Chapter 2
The glow from the wall-mounted security monitors cast a pale blue light over Julian’s face as he stared at the grid of silent cameras. Elena let out an audible scoff, her fingers twitching against the fabric of her burgundy gown. "There's nothing to rewind, Julian. The necklace was in her cleaning cart. Everyone saw it." Clara kept her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with every sob. Julian ignored his wife's impatience, his thumb pressing down on the remote to cycle through the camera feeds until he reached the hallway outside the master suite. The time stamp in the corner of the grainy video read nine-fifteen. On the screen, the empty corridor stretched out in dull gray tones. Julian stepped closer to the wall, his polished shoes clicking against the marble. "Let's watch who walked down this hall tonight," he said quietly. Elena crossed her arms tighter, though a faint crease appeared between her brows. "This is a waste of time. Fire her and let's get back to the guests." But Julian didn't answer. He simply watched the small digital clock tick backward on the screen, his expression unreadable. The house was dead silent except for Clara's muffled breathing and the distant hum of the kitchen refrigerator. On the monitor, the shadows shifted as the corridor lights flickered once. Julian leaned in a fraction of an inch, his eyes narrowing as a familiar silhouette appeared at the edge of the frame.
