Chapter 15 - The Night Griffin Castellano Disappeared
Everything happened within seconds.
Marco moved toward Ethan and Elena.
Vincent called for the planned extraction.
Security alarms sounded somewhere beyond the drawing room.
Then Whitmore's private guards entered from the side corridor.
One grabbed Adrian.
Another blocked Griffin's path.
"Nobody leaves," Whitmore said.
I stared at him.
"You confessed."
His expression hardened.
"I acknowledged that your father made unfortunate decisions."
"You admitted he was silenced."
"Interpretation, Grace. A lawyer should know the difference."
I held his gaze.
"Yes. And I know the difference between an explanation and an admission against interest."
Outside, police sirens sounded in the distance.
Whitmore looked toward the windows.
For the first time, fear appeared on his face.
Griffin moved beside me.
"Grace. Stay with Marco."
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure Charles doesn't escape."
"No."
He looked at me.
"Trust me."
I grabbed his hand.
"Don't disappear."
His expression softened.
"I'll come back."
Then he turned toward the side corridor.
Adrian followed, shouting something at Whitmore.
The next moments became a blur.
Marco guided us through the rear entrance.
Ethan stumbled into Sarah's arms outside.
Elena was helped into an emergency vehicle.
Federal agents moved toward the mansion.
I searched the crowd for Griffin.
He wasn't there.
"Where is he?"
Marco looked toward the building.
"He went after Whitmore."
"Then go get him!"
"Agents are securing the property."
A sudden crash echoed from inside.
I tried to run toward the entrance.
Marco caught my arm.
"Grace, no!"
I struggled.
"He's still in there!"
"I know!"
Then smoke began rising from the estate's western wing.
Fire alarms sounded.
Emergency crews arrived.
For nearly an hour, I stood behind a police barrier, watching strangers hurry in and out of the building.
Adrian was eventually escorted outside in custody.
Whitmore was found near the service entrance and detained.
But Griffin never appeared.
At 9:43 p.m., Naomi approached.
Her expression made my stomach twist.
"Grace."
"No."
"We're still searching."
"No."
She gently touched my shoulder.
"One of the basement access corridors partially collapsed during the fire."
I stared at her.
"He's alive."
"We don't know his condition."
"He's alive," I repeated.
Naomi didn't contradict me.
They searched through the night.
At two in the morning, rescuers found Griffin's coat near a damaged basement staircase.
His phone lay beside it.
The screen was shattered.
There was no sign of him.
I refused to leave.
Marco sat beside me on the steps of an emergency vehicle.
For the first time since I'd met him, he looked old.
"Griffin promised he'd come back," I whispered.
Marco stared at the snow.
"He doesn't make promises lightly."
I wrapped my arms around myself.
Hours passed.
Eventually, the sun began rising behind the trees.
Naomi approached again.
This time, she carried a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a small piece of paper.
"Search teams found this in Griffin's coat."
I took it with trembling hands.
There were only three words.
Written in Griffin's handwriting.
FIND THE HARBOR.
I looked at Marco.
His entire expression changed.
"What harbor?" I demanded.
He didn't answer.
"Marco."
He closed his eyes.
Then he said, "The place where Thomas Castellano died."
I stared at the message.
Griffin hadn't simply disappeared.
He had discovered something inside that mansion.
May you like
Something important enough to lead him back to the night his father was killed.
And suddenly, I knew our story wasn't over.
