Chapter 16
The Harper mansion was quiet, the remnants of the gala still being cleared away from the grand ballroom by a catering crew.
Nathan sat at the massive kitchen island, a tablet resting in front of him, scrolling through the morning news.
The headlines were glowing. The Harper Foundation had been hailed as a triumph of justice over corporate greed.
Claire walked into the kitchen, tying the belt of her silk robe, a warm, contented smile on her face.
"I still can't believe Emily's speech," Claire said softly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "She was incredibly brave."
"She takes after her uncle," Nathan smiled, looking up from his screen.
The heavy oak front door chimed, echoing through the hallway.
"I'll get it," Nathan said, standing up. "Probably Michael coming to help with the cleanup."
He opened the door to find Michael standing on the porch, but he wasn't smiling.
Emily stood behind him, clutching her backpack tightly to her chest, her eyes darting nervously around the manicured lawn.
"Michael? What's wrong?" Nathan asked, immediately sensing the heavy, suffocating tension radiating from his brother.
"Can we come in?" Michael asked, his voice tight.
Nathan stepped aside, closing the door firmly behind them.
Claire walked out of the kitchen, her smile fading the moment she saw Michael's pale face.
"Michael, what happened?" Claire asked.
Michael looked down at Emily, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Show them, Em."
Emily unzipped the front pocket of her backpack with trembling fingers. She pulled out a thick, unmarked black envelope and handed it to Nathan.
"I found it on the porch this morning when I went to get the newspaper," Emily whispered.
Nathan frowned, turning the envelope over. There was no stamp, no return address. Just his name written in sharp, silver ink.
He tore the seal open and pulled out a single, high-resolution photograph.
It was a picture of the gala from last night.
But it hadn't been taken by the hired photographer. The angle was entirely wrong. It had been taken from the shadows of the upper balcony, looking directly down at Ethan, who was standing near the stage.
A red circle was drawn in marker around Ethan's face.
On the back of the photograph, written in the same silver ink, were four chilling words.
May you like
The camera missed me.
"Someone was in the house last night," Nathan said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, terrifying whisper.
