Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Butler's Gaze
Daniel’s nervous, erratic behavior was not invisible to everyone in the room.
Arthur Brooks stood near the arched entryway leading to the formal dining room. The old butler had spent forty consecutive years serving the Harper family. Four decades of walking softly, observing silently, and reading the subtle micro-expressions of people without ever needing them to speak a single word.
Arthur’s expression remained perfectly calm, an impenetrable mask of professional stoicism.
But behind his wire-rimmed glasses, his sharp, intelligent eyes quietly narrowed.
He was watching Daniel.
As Daniel aggressively rubbed his arm again, the sleeve of his cashmere sweater rode up just an inch. It was a fraction of a second, but it was enough.
A distinct, pale mark circled Daniel's left wrist.
It was the unmistakable, un-tanned outline left behind by a heavy wristwatch that had been worn every single day for years.
Today, that wrist was entirely bare.
Arthur’s mind worked with the precision of a steel trap. He distinctly remembered polishing that exact watch only three days earlier. It was a limited-edition, platinum Patek Philippe. A graduation gift from his late father that Daniel had proudly, loudly claimed he would never, ever part with.
Now, the watch had vanished. Disappeared into thin air, exactly like Evelyn’s priceless heirloom jewelry.
Interesting.
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Very, very interesting.
Arthur didn't move. He didn't interrupt the screaming match. He simply stood in the shadows, his mind rapidly connecting the invisible dots that Evelyn’s blinding rage prevented her from seeing.
