CHAPTER 8 – The Warning Under the Skin
Lucas didn’t sleep that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the numbers again—clean rows of missing inventory, repeated signatures, the same authorization code.
Trent’s code.
But something didn’t feel complete.
Criminal patterns were usually messy. This was… too smooth.
Too consistent.
Like someone wanted it to be found.
At dawn, Lucas returned to the estate before anyone called him.
The gates opened without question.
That alone made him uneasy.
Inside, the house felt different. Quieter in a way that wasn’t peaceful.
It felt watched.
He found Trent near the side corridor, checking a tablet.
“You’re early,” Trent said without looking up.
“I didn’t come for permission,” Lucas replied.
That made Trent pause.
Slowly, he lifted his eyes.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Trent stepped closer.
“You should stop digging,” he said quietly.
Lucas held his gaze. “Or what?”
A faint smile appeared—cold, controlled.
“Or you’ll end up believing the wrong story.”
Before Lucas could respond, a door opened behind them.
Mrs. Hayes.
Her eyes moved between them instantly.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
Neither answered right away.
And in that silence, Lucas realized something uncomfortable:
May you like
Trent wasn’t afraid of being exposed.
He was waiting for something to happen.
