tires crunching gently on scattered pebbles. Rose sat stif

she wasn't supposed to play, and the weird message that s

aphed. Propped agai

ent it? A

legantly dressed, and enigmatic. His profile was as stringent as

fury boiling behind

came to a stop in front of the house. Rose followed, the win

eeted them with a t

ius responded angrily

scended the huge staircase, the

heir flats, Julius stood in front of her,

eat skippe

phone,

itated.

nauthorized communication from an encrypte

er clutch. "It was a snapshot of m

restricted vault. Nobody should have had access. If

n't tru

," he replied. "And t

ched. "J

r ph

ked the screen using the password he had forced her to divulge before they married a

ession d

estate. "The timing suggests that i

here someone

rjected. "And that

every employee questioned. Security footage was evaluat

. "It could've been a harmless gesture ma

cold. "You do not make excuses

"This isn't just y

filled the passageway. H

iage. You committed to my rules, which include ultimate contr

reputation,"

in the walls, you're wasting your time." You gave up the violin. You've given up your n

your pr

ed. "You're someone I gave a choice t

ad struck her. "I did it f

" Julius replied. "A

nd strode away, the heavy thud of his shoes

en. The picture has been deleted. Julius had seen to it. But she couldn't resist the

ing room and lifted the fallboard. H

usic

the lid

couldn't put into words, perh

ng followed an

ent, calm as usual. "Mr. Pitts req

r center, typically utilized for announcements o

he didn't recognize, a tech specialist, a harsh woman in a gray suit,

his?" Rose

d. "Security protocols were breach

tomach t

"Mrs. Pitts, did you give your

N

one outside your husban

exander T," she confesse

?" Julius

." He stated there is a mus

his jaw but did

e security stream from the music vault. At 10:32 p.m., someon

ath caught

"She was supposed to remain on kitchen dut

has never had acce

ngerprint," Juliu

ha

in the music lounge two nights ago. Se

not po

d forward. "We've suspended

dn't," Ro

And if she acted on someone else's

'm working a

oft, Rose. You give them the benefit of the doubt. This mak

arry me?" S

tly. "Because I wanted someone who could embody t

"You don't even pre

"Respect is earned. Not

the others. Thank

ed out o

ozen in place. "

he added bluntly. "I'

iked

ke everyone here. "You

without sayin

r the east wing. The air was perfumed with garden

eady. I missed Harri

ssed h

kness. Bernard Metzler. He carr

the violin," he

ng here?" she rep

thing. "You s

ned th

e had a se

vault. The backup. The one she fe

for it with

w..

marked with a shrug. "And you're going to

him, her heart

ust say..." Julius isn't the

her stolen violin and an offer of col

rcussions can be far worse than disobeyi