The alliance between them had changed.
Minutes earlier Caleb had worn borrowed authority like armor.
Now he looked like a man discovering that borrowed authority could be repossessed.
Roman lifted his phone from his pocket and placed it face down on the table.
“There is another problem,” he said.
Mrs.
Bellamy’s eyes flicked toward it.
Roman continued.
“When Trina’s complaint disappeared from the personnel system, I assumed someone had deleted it.
They had.
What they did not know was that the estate’s security archive keeps independent access records.”
Caleb whispered, “Roman.”
It was the first time he had dropped the formal title.
Roman looked at him.
Caleb swallowed.
“I can explain.”
“You will.
To people whose job is to decide whether your explanation matters.”
Ava had expected something else from Roman Valenti.
Everyone had heard stories about his family.
Men lowering their voices when his name came up.
Restaurant owners suddenly finding private tables.
Lawyers choosing careful words.
She had expected rage to become violence.
Instead Roman reached for documentation.
That frightened Caleb more.
Mrs.
Bellamy stepped off the final stair.
“This is absurd.
You are allowing an emotional maid and a disgruntled former employee to undermine people who have protected this house for years.”
Ava felt the insult land.
Thirteen days earlier she might have lowered her eyes.
Now she wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand.
“Did you tell him to scare my nephew?” she asked.
Bellamy looked at her as though a chair had spoken.
“I did not address you.”
Ava’s voice stayed quiet.
“I addressed you.”
One of the employees at the end of the corridor inhaled sharply.
Mrs.
Bellamy turned toward Roman.
“You see? This is exactly the behavior I have been documenting.”
Roman opened the folder to another page.
“Interesting choice of word.”
He held up three reports.
All carried Ava’s name.
Ava stared.
She had never seen them.
Roman read the dates.
Her fourth day.
Seventh day.
Eleventh day.
“Failure to follow restricted-area protocol,” he said.
“Hostile response to management instruction.
Suspected mishandling of private property.”
Ava shook her head.
