Chapter 7 - THE HOUSEKEEPER'S SECRET
Gabriel stepped defensively in front of Olivia and Lily, ignoring the blood pouring down his arm. Matteo stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, his gun raised but vastly outgunned.
"You can't force me to sign," Gabriel said, his voice strained but defiant. "The board knows we hate each other. They’ll contest a trust transfer made at gunpoint."
"Oh, Gabriel, don't be naive," Elena chuckled, pacing slowly. "They won't see a trust transfer at gunpoint. They will hear a recorded confession."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black remote. She pressed a button.
From the smart speakers hidden in the foyer's vaulted ceiling, a voice began to play.
“My father was weak. I had to do it. The pills were easy to swap. Oak Park was quiet. No one suspected a thing.”
It was Gabriel’s voice.
Olivia gasped.
Gabriel stared in shock. "That's... that's deepfake. AI audio. I never said those words!"
"Of course you didn't," Elena sneered. "But Marcus had months of your voice recorded from the vents. He fed it into a generator. It's flawless. If you don't sign the trust, this audio goes to the police and the board tomorrow morning. You go to prison for patricide, and I take control of Duca Enterprises legally. If you do sign, I let you live in exile, and I erase the file."
Gabriel’s shoulders slumped. He was trapped. The blackmail was perfect.
"Sign it," Elena commanded, stepping forward and tossing a gold pen onto the floor at his feet.
Gabriel slowly reached down.
"Don't do it," Olivia blurted out.
Everyone stopped. Elena’s eyes snapped to the maid in the gray robe.
"Excuse me?" Elena said, her voice dripping with venom. "I suggest you remain silent, little girl."
Olivia didn't cower. The fear that had paralyzed her earlier had burned away, replaced by the fierce, protective clarity of a mother who had almost lost her child.
"The audio is useless," Olivia said loudly. "It won't hold up."
"And why is that?" Elena mocked.
Olivia took a step forward, holding up the photograph she had taken from Mrs. Hess's coat pocket.
"Because I know why Mrs. Hess left," Olivia said, her voice echoing in the grand hall. "Six months ago, she found the first microphone in the dining room. But she didn't tell Gabriel. She investigated herself. She found out you and Marcus were having an affair. She took this photo of you two in St. Barts."
Elena’s confident smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
"But that's not what proves the audio is fake," Olivia continued, her mind racing through the housekeeping logs she memorized daily. "In the audio, the fake Gabriel says the pills were swapped in Oak Park."
Gabriel looked at Olivia, confused. "They were. That's where he died."
"Yes," Olivia said, turning to Gabriel. "But Mr. Duca, your father was allergic to aspirin, wasn't he? It caused a fatal heart reaction."
Gabriel nodded slowly. "Yes."
"The audio says the pills were swapped," Olivia said, turning back to Elena. "But I clean the Oak Park estate during the summers. My mother manages the pharmacy there. Your father didn't take pills, Mr. Duca. He took a liquid suspension for his arthritis. There were no pills to swap."
The silence was deafening.
Elena’s face turned scarlet. She had used an AI to write the script, relying on Marcus's second-hand knowledge of the murder she had orchestrated fifteen years ago. But the AI had used a generic trope—swapping pills.
"The police will look at the medical records," Olivia said boldly. "They will see the discrepancy instantly. The audio is a confirmed forgery."
Elena glared at Olivia with pure hatred. She raised her hand. "Kill them all. We'll forge his signature."
Before the mercenaries could pull their triggers, a massive, black shape slammed into the mercenary on the left.
Nero had circled through the dining room and flanked them.
At the exact same moment, police sirens wailed in the distance. Not one or two. Dozens. The sound pierced the night, growing rapidly louder.
"The silent alarm," Matteo said, a bloody smile spreading across his face. "When you cut the power, you triggered the failsafe to the precinct. I installed it yesterday. Marcus didn't know about it."
Panic flashed in Elena’s eyes. "Retreat! To the cars!"
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But Gabriel was faster. Despite his wound, he lunged forward, tackling Elena to the marble floor, pinning her down as the gold pen skittered away. Matteo incapacitated a second guard, while the remaining two dropped their weapons and ran for the door, only to be met by the flashing red and blue lights cresting the driveway.
It was over.
