Chapter 5 - The Blueprint of Betrayal
Emily barely slept after returning from the warehouse. The blueprint remained hidden beneath her mattress. Every instinct told her to destroy it. Instead, she folded it carefully and whispered to herself: "Not yet." If someone inside the estate was planning to enter Alessandro's private office, the blueprint might be the only proof she would ever have.
The following morning, the Romano estate was unusually busy. Luxury vehicles rolled through the front gates one after another. Lawyers, business partners, senior managers—everyone had arrived to discuss the financial crisis, or at least that was what they believed. The servants hurried through the hallways carrying coffee trays and stacks of documents. Emily tried to act as though nothing had happened. She avoided Victor. She avoided Victoria. She even avoided looking toward Alessandro's office, but someone had already begun watching her. She didn't know it, yet Victor did.
Just before noon, Emily was polishing the grand staircase when the head butler approached. "Emily?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mr. Romano wants every employee in the main hall immediately."
Her stomach tightened. Every employee? That had never happened before. Within minutes, more than 40 staff members stood silently beneath the enormous crystal chandelier: housekeepers, gardeners, drivers, security guards, chefs, everyone.
At the front of the room stood Alessandro Romano. Beside him, Victor and Victoria. Neither of them looked surprised, almost as though they had expected this gathering all along.
Alessandro spoke first. "Someone entered a restricted area of the estate last night."
A wave of whispers spread across the room.
"My private office was also accessed this morning."
The whispers stopped instantly. "My security team believes confidential documents were targeted."
Emily felt her heartbeat quicken. She had never gone anywhere near his office. Victor slowly stepped forward. "Fortunately," he said calmly, "we've already narrowed down the suspect."
His eyes settled on Emily. So did everyone else's.
Emily stared at him. "What?"
Victor's voice remained gentle. "Would you please step forward?"
Her legs suddenly felt heavy. "I—I don't understand."
"I'm sure you don't." He smiled. "But unfortunately, we found evidence."
Two security guards approached. One of them held a sealed evidence bag. Inside was the blueprint Emily had hidden beneath her mattress. Her face went completely white.
"No," she whispered. "That's impossible."
Victor looked almost sympathetic. "This blueprint was recovered during a routine inspection of your room."
Emily shook her head violently. "No, no, it wasn't. I hid—" She stopped herself.
"Too late," Victor tilted his head. "You hid it."
The room erupted into murmurs. Emily immediately realized her mistake. She had just admitted the blueprint had been in her possession.
"I found it," she said desperately. "I didn't steal it."
"Where?" Victor asked.
Emily hesitated. If she mentioned the warehouse, she would have to explain why she had secretly followed him. No one would believe her, especially without proof. Victor waited patiently. "Well?"
Emily looked toward Alessandro. Their eyes met. She searched his face for even the smallest sign that she trusted her. She found nothing, only silence.
Victoria folded her arms. "I knew something was wrong with her. She was always lurking around, always listening. I told you weeks ago she couldn't be trusted."
Several employees nodded. Others avoided looking at Emily altogether. No one defended her, not even the people she had worked beside every day.
Victor slowly removed another item from his briefcase—a silver master key. The same key used to access Mr. Romano's private office. Emily stared at it in disbelief.
"I've never seen that key before."
"It was discovered inside your cleaning cart."
The room exploded with shocked voices. Emily felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her feet. Someone had planted everything: the blueprint, the key, every piece of evidence. She wasn't being accused by accident. She was being eliminated.
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Victor took one final step forward. "Mr. Romano," his voice was calm, "I recommend dismissing her immediately before any more confidential information disappears."
Silence filled the hall. Every eye turned toward Alessandro. Emily wanted to speak, to beg, to explain, but the words refused to come, because, for the first time since entering the Romano estate, she understood exactly how powerless she really was. And somewhere behind the crowd, Victor smiled. Not the polite smile everyone else knew. A different one: small, cold, victorious. Emily realized then she had never been the target because she was guilty. She had become the target because she had gotten too close to the truth.
