Chapter 6 - The Guest Upstairs.
The person upstairs was Celia Ward, Margaret’s younger sister.
Celia had lived in Boston for most of her adult life and rarely attended family gatherings.
Yet her luggage had been placed in the east guest wing three days earlier.
Ethan had not even known she was staying at the estate.
Margaret dismissed the revelation with an irritated wave.
“My sister is not required to report her travel plans to you.”
“No,” Ethan said.
“But apparently everyone is required to hide them from me.”
Daniel went upstairs and returned with Celia several minutes later.
She wore a simple black evening dress and looked deeply uncomfortable.
Unlike Margaret, Celia had never been skilled at hiding emotion.
Her eyes went directly to the blue folder.
Then to Sophie’s unopened gifts stacked near the library door.
“Oh, Margaret,” she whispered.
Margaret’s shoulders stiffened.
“Do not start.”
Ethan stepped closer to Celia.
“Were you in the estate office last night?”
Celia nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Margaret asked me to witness a document.”
“What document?”
Celia looked at her sister.
Margaret’s face silently ordered her not to answer.
Celia answered anyway.
“A statement saying you had become unstable since Nora died.”
Ethan felt the air leave his chest.
His wife’s name had not been spoken all evening.
Nora had died fourteen months earlier after a sudden medical emergency.
Ethan had thrown himself into work afterward because work was the only place grief followed rules.
Margaret had offered to keep Sophie at the estate during his overseas expansion.
She called it temporary stability.
Ethan had believed her.
Celia continued.
“The statement said your travel, anger, and grief made you unreliable.”
“Did you sign it?”
“No.”
Margaret cut in.
“Because she is weak.”
Celia turned toward her sister.
“No, Margaret.”
Her voice shook.
“Because it wasn’t true.”
The room went silent.
Celia told them Margaret had spent months insisting Ethan would eventually move Sophie overseas permanently.
She claimed the family estate would then lose access to a trust distribution connected to the child’s residence.
Arthur immediately opened another set of documents.
He found the clause after several minutes.
Nora’s late father had created a separate educational and welfare trust for Sophie.
As long as Sophie resided primarily at the Cole estate, the household could be reimbursed for documented childcare expenses.
The amount was far larger than Ethan’s monthly transfers.
Up to eighteen thousand dollars per month.
Arthur looked sick.
“Margaret, did you submit reimbursement claims?”
Margaret said nothing.
Arthur checked his laptop.
His fingers stopped moving.
“Eleven claims.”
Ethan stared at him.
“How much?”
“One hundred eighty-seven thousand dollars.”
Daniel whispered, “Good Lord.”
Ethan’s mind returned to the mattress downstairs.
The unopened coat.
The missing shoe.
The dinner roll in Sophie’s hands.
Margaret finally spoke.
“The estate required maintenance.”
Ethan looked at her as if she were a stranger.
“That money was for Sophie.”
“And Sophie lives here.”
“Not anymore.”
The words came without hesitation.
Margaret’s face changed.
Ethan continued.
“She leaves with me tonight.”
Margaret looked toward the doorway.
For one second, panic replaced pride.
Then every light in the library went out.
May you like
The estate fell into darkness.
And from upstairs came Sophie’s scream.
