The House Where Nobody Could Tell Them No
Chapter 4
Elena did not confront Adrian about the photograph.
Not yet.
Instead, she started observing.
Iris was controlling.
June was cautious.
But both girls reacted strongly whenever someone mentioned their mother.
They also became unusually quiet whenever Adrian entered a room.
It wasn’t ordinary childhood fear.
It was anticipation.
As if they were waiting for something terrible to happen.
On Friday, Elena found Iris in the library.
The girl was standing on a chair, reaching for a locked cabinet.
“What are you doing?”
Iris froze.
“Looking for a book.”
“With a chair?”
“The book is high.”
“Why is the cabinet locked?”
Iris climbed down.
“Because Dad says it is.”
“Then why were you opening it?”
Iris smiled.
“Because Dad says a lot of things.”
Elena held out her hand.
“Give me the key.”
Iris’s smile vanished.
“I don’t have it.”
A tiny metallic sound came from her pocket.
Elena waited.
Iris sighed and handed over the key.
The cabinet contained old documents.
Property records.
Medical reports.
Letters.
At the back sat a thin black notebook.
Elena opened it.
The handwriting belonged to Celia.
Most pages were ordinary.
Then the entries became strange.
Adrian thinks the girls are afraid because they miss me. He doesn’t understand.
Another:
They know what happened in the west wing.
And another:
If anything happens to me, the truth is not in the company files. It’s in the house.
Elena’s heart began beating faster.
A floorboard creaked.
She turned.
June stood in the doorway.
“You’re not supposed to read that.”
Elena closed the notebook.
“Why?”
“Because Dad said Mom was confused before she died.”
“Do you believe that?”
June didn’t answer.
Iris appeared behind her.
“Put it back.”
Elena looked at both girls.
“Tell me what happened in the west wing.”
Neither spoke.
Finally June whispered:
“We heard shouting.”
“From whom?”
“Mom.”
Elena waited.
“She told Dad someone was stealing money.”
Iris added, “Dad said she was imagining things.”
“Did you see anything?”
June shook her head.
“Only a man.”
“What man?”
“We don’t know.”
Iris suddenly looked frightened.
“He wore a silver watch.”
The library door opened.
Adrian stood there.
His face was pale.
“What are you doing?”
Elena placed the notebook on the desk.
“Reading.”
“You had no permission.”
“You’re right.”
He walked toward the desk.
“Give it to me.”
Elena didn’t move.
“What happened in the west wing?”
“Nothing.”
“The girls remember someone.”
“Children misremember.”
“Both of them?”
Adrian’s voice sharpened.
“Enough.”
The twins flinched.
Elena noticed.
So did Adrian.
His expression changed immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
The apology sounded unfamiliar.
Iris took June’s hand.
They left.
Adrian remained.
“Don’t dig into the past,” he said quietly.
“Why?”
“Because you don’t know what you’ll find.”
Elena looked at the notebook.
“Maybe that’s exactly why I need to.”
Adrian stared at her.
Then he said something that changed everything.
“Celia wasn’t sick.”
Elena went still.
“What?”
“My wife died because someone poisoned her.”
Silence.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why did you tell everyone it was an illness?”
“Because whoever did it was still inside this house.”
He looked toward the hallway.
“And I was afraid they would come back for my daughters.”
