Then the limousine passed through the gates and disappeared into the evening.
Arden remained at the window until the taillights were gone.
For years, she had mistaken endurance for devotion.
That night, the difference finally became clear.
The Hidden Office Beneath the House
The mansion became painfully quiet.
Arden removed the rubber gloves she had been wearing and placed them beside the sink. She washed her hands, dried them carefully, and walked through the hallway toward the wine room.
Behind a cabinet filled with old bottles was a narrow wooden panel that appeared to be part of the wall.
Arden pressed her thumb against a concealed sensor.
The panel opened.
A private elevator waited beyond it.
She stepped inside and descended one level beneath the house.
When the doors opened, the woman Blake believed he knew disappeared.
The underground office contained secure computers, financial records, legal documents, satellite conference screens, and direct communication lines connected to Fairchild Capital’s offices in New York, Denver, Chicago, and San Francisco.
