Chapter 6 - The Waking Witness
By 4:30 in the morning, the rain outside Hallowmere Manor had turned into a gentle, misting fog.
The lockdown was officially lifted. The rogue security guards hired by Victor Vance were disarmed and removed from the property, while loyal team members reinforced the perimeter.
In Roman’s private ground-floor study, Sebastian Crane lay on a plush leather sofa, a warm blanket covering his chest, an IV drip running into his arm administered by the family’s private physician.
His eyes flickered open.
Roman sat in a leather armchair beside the sofa, drinking black coffee. Eva stood nearby, setting a tray of warm broth and water on the side table.
“Roman...” Sebastian croaked, his throat raw and dry.
Roman immediately set his coffee down and leaned forward. “Don't try to stand, Sebastian. You’re safe. Marcus and Victor are in custody.”
Sebastian let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief, tears welling in his tired, bloodshot eyes.
“I tried to get to you, Roman,” Sebastian whispered, grabbing Roman’s sleeve with a weak, trembling hand. “Three days ago, I found out Victor was tampering with the perimeter security logs. When I confronted him in the north wing, he struck me from behind.”
“How did you get into the wall behind the vault?” Eva asked softly, stepping closer.
Sebastian looked at Eva, his eyes softening. “There is an old maintenance crawlspace... used for steam pipes in the nineties. Victor locked me inside, planning to let me suffocate. But I found a loose brick near the back panel of the panic room. I used my shoe to pound against the steel casing.”
He gripped Roman’s hand tightly.
“I knew if anyone in this house was still listening... it would be you.”
“It wasn't me who heard you, Sebastian,” Roman said, looking up at Eva with a warm, unspoken devotion glowing in his eyes. “It was Miss Quinn.”
Sebastian turned his head toward Eva, studying her face with deep, quiet gratitude.
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“You have sharp ears, child,” the old lawyer murmured. “And a brave heart.”
“Now rest, Sebastian,” Roman instructed gently, patting the older man’s shoulder. “The firm is secure. The evidence has been recovered. Tomorrow, we clean the house for good.”
