Secrets in the Shadows

Andrew sat in his car, parked just a short distance from Henry's house, staring at the tall gates of the residence. The night was still, and the only sound was the quiet hum of his engine. He'd been waiting for this moment for some time now, and tonight, everything had to go as planned. As he sat contemplating his next move, one of Henry's maids approached his car. She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and slid into the passenger seat without a word. Andrew glanced at her, his gaze cold and calculating.

"Why do you want to see me?" she asked, her voice quiet yet sharp with suspicion.

Andrew didn't immediately answer her question. Instead, he turned slightly to face her and asked, "What is your name?"

"Lina," she replied quickly, her eyes darting around nervously.

Andrew nodded thoughtfully, then leaned back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly on the steering wheel. "I'm not supposed to be seen with you, so please, make this quick. I need to go back inside soon."

Lina nodded, visibly uncomfortable with the situation but remaining silent as Andrew continued.

"I need to know what Chantel and Henry are up to," he said, his tone low and deliberate, as if measuring her response.

Lina's eyes narrowed, clearly surprised by the question. "Why do you want to know?"

Andrew's gaze didn't waver. "I'm willing to offer you 1.5 million if you tell me. But if you don't want to leave poverty behind, you can leave my car right now."

At the mention of the money, Lina froze for a moment, the weight of the offer sinking in. Her eyes flickered with hesitation, but her survival instincts kicked in. It was too much to ignore.

"Well, what do you want to know about them?" she asked, her voice quieter now, a sense of urgency creeping in.

Andrew gave her a small, tight-lipped smile. "Everything. And I promise that once the information you provide is useful to me, I will hand you the money in cash tomorrow."

Lina looked at him for a long moment, measuring her options. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but clear. "Alright. I overheard them talking about suing you and Claire."

Andrew's expression didn't change, though internally, he was already processing this new information. "I know about that already. Any other details?"

Lina hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. They've got recordings of your voice and Ma'am Claire's voice. They've got you both confessing the truth. The lawyer said they need enough evidence, and now they have it. They want to inform the lawyer tomorrow."

Andrew's heart sank at her words. His mind raced as he tried to understand how they had obtained the recordings. Then, a flash of realization hit him. Chantel had visited his office earlier that day—how had he missed the signs? 

"I should have known," he muttered, more to himself than to Lina. "She was so suspicious when I saw her in my office today. That was her plan all along."

Lina's face remained impassive, but she could sense the shift in his mood. "Any other information?" Andrew asked, his voice low and urgent.

Lina shook her head. "No, sir."

"Alright," Andrew said, his tone hardening. "I'll have your money ready tomorrow, but I still need you to stay close. I need more information, and I trust you'll be the one to get it for me."

Lina nodded quickly, her mind already calculating her next steps. "Understood, sir."

"You can leave now," Andrew said, his voice dismissive.

Lina quickly exited the car and made her way back toward the house, her steps quick and purposeful. As Andrew watched her disappear into the distance, he started the car and drove off. His mind was racing—he needed to figure out how to stop this case from progressing. He couldn't allow the recordings to become evidence. Not when he still had a way out. He needed time to come up with a plan, and he knew he had to act fast.

Meanwhile, back at Henry's house, Claire was pacing around the living room, glass of wine in hand. She looked pleased, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Her mother came downstairs, her expression concerned but calm.

"Don't you think you should calm down?" her mother asked, her voice gentle but firm.

Claire turned, slightly annoyed. "Mum! Why should I calm down?" she snapped, sipping her wine.

Her mother sighed, walking over to the couch and sitting down. "I think you should. Chantel and Henry want to see you behind bars, remember? You should focus on that for now."

Claire's smile didn't fade. "Mum, you don't need to worry. Soon, Henry will be the one running away from Chantel. I'll make sure of it. I'll make him hate her."

Her mother didn't reply, sensing there was little to say that would sway Claire. Claire took another sip of her wine, already lost in her thoughts.

Back in his car, Andrew drove toward his next destination, deep in thought. The information he had just received about the recordings was troubling, but he still had options. If he could somehow destroy both his and Claire's voices on those recordings, they would have no evidence to use against them. He needed to figure out how to get the recorder from them before they handed it over to their lawyer.

His mind kept returning to Chantel and Henry, to the way they had outmaneuvered him at every turn. He had to take control of this situation before it spiraled further out of his grasp.

With a sharp turn of the wheel, Andrew decided to call Chantel. He dialed her number, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel as he waited for her to pick up.

Meanwhile, Chantel had already drifted off to sleep, her phone buzzing beside her. She groggily reached for it, annoyed by the interruption. When she saw it was Andrew calling, her annoyance deepened. She answered with an icy tone.

"Why are you calling me at this time of night?" she snapped, her voice dripping with irritation. "I'm sure you know I'm not alone, and it's wrong to call this late."

Henry stirred in his sleep, his eyes opening to glance at her. Chantel rolled her eyes, annoyed but not surprised. 

"I know. I just want us to make peace," Andrew's voice came through the phone, calm but with a hidden edge. "I just want my kids to know that I am their biological father."

Chantel scoffed, her anger rising. "My kids don't need a man like you as their father," she shot back.

Andrew's patience was wearing thin. "You're proving to be stubborn, but mark my words, Henry will be the one to suffer because of your actions. Whatever you're planning, you should stop now."

Before Chantel could respond, he ended the call abruptly. She sat there for a moment, fuming.

"Andrew! Andrew…" she muttered angrily, but he had already hung up.

Henry, now fully awake, turned to her. "Who was that on the phone?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"It was Andrew," Chantel replied, her frustration evident. "He was threatening me. I think we need to act fast and tell the lawyer tomorrow."

Henry nodded, not looking as concerned. "Sure, we'll do that. But let's just go back to sleep and forget about Andrew's empty threats for now."

Chantel didn't argue. She knew he was right, at least for the moment, and they both tried to get some sleep.

Later, Andrew considered calling Lina again. He needed confirmation. When he dialed her number, she was awake this time, having risen from her bed to avoid waking her fellow maids. She stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her before answering the phone.

"Sir Andrew! Why are you calling me at this hour?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Andrew replied, his tone soft but insistent. "I just need to confirm something."

Lina listened closely as he continued. "Is anyone else aware of the recording?"

"No, sir. Not yet. But they're planning to tell their lawyer tomorrow," she answered, her voice shaky.

Andrew sighed in relief, but there was still a problem. "Is that all?" he pressed.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

Andrew thought for a moment before asking, "What time should I expect you for your money?"

Lina's voice betrayed her frustration as she answered. "When will I get my cash, sir?"

Andrew's response was quick and decisive. "When you bring me the two recorders."

Lina was furious. "What?! That wasn't our agreement!"

Andrew remained calm. "Yes, I know. But I've changed my mind. The information you gave me was too simple. If you can get me both recorders, I promise the money will be ready that same day."

Lina didn't hide her anger. "So now you realize that?"

"Yes," Andrew said, his tone now final. "I'll speak to you tomorrow."

He hung up before she could say anything more.

Claire's phone rang, breaking the silence of the night. She glanced at the caller ID and saw Andrew's name. A small smile crept across her face as she wondered what he wanted. Surely, he was calling to stop her from gaining a share in his company. She picked up the phone, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why are you calling at this time? Don't you have manners? I know why you're calling—you want to stop me from getting a share in your company. But that won't work."

"Just shut up," Andrew snapped, his patience clearly running out. "That's not why I called."

"Then why did you call?" Claire demanded.

Andrew's voice was tense, almost strained. "Chantel and Henry have recordings of our voices confessing the truth. They're planning to use it in court."

Claire froze, her mind racing. "What? How could that happen?"

"I don't know," Andrew replied, his voice tight with frustration. "I just wanted to let you know."

Claire's grip on the phone tightened as she tried to process the news. "What do we do now?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"I'll think of something," Andrew said, his voice cold. "I just needed you to know."

With that, he ended the call, leaving Claire alone with her thoughts. She stood up from the bed, unable to shake the feeling of dread that had settled in her chest. Sleep was the last thing on her mind now.