Chapter 3:The Big House
1350 Words
Kae spent the night hiding in her bathroom with the lights off, afraid to sleep. The strange text message kept playing in her mind: DON'T GO TO THE HAMPTONS. Trust no one. They're watching your room right now.
But when morning came, she made her choice. If she wanted to find out what happened to Sage, she needed to go where Sage had been. Even if it was dangerous.
She packed her small suitcase with shaking hands—a few worn clothes, her most important painting tools, and Sage's letter. She didn't own much worth taking.
At exactly nine o'clock, her phone rang.
"There's a car waiting for you downstairs," Beckett said without saying hello. "My driver will bring you to the estate."
"How did you get my number?" Kae asked.
"Sage had it." His voice softened slightly. "Please hurry, Kalliope. It's not safe for you to be alone."
The black car waiting outside was longer than any car Kae had ever been in. The driver, a serious guy named James, took her bag without a word.
As they drove away, Kae looked back at her apartment building. Would she ever see it again? She felt a strange mix of fear and freedom. After years of fighting to pay rent, she was suddenly on her way to a billionaire's beach house. If only Sage were alive to see it.
"Was my sister afraid?" Kae asked the driver suddenly. "Before she died?"
James's eyes met hers in the mirror. "Miss Sage was the bravest person I knew," he said. "But yes, at the end, she was afraid."
The drive to the Hamptons took nearly two hours. Kae watched as the crowded city gave way to green trees and finally to hints of blue ocean. They turned down a long, private road with tall gates that opened as they neared.
"Is that it?" Kae gasped as the house came into view.
"House" was the wrong word. It was a massive white house with wide windows that sparkled in the sun. It stood on a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by perfect green fields and colorful gardens. It looked like something from a movie, not a real place where people lived.
James parked in front of huge double doors made of dark wood and glass. "Welcome to Vaughn Estate, Miss Reyes."
Beckett was waiting in the huge entrance hall, which had a floor made of shiny white marble and a crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.
"Kalliope," he said, stepping forward. "Thank you for coming."
Kae suddenly felt very aware of her paint-stained pants and scuffed boots. She didn't belong in a place like this.
"I'm not here for you," she said firmly. "I'm here for Sage. I want to know what she found that got her killed."
Beckett's face tightened. "All in good time. First, let me show you to your room. You must be tired."
A woman appeared beside them—Margaret Wilson, the kind lady from the funeral.
"Margaret will help you get settled," Beckett explained. "She's been with our family for many years."
"Your family," Kae amended. "Not mine."
Margaret led Kae up a wide staircase to the second floor. The hallway seemed to go on forever, with doors on both sides.
"How big is this place?" Kae asked, stunned.
"Twelve bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, three kitchens, a library, a music room, a gym, an indoor pool, and an art studio," Margaret noted. "Mr. Vaughn added the studio when Sage mentioned you were an artist."
Kae stopped walking. "He built me an art studio? When?"
"After the funeral. He wanted you to feel at home here."
This information confused Kae. Why would Beckett care about her art?
Margaret opened a door at the end of the hall. "This was Sage's room. Mr. Vaughn thought you might prefer it."
Kae stepped inside and gasped. The room was bigger than her entire apartment, with a huge bed covered in fluffy white blankets, a living area with soft chairs, and windows that looked out over the ocean. But what caught her eye were the photographs on the wall—pictures of Sage from the past three years. Sage on this very beach. Sage in an office beside Beckett.Sage smiling at fields and parties.
She looked happy.
"I don't understand," Kae whispered, touching one of the pictures. "If she was happy here, why did she warn me to run?"
Margaret closed the door carefully. "Your sister found something in the weeks before she died. Something that changed everything."
"What?" Kae wanted.
"I don't know exactly," Margaret revealed. "But it involved Sebastian Wellesley and his son Orion. Sage became very private, even with me."
A knock at the door stopped them. Caspian stood there, his dark hair damp as if he'd just showered.
"Mr. Vaughn wants you both to join him for lunch on the terrace," he said, his green eyes studying Kae. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," Kae lied. "Just trying to make sense of all this."
"It's a lot to take in," Caspian agreed. Then, dropping his voice, "Did you get my message last night?"
Kae's heart skipped. "That was you?"
He nodded slightly. "We need to talk, but not here. Meet me in the library at midnight."
Before Kae could answer, Margaret was leading them downstairs and through the gleaming house to a stone terrace overlooking the ocean. A table was set with more food than Kae had seen in months—fresh bread, bright salads, seafood, and fruit.
Beckett stood as they approached. "I hope you like your room. Sage helped design it."
"Why didn't you tell me about Sage three years ago?" Kae asked, dismissing his question. "You knew she was my sister."
"She asked me not to," Beckett answered, looking pained. "She wanted to protect you."
"From what?" Kae pressed.
Beckett exchanged a look with Caspian. "From the same people who killed your mother."
The comment hit Kae like a physical blow. "Mom died of cancer."
"That's what you were told," Beckett said gently. "The truth is more complicated."
Before he could explain, a sleek silver car pulled up the driveway. A tall blonde guy stepped out—Orion Wellesley from the funeral.
"We have company," Beckett muttered, his face darkening. "Not a word about Sage's investigation, understand?"
Orion approached with a sparkling smile that didn't reach his cold blue eyes. "So this is the long-lost daughter I've heard about," he said, looking Kae up and down like she was something for sale. "The resemblance to Sage is striking."
"Orion," Beckett said stiffly. "This is unexpected."
"Father sent me to deliver the contracts personally," Orion replied, still staring at Kae. "And to meet the newest Vaughn, of course."
"I'm not a Vaughn," Kae said definitely. "I'm a Reyes."
Orion laughed. "Fierce, like your sister. I liked that about her."
Something in his tone made Kae's skin crawl. She glanced at Caspian and saw his jaw tighten.
"Perhaps we should discuss business inside," Beckett suggested, standing.
As the guys walked away, Margaret leaned close to Kae. "Be careful around Orion. Sage was afraid of him."
Later that night, Kae crept down the dark hallway toward the library, determined to meet Caspian and learn the truth. As she passed a slightly open door, she heard voices—Beckett and Orion.
"The arrangement stands," Beckett was saying. "She doesn't need to know yet."
"And if she refuses?" Orion asked.
"She won't have a choice," Beckett answered coldly. "Neither of us do."
Kae's heart beat. What arrangement? What choice?
She continued to the library and found Caspian waiting, his face grim in the moonlight coming through the windows.
"Sage left something for you," he said without welcome, holding out a small flash drive. "She made me promise to give it to you if anything happened to her. But you have to be careful—what's on here got your sister killed."
As Kae reached for the drive, the library door swung open.Orion stood there, a cruel smile on his beautiful face.
"Well, well," he said. "What have we here?"
- Writer
