
There were cameras in the hallways, cameras near the elevators, cameras outside every entrance, and cameras positioned so discreetly that most guests probably never noticed them.
Clara noticed.
She had noticed on her second day.
By the end of the first week, she knew which cameras moved and which ones didn't.
By the end of the second, she knew which ones were real.
What she didn't know was why Vincent Rossi seemed to be paying particular attention to her.
She discovered the answer on a Tuesday morning.
The house manager, Mrs. Bell, found her in the kitchen.
"Mr. Rossi would like an updated personnel report."
Clara paused while pouring coffee.
"On me?"
Mrs. Bell's expression remained perfectly neutral.
"Yes."
"How updated?"
"Everything since Boston."
Clara placed the coffee pot down.
"That's quite specific."
Mrs. Bell gave her a sympathetic look.
"Mr. Rossi is specific."
"That's one word for him."
The older woman almost smiled.
Almost.
Clara picked up her cup.
"Does he want references?"
"He already has them."
"Medical records?"
"Perhaps."
"Financial records?"
Mrs. Bell hesitated.
"Probably."
Clara nodded.
"Then he already knows everything."
Mrs. Bell left.
Clara stood alone in the kitchen.
She stared at the dark reflection in the window.
Vincent Rossi had done his homework.
That didn't surprise her.
What surprised her was how quickly he had found the things even she had struggled to explain.
Two years in Boston.
Her mother's illness.
A sealed hospital file.
A private legal office.
A sudden return to California.
And then, somehow, this job.
The truth was simple.
Clara hadn't applied for the position.
She had received an envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Matteo.
A phone number.
And six words.
He needs someone who will listen.
She had almost thrown it away.
Then she saw the boy's eyes.
Something about him reminded her of her mother.
Not physically.
Something else.
The look of someone carrying a question nobody had answered.
So Clara had come.
She hadn't expected Vincent.
She certainly hadn't expected to become the center of his suspicion.
That afternoon, she found Matteo in the library.
He was sitting beside the window.
His teddy bear rested against his chest.
Clara sat across from him.
"What are you reading?"
Matteo held up a book.
"Dinosaurs."
"Excellent choice."
He looked at the cover.
"Do you know the difference between a T. rex and a velociraptor?"
Clara pretended to think.
"One has a very difficult name to spell."
Matteo looked at her.
Then smiled.
Clara pointed.
"There it is."
His smile disappeared.
She lowered her hand.
"Sorry."
He hugged the bear.
After a moment, he smiled again.
Clara smiled too.
Neither noticed Vincent standing behind the glass on the other side of the hallway.
He had been there for almost ten minutes.
Dominic stood beside him.
"You're watching her again."
Vincent didn't look away.
"I'm watching Matteo."
"Of course."
Vincent gave him a cold look.
Dominic raised both hands.
"Didn't say anything."
Vincent returned his attention to the library.
Clara said something.
Matteo laughed.
Vincent's jaw tightened.
"How long was she in Boston?"
"Two years."
"Confirm it."
"Already did."
"Family?"
"Mother died recently."
"Father?"
"Dead."
"Friends?"
"Very few."
Vincent finally looked at Dominic.
"That's strange."
"Which part?"
"She came into a house where almost nobody gets close to Matteo."
Dominic shrugged.
"Maybe she likes him."
Vincent's expression hardened.
"That's not an answer."
"It might be."
Later that evening, Vincent stopped Clara in the corridor.
"How long were you in Boston?"
She looked at him.
"Two years."
"Why?"
"I told your house manager."
"I didn't ask her."
Clara studied him.
"My mother was sick."
"Where?"
"Boston General."
"Department?"
She smiled faintly.
"You really do this with everyone?"
"Answer the question."
"Oncology."
Vincent watched her carefully.
"Why are the records sealed?"
Clara's expression changed.
"They aren't sealed because of me."
"Who sealed them?"
"A legal office."
"Which one?"
She gave him the name.
Vincent recognized it immediately.
He didn't show it.
That was one of his strengths.
Clara saw it anyway.
"You know them."
"No."
"You do."
Vincent said nothing.
Clara stepped closer.
"Why are you asking about my mother?"
"I'm investigating everyone who works around Matteo."
"Or you're investigating me."
"Same thing."
She shook her head.
"No. It isn't."
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you don't trust me."
"I don't."
"At least you're honest."
She walked away.
Vincent watched her go.
Dominic appeared behind him.
"The legal office is connected to one of the Rossi family trusts."
Vincent went still.
"Who authorized the payment?"
"We're checking."
"Do it quietly."
Dominic nodded.
Vincent looked down the hallway.
Clara had disappeared around the corner.
Someone had helped her get into his house.
Someone had wanted her close to Matteo.
And Vincent suddenly understood the danger.
May you like
The question wasn't whether Clara was hiding something.
The question was whether someone had placed her there because they knew Vincent would eventually become curious about her.
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