Chapter 210
210:
With a thoughtful expression, Ernst led Rosie toward the surveillance room, determined to personally review the footage and uncover any potential bribes to the security staff at home.
The Harper family’s surveillance system was carefully designed to monitor only communal areas such as the living room and kitchen. More private spaces—bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, and showers—were deliberately left off the grid to preserve the family’s privacy.
Aware of the situation involving Rosie’s ruined clothes, Darrell Vazquez, the security guard, began to suspect someone had manipulated the footage. He was already reviewing the afternoon’s recordings when Ernst and Rosie entered the room. Darrell had gone over the tapes multiple times but had found nothing suspicious.
“I’ve gone over the footage from the afternoon, but there’s nothing unusual,” Darrell said, his voice calm but tinged with frustration.
He then brought up a clip showing Brenna leaving her room earlier that afternoon and pointed to the screen. “Here, you can see Miss Brenna Harper leaving just after noon. Ten minutes later, Miss Rosie Harper left as well.”
Darrell fast-forwarded the footage, scanning for any other signs of activity. For the next thirty minutes, the screen showed no movement. No one entered or exited any of the rooms during that time.
Then, Darrell scrolled further. “At five o’clock, Julia comes upstairs with freshly laundered sheets and a summer quilt. She enters Miss Brenna Harper’s room. Half an hour later, she comes out carrying a trash bag with the replaced bedding as well as two dirty garments.” Shortly after, Dalton was seen coming downstairs, passing the third-floor corner with his usual confident stride. Not long after that, Rachael entered Rosie’s room and left within ten minutes.
Darrell, still focused on the footage, said, “From the moment Miss Rosie Harper left until her return, the only person to enter her room was Rachael.”
M𝒪rє 𝒸ontєnt 𝓃𝒾𝓌: g𝒶l𝑛ovєls.𝓬○𝓶
Ernst stood still, his gaze fixed on the screen as he sifted through the recorded footage once again. His brow furrowed in concentration. He had gone over it meticulously, ensuring every second was accounted for. Yet everything seemed perfectly normal—no glitches, no sudden cuts, and certainly no sign of tampering.
Rosie, however, was far from satisfied. Her voice sharpened as she turned to Darrell, her tone laced with accusation. “Are you telling me you sat in this room all afternoon without taking a single break? Didn’t you leave to use the restroom or get some water? I find it hard to believe you didn’t step away once. If there’s any—”
“If there was any chance the footage was tampered with, it would have been during those moments.” Darrell stiffened at her words, a rush of frustration and defensiveness building within him. He felt unjustly cornered. The harshness of the wealthy was often not subtle, and it cut deeply.
But he held back his irritation, knowing that confronting Rosie was not an option. Instead, he answered in a low voice, “Miss Harper, I did step away briefly—twice, to use the restroom and get some water. But I returned quickly both times, and no one entered the room during those moments.”
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