The House Where Nobody Could Tell Them No
Chapter 9
The people outside were not Victor’s associates.
They were private security contractors.
Their leader carried no weapon in sight.
He simply walked inside and said:
“Mr. Vale, your father wants the device.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“No.”
The man smiled.
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
He looked at Elena.
“Take the girls.”
They ran through the back corridor.
Samuel led them toward the old telescope chamber.
“There is another exit.”
Iris followed closely.
“How do you know?”
“I helped build this place.”
June suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
Everyone turned.
She pointed toward a maintenance panel.
“The rabbit.”
“What about it?”
“Mom told us never to open it unless we were all together.”
Elena knelt.
“All right.”
The memory card was inside.
She inserted it into an old computer.
Files appeared.
Financial records.
Medical reports.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Then one file labeled:
VALE FAMILY — FINAL CONTINGENCY
Elena opened it.
A video appeared.
Celia sat in front of the camera.
She looked tired.
But she was calm.
“If you’re watching this, I failed to stop them.”
June began crying silently.
Celia continued.
“I know Adrian will blame himself.”
Adrian looked away.
“He shouldn’t.”
The video revealed the truth.
Celia had discovered the network months before her death.
She had also discovered Daniel was alive.
But Daniel wasn’t the mastermind.
He was being blackmailed by the network.
The real architect was someone inside the medical system.
Someone who had access to thousands of records.
The name appeared on screen.
Dr. Eleanor Price.
She had built the network over fifteen years.
Victor and Daniel had been useful intermediaries.
Celia had planned to expose her.
But before she could, Eleanor discovered the plan.
Celia’s death was arranged.
Victor was ordered to alter the evidence.
Daniel was forced to help cover it.
And Adrian’s silence allowed the scheme to survive.
The video ended with Celia’s final message.
“The girls will blame themselves.”
Adrian looked at the twins.
“Don’t.”
His voice cracked.
“None of this was your fault.”
Iris started crying.
June hugged her.
Outside, sirens approached.
Police had arrived.
The security contractors fled.
But one person remained.
Samuel.
He looked at Elena.
“There’s one more thing.”
“What?”
“Your father didn’t die because he discovered the network.”
“Then why?”
Samuel swallowed.
“He died because he refused to give them the final evidence.”
“Where is it?”
Samuel pointed at the telescope.
“Inside the lens.”
They opened the telescope casing.
A metal capsule was hidden inside.
Inside the capsule was a handwritten list.
At the top was one sentence:
People who knew Eleanor Price was responsible.
Three names were crossed out.
One remained.
Daniel Vale.
