Chapter 3 - The Hidden Lens Upstairs
The tablet screen displayed a wide-angle view of the master bedroom, focusing specifically on the walk-in closet door at the far end of the room. The door was ajar by a few inches, and a thin sliver of light spilled out onto the hardwood floor. Marcus stared at the monitor, his pupils dilating as he recognized the angle. The camera was mounted high in the corner near the crown molding, completely hidden from normal sight.
"What is this?" Marcus asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that commanded absolute silence in the dining room. He turned the screen toward Elena, the blue light catching the cold sweat beading on her forehead. "You have a camera hidden in our bedroom? Streaming to a tablet you keep downstairs?"
Elena crossed her arms tightly over her dark blue top, her jaw set in stubborn defiance. She refused to look at the screen, keeping her gaze fixed on the wall just past Marcus’s shoulder.
"Security," she said, her voice tight and clipped. "There have been break-ins reported three streets over. I wanted to monitor all entry points, inside and out."
"Our bedroom is an entry point?" Marcus challenged, taking a step toward her. The anger that had been simmering in his chest was now boiling over into a fierce, protective rage. "Since when do we need interior surveillance in the one place in this house where we are supposed to be safe and private? Who else has access to this feed, Elena?"
Leo slid quietly out of his chair, his light blue button-down shirt unwrinkled as he crept toward the hallway. Marcus caught movement out of the corner of his eye and snapped his head around.
"Leo, stay at the table," Marcus commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The seven-year-old boy stopped instantly, turning back with that same eerie, emotionless stare. "Mommy lets me watch the bedroom feed sometimes," Leo said innocently, dropping a bomb that shattered the remaining fragments of marital trust. "To make sure nobody sneaks in."
Elena’s face drained of what little color it had left. She shot a sharp, warning glare at her son, a micro-expression of pure panic flashing across her features before she locked her features back into place.
"Leo, go to your room right now," Elena ordered, her voice trembling slightly.
"No," Marcus intervened, stepping directly between his wife and their son. He knelt down to Maya’s eye level, gently pulling her small hands away from his leg. "Maya, sweetie, look at me."
The little girl sniffled, her big, tear-filled eyes meeting his.
"Did Mommy lock you in your room, too?" Marcus asked gently.
Maya nodded slowly, a fresh tear spilling over her dark lashes.
Marcus stood up, his eyes burning as he looked back at Elena. He raised the tablet, tapping the screen to bring up a file folder labeled with a string of encrypted numbers.
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"You aren't just monitoring the house, Elena," Marcus said, his voice shaking. "What else are you hiding on this device?"
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