Now was the time, the right moment to start and finish everything that had happened. Juliette stared at her reflection in the mirror with a mysterious gaze. Her hand lifted to smooth the blouse she was wearing, ensuring everything was in place. After that, she walked toward the door of her room. William had created a distraction to catch the attention of Robbin’s men.
Luck was on her side, as both Aldrich and Dion were out on a job that required them to be away for a few hours. Juliette was sure Aldrich wouldn’t be foolish enough to leave her unmonitored. Still, Juliette wasn’t planning to escape, quite the opposite.
She turned her head, looking left and right, making sure the guards were on the other side of the mansion, with no one in this part where she was. Juliette also ensured that she stayed in the blind spots of the surveillance cameras so that those watching from the control room couldn’t see her. She walked cautiously and alertly. Along the way, her heart raced so fast it felt like it might explode. Her hands trembled, and her palms became damp with cold sweat. She was so nervous and terrified that everything wouldn’t go according to plan.
When she finally reached the front of Robbin’s study, Juliette couldn’t fully rejoice, as the next challenge awaited-getting inside the study, which was protected by a fingerprint scanner and a password. Juliette pursed her lips and glared at the device near the door. Then, she glanced at the surveillance camera monitoring the entrance to the study. What could she do to get inside?
Juliette racked her brain, searching for a solution, but nothing came to mind. If she broke into or destroyed the security system, it wouldn’t be impossible. Still, the risks she would face would multiply later. Busy trying to form a plan, Juliette didn’t notice someone standing behind her.
When she realized the person’s presence, Juliette gasped and spun around, clutching her chest where her heart was racing. “Christian!” she exhaled in relief.
Christian grinned mischievously, but it only lasted a moment before his expression turned serious.
“I know you need someone’s help,” Christian said as he glanced at the heavily secured door.
“You’re lucky. Out of all people, I have access to enter that room.”
‘Of course, because he trusts your loyalty,’ Juliette thought to herself.
“Come with me.” Christian walked toward the door, followed by Juliette. “Those monitoring won’t question anything if you come with me.”
“What about when we leave? They’ll be suspicious when you come out alone.”
Christian chuckled softly and replied, “Sometimes, Robbin’s men are easily fooled, except for Aldrich. That’s why you’re lucky Aldrich isn’t here right now-he’s the only one you can’t deceive.”
“Is that so?” Juliette had thought the same. She hadn’t interacted much with Aldrich and had only met him recently. Still, Robbin’s trusted man wasn’t easy to fool or manipulate.
Juliette had observed Aldrich’s movements and noticed that he was always alert. So, Christian was right. Juliette was fortunate Aldrich wasn’t around, or her plan would have failed because of his sharp eyes. If this plan failed, the final one would also fail, and Juliette wouldn’t get another chance for freedom.
After that, silence fell between them. Juliette watched as Christian scanned his fingerprint, entered a few numbers, then pulled out an access card and swiped it near the door to unlock it. A clicking sound was heard, and Juliette breathed a sigh of relief when Christian turned the door handle, and it opened without any issues.
He gestured for Juliette to enter first, and once they were inside the room, Juliette said, “Thank you for your help. Even though I don’t know your real motive, I’m still grateful.”
“I want Robbin to realize his mistakes,” Christian said casually as he pulled out a document from inside his jacket and placed it on Robbin’s desk.
“Because this can’t go on forever. I care about Robbin and am loyal to him. I would help with anything he wants to do, but when I learned that he was hurting our own family, that’s too much.”
“Chris…”
“You need to find it quickly, Juliette. Whether you believe what Uncle William says or not, the truth cannot be changed, no matter how hard we try.”
“You’re right.” After that exchange, Christian turned and left the room, leaving Juliette alone. She lowered her gaze and ensured the small device she carried was secured before beginning her search.
Juliette checked every document in the drawers, the cabinet, and the desk and even searched the bookshelf, thinking there might be a secret compartment. If one part of the bookshelf hid a secret room, who’s to say another part didn’t hold a hidden compartment? But none of her suspicions were confirmed, and Juliette began to feel frustrated. She stood in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips. Her eyes fixed on the large painting hanging on the wall. Juliette tapped her finger against her chin, thinking hard once again.
Where would Robbin hide it? Juliette stared more intensely at the painting. Should she try something like in the movies? She stopped tapping her chin and slowly approached the large painting she had been staring at. She ran her fingers along the edges of the painting and sighed loudly when she didn’t find anything suspicious. But when she touched the surface of the painting, Juliette accidentally felt something different, and her heart began to race.
Juliette pressed the area that felt different, and it turned out to be a hidden button. The painting slid to the side, revealing a secret safe behind it. ‘I should watch more action movies; they’ve been quite helpful in situations like this,’ she muttered to herself.
Juliette immediately touched the safe and inspected the keypad to open it. If she were Robbin, what numbers would she use as a password? His birthday? Too cliche. His debut date as an actor? Too easy. What was the date he became chairman and CEO of the company? It’s worth a try, but this room existed before Robbin took that position. Would he use a number related to himself? Or to his parents? Juliette tried every combination of numbers that crossed her mind, and at one point, she felt like giving up. But giving up wasn’t an option for her. Juliette couldn’t lose hope.
After nearly thirty minutes of trying different possible combinations, an idea suddenly struck her-the date from five years ago-the night of Juliette’s disastrous birthday.
Taking a deep breath and with trembling hands, Juliette entered the numbers for that date. She bit her lower lip nervously, and she almost jumped for joy when she heard the beep and the safe unlocking. Juliette didn’t want to dwell on how psychopathic Robbin’s use of that night as a password was; instead, she focused on the stack of documents and valuables stored inside the safe.
Juliette pulled out the documents one by one, most of them related to the family’s and Robbin’s assets, Anthony’s inheritance papers, and critical and confidential documents belonging to Lavigne Sachs Group.
Juliette sifted through each document until she reached the last one. She hoped that her search would bear fruit now. Praying, Juliette grabbed the final document and opened the folder. Her breath hitched when she saw the logo of the Lavigne family hospital printed prominently at the top of the document. Juliette read the details and confirmed that the document in her hands was the one William had wanted.
The autopsy report of Anthony.
Her suspicions about her brother’s death were true. Juliette read that Anthony had died from poison coursing through his body-a definitive cause of death since Anthony had no history of heart problems.
Juliette’s breath became heavy as she read the lab results and the conclusions in the report. Her entire body trembled. So, Anthony didn’t die of a heart attack but from poison? Was the document given to the De Lavigne family fake? How did William know it was fake? Then she remembered William’s words.
“Don’t underestimate me, Juliette. I may not be like Robbin, but I have my trusted sources.” Juliette took a deep breath and collapsed onto the carpeted floor. Her eyes stared blankly into the distance. By hiding the truth, it meant Robbin was responsible for his own father’s death. Realizing this horrifying fact, Juliette was overcome with shock.
Robbin dared to do something so extreme, and Juliette felt it was because of her. She sat in silence for a long time, processing the painful information, only snapping out of her shock when she heard the sound of a car engine.
Juliette quickly stood up and pulled the document out of the folder, hiding it inside one of the books on the shelf. She made sure to place the book somewhere she could easily remember, and then she returned the other documents to the safe. She ran to the window, which overlooked the front of the mansion-a strategic location for observing anyone coming or going. Peeking through the tightly closed curtains, Juliette’s face paled as she saw a man she had no desire to see return. The man stepped out of the car and spoke with Aldrich.
Robbin. He was back.
Damn! He wasn’t supposed to return until later tonight. Why now?
Realizing the situation, Juliette quickly returned all the documents to their place, closed the safe, and pressed the button to return the painting to its original position. She turned off the lights that Christian had switched on earlier, leaving the room dimly lit by sunlight seeping through the curtains. Juliette walked to the window again, peeking through the curtains and
I saw that Robbin and Aldrich were no longer there.
Panic swept over her. She had no chance to leave the room, but where could she hide? Juliette grew even more panicked as she faintly heard footsteps and voices approaching. She wondered why Robbin’s study wasn’t soundproof, but at least she could hear what was happening outside the room. Frantically searching for a hiding spot, Juliette walked toward the bookshelf. She considered hiding there, but she didn’t have time to think because she heard the sound of the fingerprint scanner. Juliette quickly opened the bookshelf, slipped into the hidden room, and let the shelf close behind her.
Now, she could only sit in the darkness, silently waiting.
…