Chapter 3 - A RULE IS BROKENMatteo noticed the camera before Clara did.
They were walking through the west hallway when he suddenly stopped.
Clara turned.
"What happened?"
He pointed upward.
A small black lens sat inside the corner of the ceiling.
"Cameras."
Clara followed his finger.
"Oh."
Matteo's expression tightened.
"You don't like them?"
He shook his head.
"Why?"
"Papa."
Clara looked at him.
"Your father?"
Matteo nodded.
Then he pointed at the camera again.
Clara understood.
Vincent had told her once that Matteo became frightened whenever he saw security equipment.
She had assumed the fear came from the night of the break-in.
Now she wasn't sure.
She crouched beside him.
"Do you want to go somewhere without cameras?"
Matteo thought about it.
Then shook his head.
"They're everywhere."
Clara looked down the hallway.
He was right.
She had never considered how overwhelming that must feel for a child.
"Okay," she said. "Then we'll pretend they're not here."
Matteo looked at her.
"Can we?"
"We can try."
That evening, Clara found Vincent in the security room.
The wall of monitors cast blue light across his face.
She closed the door behind her.
"You record everything."
Vincent didn't look away from the screens.
"Security."
"Me."
He turned.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Since you arrived."
Clara laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"You don't even know me."
"That's the point."
"No. The point is that you want to know everything about everyone."
Vincent stood.
"Someone broke into this house eleven months ago."
"And Matteo saw something."
His expression changed.
"Who told you that?"
"Matteo."
Vincent stared at her.
"He doesn't talk about that night."
"He did."
"When?"
"Today."
Vincent stepped closer.
"What exactly did he say?"
Clara shook her head.
"Why?"
"Because you don't trust me."
"Correct."
"And you think watching me will eventually tell you who I am."
Vincent looked toward the monitors.
"It usually does."
Clara followed his gaze.
"Maybe that's your problem."
"What?"
"You watch people so carefully that you forget they can see you too."
Vincent said nothing.
She walked out.
Her phone vibrated before she reached the elevator.
Unknown number.
She opened it.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASKING VINCENT WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.
A second message appeared.
HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO BETRAYED HIM.
Clara stopped.
Her pulse accelerated.
She looked around.
Nobody.
She typed:
Who are you?
No response.
Another message appeared.
ASK HIM ABOUT HIS BROTHER.
The elevator doors opened.
Clara stepped inside.
She stared at her reflection.
Then she noticed something.
The security camera inside the elevator was pointed directly at her.
She looked into the lens.
"Are you watching me too?"
The doors closed.
Downstairs, Vincent's security console displayed the elevator feed.
He watched Clara step out.
Dominic entered.
"Sir."
Vincent didn't answer.
"Something happened?"
"Check Clara's phone activity."
Dominic looked at him.
"Without authorization?"
Vincent turned.
"Do it."
Dominic hesitated.
"That's crossing a line."
Vincent's expression hardened.
"Find the person who sent her those messages."
Dominic stopped.
"How do you know she received messages?"
Vincent said nothing.
Dominic slowly understood.
"You've been watching her."
Vincent looked back at the monitor.
Clara stood alone in the hallway.
She had no idea that the man she suspected was monitoring her was only part of the problem.
May you like
Someone else was watching too.
And that person already knew about the betrayal.
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