Chapter 12 - NOAH’S CONFESSIONNoah entered the passenger side and ordered Ethan to continue driving.
He held no weapon.
Blood marked the side of his face, but the injury appeared minor.
“You called me from the lighthouse,” Ethan said.
“Yes.”
“Then you helped take Sophie.”
“No.”
Noah looked toward the mansion ahead.
“I came here to stop them.”
“You gave Richard access to Anna’s car.”
“I gave him access to the diagnostic system.”
“Why?”
“He told me he was investigating whether Anna was secretly selling company information.”
“You believed him?”
“I owed him money.”
Noah’s voice was filled with shame.
“He covered my gambling debts.”
“Then he owned you.”
“At first, he asked for passwords.”
“Later, he asked for access schedules.”
“By the time I understood, Anna was dead.”
Ethan wanted to drag him from the car.
But Sophie was inside the estate.
He needed every piece of information Noah possessed.
“What happened to Anna’s car?”
“Richard installed a remote device.”
“Celeste followed Anna that night.”
“Richard sent a signal when she reached the coastal road.”
“What did the signal do?”
“It disabled the stability system and activated the brakes unevenly.”
Ethan’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Anna had not lost control.
Richard had taken it from her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“They had recordings of me giving Richard access.”
“I would have gone to prison.”
“So you protected yourself.”
“Yes.”
Noah did not attempt to excuse it.
“I have lived with that every day.”
“Where is Sophie?”
“Second floor, east bedroom.”
“Celeste is with her.”
“Richard and Stern are in the library preparing the transfer.”
“How many guards?”
“Four.”
“Two are loyal to Richard.”
“The other two are private contractors who think they are protecting a legal custody exchange.”
Noah removed a small device from his pocket.
“This controls the estate cameras.”
“I can loop the hallway feed for four minutes.”
“Why help now?”
Noah looked at him.
“Because Richard ordered me to make Sophie disappear after the signing.”
Ethan felt cold despite the heated car.
“Disappear where?”
“He arranged a boat.”
“There is no boarding school.”
“There never was.”
Ethan stopped the car near the entrance.
The transmitter beneath his shirt vibrated once.
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Detective Bennett had heard everything.
The rescue operation had just become a murder-prevention mission.
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