Chapter 2: The Woman Who Knew My Wife Was Alive
My father arrived seventeen minutes later.
Richard Reynolds was seventy-one, a retired corporate attorney, and the man who had built the family empire from a small construction company into one of the largest property development businesses in the country.
He rarely raised his voice.
He never needed to.
People moved when he entered a room.
That night, however, he walked onto my terrace and found me standing barefoot beside an open emergency control cabinet, soaked from head to toe.
“What happened?”” he demanded.
I pointed toward the pool.
“There's a woman beneath it.””
Richard glanced at the water.
“Marcus, what are you talking about?””
“There's an underground chamber. Elena is inside.””
His expression barely changed.
Then his eyes moved toward Ava.
“Where did she hear that?””
I stepped forward.
“Don't look at my daughter. Look at me.””
Richard removed his black leather gloves.
“Son, you've had a difficult evening.””
I almost laughed.
“My wife is alive, Dad.””
He stared at me.
For three seconds, he didn't move.
Then he said something that made my entire body go cold.
“That's impossible.””
Not What?
Not Are you sure?
Not even Show me.
Just four words.
That's impossible.
I grabbed his coat.
“How do you know?””
He pulled my hand away.
“Because I know what happened to Elena.””
“You told me she drowned.””
“She did.””
“Then why is there a chamber beneath my pool?””
Richard looked toward the open cabinet.
For the first time in my life, I saw something resembling panic cross his face.
“Who opened that system?””
“I did.””
“Which switch?””
“The emergency release.””
He cursed under his breath.
I stepped closer.
“What have you done?””
Richard glanced toward the guests.
“Everyone needs to leave.””
Daniel approached us.
“Richard, the police and rescue team are on their way. Nobody is leaving until we understand what's happening.””
My father turned toward him.
“This is a private family matter.””
Daniel didn't move.
“Not anymore.””
Richard looked at the screen.
The countdown was still running.
*08:14.*
His jaw tightened.
“Marcus, listen to me carefully. You need to shut down that system.””
“There's a woman inside.””
“There's equipment down there. Nothing more.””
“I saw Elena!””
“You saw a recording.””
“I heard her voice!””
Richard lowered his voice.
“Grief can make a man see what he desperately wants to see.””
I stared at him.
“Then why did you tell me not to open the hatch?””
He said nothing.
I stepped closer.
“Dad, how long have you known?””
Before he could answer, the glass doors opened.
Vanessa walked back onto the terrace.
She had changed.
Her champagne dress was gone.
She was now wearing a black jacket, dark trousers, and flat shoes.
In her hand was a small silver case.
I looked at her.
“Where did you get those clothes?””
She ignored the question.
“Richard, we have a problem.””
My father turned toward her.
“You were supposed to keep him away from the chamber.””
The sentence landed like a gunshot.
Daniel slowly lowered his phone.
I stared at my father.
Then at Vanessa.
“Keep me away?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Richard rubbed his forehead.
“Marcus, this isn't what it looks like.””
“Then tell me what it is.””
My father looked toward the pool.
“The chamber was never supposed to be activated tonight.””
I stepped toward him.
“Why does it exist?””
He hesitated.
Vanessa answered.
“Because your wife wasn't supposed to disappear.””
I felt the ground shift beneath me.
“What?””
Vanessa looked directly into my eyes.
“Fourteen months ago, Elena discovered something she shouldn't have discovered.””
“What did she discover?””
Richard interrupted.
“Enough.””
I turned toward him.
“No. Not this time.””
He pointed at the guests.
“Get everyone out. Now.””
Daniel stepped between us.
“Richard, I strongly advise you to stop giving orders.””
My father looked at him with contempt.
“You're forgetting who pays your firm.””
Daniel's expression didn't change.
“I represent Marcus. Not you.””
A distant siren sounded beyond the front gates.
My father glanced toward the driveway.
Then he turned to Vanessa.
“Get the backup key.””
She opened the silver case.
Inside were two electronic cards and a small black device.
I lunged toward her.
She moved backward.
“Don't touch that!””
I grabbed her wrist.
The black device fell onto the marble.
Ava screamed.
Daniel immediately picked it up.
“What's this?””
Vanessa looked at him.
“Give it back.””
Daniel turned it over.
There was a tiny label on the back.
*CHAMBER PURGE CONTROL.*
I stared at it.
“What does purge mean?””
Richard's face went pale.
Vanessa said nothing.
I grabbed the device from Daniel and looked at the screen.
A single red button was displayed.
*EMERGENCY PURGE — HOLD TO ACTIVATE.*
My father reached for it.
I stepped away.
“Don't.””
“Marcus, give me that.””
“No.””
“You don't understand what you're holding.””
“Then explain it!””
Richard looked toward the pool.
“There's a reason the chamber was sealed.””
I felt my throat tighten.
“What reason?””
He finally answered.
“Elena was dangerous.””
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
My father continued.
“She stole confidential documents from the company. She threatened to destroy everything we'd built. She was going to take Ava and leave the country.””
I shook my head.
“That's a lie.””
“She was unstable.””
“No.””
“She was planning to ruin this family.””
“SHUT UP!””
My voice echoed across the terrace.
Ava started crying.
I immediately turned toward her.
“Sweetheart, go stand with Daniel.””
Daniel gently took her hand.
“Come on, Ava. Let's get somewhere safe.””
She refused to release me.
“Daddy, don't let them take Mommy away again.””
I crouched.
“I won't.””
She leaned closer and whispered something.
“Mommy said the little red light means they're watching us.””
I looked at the control cabinet.
A tiny red light was blinking above the screen.
Then I noticed another camera mounted beneath the terrace roof.
It was pointed directly at the pool.
I looked at Richard.
“Who's watching?””
He didn't answer.
I turned toward Vanessa.
“Who's watching my house?””
She swallowed.
“Marcus…”
“Who's watching?””
She looked toward the camera.
Then she whispered, “Your father.””
Richard suddenly lunged toward the control cabinet.
Daniel grabbed his arm.
They struggled.
The black purge device slipped from my hand and skidded across the marble.
Vanessa dove for it.
I reached it first.
The screen flashed.
*REMOTE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.*
Then a new message appeared.
*PURGE SEQUENCE INITIATED.*
I stared at the screen.
“I didn't press anything!””
Vanessa looked at the display.
Her face went white.
“Someone activated it remotely.””
A mechanical rumble came from beneath the pool.
The water began swirling.
The countdown disappeared.
A new warning appeared.
*CHAMBER PRESSURE CRITICAL.*
I rushed to the pool.
The water was moving toward the deep end.
I could hear something beneath the surface.
A woman's desperate pounding.
Then the voice came again.
“MAR—CUS!””
I grabbed the emergency release handle.
Daniel shouted behind me.
“Marcus, wait! The rescue team is here!””
I didn't wait.
I pulled.
The metal hatch shifted.
A powerful rush of water erupted through the gap.
I fell forward.
And something floated to the surface.
A small plastic bracelet.
Pink.
With a name written across it in faded black ink.
*AVA REYNOLDS.*
I picked it up.
My daughter was standing several feet away.
She looked at the bracelet and began shaking.
“Daddy…”
I turned.
“What's wrong?””
She pointed at the bracelet.
“That isn't mine.””
I stared at her.
“Of course it is, sweetheart.””
Ava shook her head.
“No. Mommy made that bracelet for the other little girl.””
I couldn't move.
“What other little girl?””
Ava looked toward Richard.
Then she whispered:
“Mommy said she had another daughter before me.””
May you like
My father closed his eyes.
And Vanessa began to cry.
