Mirabelle’s POV:
I snapped the radio off, my heart pounding in my chest. It wasn’t just my name they were tarnishing-it was everything I’d worked for, everything Noah had built.
I was losing control, and I hated it.
As if on cue, my phone rang again, and I answered without checking the caller ID.
“Mrs. Sylvester, it’s Officer Carter.” Came the now-familiar voice. “I have a few questions for you.”
“Go ahead.” I said, barely able to keep my voice calm.
“Has there been any breach in your security measures at the site?” He asked.
I swallowed hard. “No. We followed every guideline. Every safety protocol was in place.”
“Is there anyone you suspect might have wanted to sabotage your renovation project?” He pressed.
“No.” I replied automatically, the words slipping from my lips before I even had a chance to think. “No… I don’t think so.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Carter’s voice returned, more serious this time. “There’s evidence suggesting the possibility of foul play. It doesn’t seem like the fire was an accident. From what we’ve gathered, it seems someone was trying to sabotage you.”
Sabotage? But who? And why?
“Who… who would do that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out.” He replied. “You’ll need to come to the station tomorrow. We have some CCTV footage you might want to see.”
“I’ll be there.” I managed to say, my mind spinning. I ended the call and stared blankly at the road ahead. Who the hell was trying to sabotage me?
I was out of my mind, and for the first time in my life, I had no idea what to do next.
The next morning, when I woke up. My body was aching as if I’d run a marathon.
I had a restless night, I couldn’t shake the image of the burning building-the roaring flames, the crackling wood, and the cries of the workers still echoed in my mind like a never-ending nightmare.
I dragged myself out of bed, going through the stress of getting dressed. My face in the mirror looked haggard, my eyes were sunken and shadowed with sleeplessness.
I barely touched the breakfast Jamie had laid out for me; every bite felt like ash in my mouth. My mind was racing, darting from one thought to another- the whispers that would soon reach my doorstep if they hadn’t already.
At the breakfast table, Grandpa Ed watched me with concern, his brow furrowed. “Mirabelle, darling, are you feeling alright? You look… tired.”
“I’m fine, Grandpa.” I lied, forcing a smile that felt brittle. I sipped my coffee, hoping the bitter taste would shock me awake. My fingers trembled around the cup.
“You don’t look fine.” Skyler said with a child’s blunt honesty. Tyler and Mika were watching me with wide, worried eyes.
They had never seen me like this before, and I hated that I was scaring them.
“I’m just a little tired, sweetheart. Nothing to worry about.” I said, kissing the top of his head before standing up. “I have to go to the office early today. There’s a lot I need to take care of.”
“But, Mom…” Mika started, her small voice trailing off. I couldn’t handle the pity I saw in her eyes, so I turned away before she could finish.
“I’ll be back later.” I said, getting up. I saw Grandpa Ed exchange a glance with the kids as I left the room, but I didn’t turn to explain.
When I arrived at the office, I could feel the weight of every gaze on me as I walked through the hallways.
“Do you think she knew something was wrong?” Someone muttered behind my back.
“I heard they’re saying it wasn’t an accident… that there might have been foul play.” Another voice whispered.
“She doesn’t look like she slept at all…”
“I wonder if she’s hiding something. You know how these rich types are.”
Their words were suffocating, each one piercing deeper than the last. I ignored them, holding my head high and forcing myself to move forward. I couldn’t let them see that their words were tearing me apart.
My office was cold and empty, the blinds half-drawn. I sank into the leather chair behind my desk, pulled out my phone and immediately called an emergency meeting with the directors from the construction company that had burned down.
They all joined the conference call, looking uncomfortable and anxious, each one waiting for me to say something that would make this disaster go away.
“We need answers.” I began. “What happened at the site? How did the fire start, and was there any sort of breach in the safety measures?”
The board members exchanged uneasy glances. One of them, a tall, thin man named Mr. Hargrove, cleared his throat. “The investigation is ongoing, Mrs. Sylvester. We haven’t received any concrete information yet. The police are working on it.”
“That’s not good enough.” I snapped. “We need to know if there were lapses in security or safety measures. Someone needs to be held accountable.”
Everyone went silent. No one had any answers, and I realized with a sinking feeling that they were all looking to me to fix this mess. I dismissed the meeting, promising to follow up once the investigation was complete. After the conference call ended, I immediately called the manager of the construction company, my fingers tapping impatiently on the desk as I waited for him to pick up.
When he finally answered, I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “I want the safety reports from the renovation project.” I said immediately. “All of them. I need to know if there were any breaches in security or if something was missed.”
“Mrs. Sylvester, I assure you-” He began, but I cut him off.
“No assurances. I want the reports by the end of the day. I have to see them myself.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He replied. Then I hung up, rubbing my temples to ease the headache that was beginning to form.
I didn’t want to believe that someone had sabotaged me.
It has to be an accident.