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The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 17: The Letter in the Fire
The rain had stopped, but the storm inside Gregory hadn’t.He stood at the edge of the lighthouse balcony, his arm freshly bandaged, watching the waves crash below. The wind whipped through his hair, but his thoughts were somewhere else—buried in a time he barely remembered.The truth Crane had revealed played on repeat in his head.They didn’t just hide you. They stole you.He couldn’t sleep. Could barely breathe. Every memory of childhood now felt tainted. Every moment with “Mr. Caldwell” dripped with a new layer of poison.Behind him, the old wooden door creaked open.Amelia stepped out, her expression soft.“I thought you might jump,” she said, trying to keep it light.He gave a humorless laugh. “And miss the look on Jasper’s face when I take everything from him? Not a chance.”She walked over slowly, hands in her coat pockets. “Crane found something else.”Gregory turned.She pulled out a thin envelope—aged, yellowing at the corners.“It was buried in the last batch of files,” sh
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 16: The Devil’s Deal
The world blurred around Gregory as the boat sped through the dark waters. The gunshot wound throbbed in time with the pounding of his heart, each beat a fresh jolt of agony.Amelia pressed a wad of torn cloth against his bleeding shoulder, her hands slick with his blood."Stay with me!" she shouted over the roar of the engine and the crash of the waves.Gregory gritted his teeth and forced his eyes open. He couldn’t afford to pass out. Not now. Not when they were so close.Crane steered the boat with deadly focus, glancing back every few seconds."We can't go back to the mainland," he barked. "They’ll have every port locked down within the hour.""Then where?" Amelia demanded.Crane's jaw tightened. "We hide deeper."They reached a forgotten cove miles away from the city, hidden by jagged cliffs and dense fog. An old smuggler’s cave—abandoned, or so Crane claimed.Gregory stumbled off the boat with Amelia’s help, collapsing onto the rocky shore.Blake, already waiting with supplies
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 45: The Cost of a Name
The night was thick with shadows, the only light coming from the headlights of the approaching vehicle. The world felt far too quiet, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the dense forest floor. Gregory’s heart raced in his chest, and the weight of the gun in his hand felt more real than ever. He hadn’t signed up for any of this. He hadn’t asked for a legacy, for a war that seemed to be brewing all around him.But now, as they made their way deeper into the woods, the reality of it hit him harder than before. He wasn’t just Gregory the housekeeper anymore. He wasn’t just a forgotten son. He was someone else—someone tied to a legacy, a company, a father he hadn’t known existed.The man beside him, who had been his guide through this chaos, moved swiftly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. His
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 1: The Stain on the Marble
The marble floors were pristine—shining like the surface of still water—until the mop skidded just a little too far and knocked over the cleaning bucket.A splash of soapy water spread across the foyer.A moment later, thunder.“Idiot!”The shout echoed off the high ceilings of the Rosewell Mansion like a whip crack. Gregory flinched, already dropping to his knees, scrambling to soak the water up with his sleeves before anyone else could see it.Too late.Mr. Rosewell, tall and broad with a jaw clenched so tight it looked carved from granite, stormed into the room in his slippers.“I told you to clean quietly! Now look—look at this mess! This is imported Carrara marble! Do you even know what that is? Of course you don’t.”Gregory kept his eyes down. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”Mr. Rosewell’s voice dropped to a quieter, more dangerous tone. “It never should’ve happened.”Behind him, Gregory could hear the snickers.Here they come.Seth, the eldest son, leaned against the s
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 2: The Whisper in the Dark
Gregory didn’t dare move.He stayed crouched behind the thick curtain, heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. Every breath he took felt like it might betray him.Mr. Rosewell stood by the window for a long moment, watching the darkened garden like it might offer him answers. Then, with a sigh, he turned and left the study, pulling the heavy oak door shut behind him.Silence returned, thick and suffocating.Gregory waited a full minute before slipping out from his hiding spot. His shirt rustled as he adjusted it, the hidden items pressing against his ribs—a baby photo, the hospital wristband, and the old tag with only his first name.The man he worked for—cleaned for, suffered under—was hiding something. No, not something. Everything.He knew.That phone call. Those words.“If that old man dies before he finds the boy…”That boy might be him.Gregory left the study as quietly as he had entered, his mind reeling. The corridor was dark, lit only by the pale blue glow of moonlight f
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 3: The Test of Blood
The mansion smelled different that morning.Not the usual mix of lemon cleaner and cigar smoke, but something tense, sharp—like metal in the air before a storm.Gregory descended the attic stairs as usual, already mentally preparing for the day’s insults. But today felt different. The halls were quiet. Too quiet. No laughter from the brothers. No barking orders from Mr. Rosewell.He stepped into the main foyer—and froze.Every member of the Rosewell family stood there.All five children.Mr. Rosewell in a sharp charcoal suit.And someone new.A man in his early forties. Neat, clinical, like a hospital administrator in disguise. He held a slim black briefcase and had the kind of smile that made Gregory feel like a lab rat.“Ah,” the stranger said. “You must be Gregory.”Gregory instinctively glanced at Mr. Rosewell, who offered nothing but a hard, unreadable stare.“Gregory is the housekeeper,” Mr. Rosewell said coldly. “We found something of interest last night in the attic. Some… ite
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 4: The Trap Is Set
The words from the mysterious caller echoed in Gregory’s mind as he hurried back through the dark streets:“They won’t let you live long enough to claim it.”It wasn’t paranoia if it was true. And everything about the Rosewell family—their sudden interest in DNA, their cruelty, their timing—reeked of something deeper. Something darker.He slipped into the mansion through the back, moving like a shadow. But as soon as he reached the second floor—Click.The hallway lights blazed to life.“Out past curfew?” Seth stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, flanked by his older brother, Marcus.Gregory kept walking.“Not in the mood,” he muttered.Marcus stepped in front of him. “You think just because someone’s sniffing around your past, it makes you special?”Gregory didn’t stop. “No. But it makes you nervous.”Seth's jaw clenched.Marcus grabbed Gregory’s shoulder. “You think you can talk to us like that?”Gregory turned slowly. “You’re not going to hit me. Not until you’re sure I’m
The Housekeeper’s Legacy Chapter 5: Midnight at Dock 14
The wind howled through the derelict shipping yard like a warning.Gregory pulled his hoodie tighter and stepped through the rusted gate of Dock 14, heart thudding with every step. The place looked like something out of a thriller—abandoned crates, broken lights, metal chains swaying in the breeze. Perfect spot for a meeting… or a trap.He checked his phone. 11:58 PM.Two minutes to midnight.He waited in the shadows, scanning every flicker of movement. A cat skittered past. A door creaked open somewhere in the darkness.Then a voice: “Don’t move.”Gregory stiffened.From behind one of the stacked containers stepped a man in a long coat, cap pulled low over his eyes, face mostly obscured by the shadows. But his stance wasn’t threatening—just cautious.“You’re Gregory?” the man asked.“Depends on who’s asking,” Gregory replied.The man stepped closer, pulling out a slim envelope. “I used to be Caldwell’s personal assistant. Name’s Jalen. I left the company when things got… dangerous.
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Chapter 45: The Cost of a Name
The night was thick with shadows, the only light coming from the headlights of the approaching vehicle. The world felt far too quiet, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the dense forest floor. Gregory’s heart raced in his chest, and the weight of the gun in his hand felt more real than ever. He hadn’t signed up for any of this. He hadn’t asked for a legacy, for a war that seemed to be brewing all around him.But now, as they made their way deeper into the woods, the reality of it hit him harder than before. He wasn’t just Gregory the housekeeper anymore. He wasn’t just a forgotten son. He was someone else—someone tied to a legacy, a company, a father he hadn’t known existed.The man beside him, who had been his guide through this chaos, moved swiftly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. His
Chapter 16: The Devil’s Deal
The world blurred around Gregory as the boat sped through the dark waters. The gunshot wound throbbed in time with the pounding of his heart, each beat a fresh jolt of agony.Amelia pressed a wad of torn cloth against his bleeding shoulder, her hands slick with his blood."Stay with me!" she shouted over the roar of the engine and the crash of the waves.Gregory gritted his teeth and forced his eyes open. He couldn’t afford to pass out. Not now. Not when they were so close.Crane steered the boat with deadly focus, glancing back every few seconds."We can't go back to the mainland," he barked. "They’ll have every port locked down within the hour.""Then where?" Amelia demanded.Crane's jaw tightened. "We hide deeper."They reached a forgotten cove miles away from the city, hidden by jagged cliffs and dense fog. An old smuggler’s cave—abandoned, or so Crane claimed.Gregory stumbled off the boat with Amelia’s help, collapsing onto the rocky shore.Blake, already waiting with supplies
Chapter 17: The Letter in the Fire
The rain had stopped, but the storm inside Gregory hadn’t.He stood at the edge of the lighthouse balcony, his arm freshly bandaged, watching the waves crash below. The wind whipped through his hair, but his thoughts were somewhere else—buried in a time he barely remembered.The truth Crane had revealed played on repeat in his head.They didn’t just hide you. They stole you.He couldn’t sleep. Could barely breathe. Every memory of childhood now felt tainted. Every moment with “Mr. Caldwell” dripped with a new layer of poison.Behind him, the old wooden door creaked open.Amelia stepped out, her expression soft.“I thought you might jump,” she said, trying to keep it light.He gave a humorless laugh. “And miss the look on Jasper’s face when I take everything from him? Not a chance.”She walked over slowly, hands in her coat pockets. “Crane found something else.”Gregory turned.She pulled out a thin envelope—aged, yellowing at the corners.“It was buried in the last batch of files,” sh
Chapter 15: Shadows on Black Rock
The safehouse was no longer safe.After the sniper attack, Gregory and Amelia vanished into one of Crane’s backup hideouts—an abandoned train station turned bunker beneath the city. Concrete walls. No windows. Triple firewalls on the network. Silent as a grave.Amelia sat at the far corner, legs pulled to her chest, eyes wide and sleepless.Gregory paced, fists tight. “They tried to kill you.”“No,” Amelia said softly, “they tried to kill you. I was just a witness.”Gregory turned sharply. “Don’t say that like you don’t matter. You do. They know it. That’s why they targeted us both.”Crane emerged from the shadows, holding a tablet. “I traced the shot’s trajectory. The sniper used military-grade equipment. Suppressed barrel. Infrared scope. Whoever it was, they were ex-military—possibly even current.”“Voss has soldiers now?” Gregory asked.Crane nodded grimly. “He has everything.”Blake stepped forward, pulling up a satellite map. He pointed to a speck off the coast—Black Rock Island
Chapter 14: A Warning Shot
The screen went black just as quickly as it had come alive.Jasper stood frozen in the darkened office, fists clenched, face pale.“He hacked us,” he growled. “That bastard hacked us.”Marcus didn’t flinch. He simply sipped his drink, unbothered by the chaos.“Let him play his little games,” Marcus said calmly. “Every flare he lights only makes him more visible. The wolves are already moving.”Jasper turned, furious. “You said this wouldn’t happen! You said he was just a fluke—some ghost with no proof!”“And now he has your face on video,” Marcus said. “Don’t blame me because you left evidence.”Jasper smashed a crystal tumbler against the floor.“This ends now.”Back at the safehouse, Gregory shut the laptop and exhaled. The live feed had been risky—exposing their location even briefly could have tipped off someone watching.But it was necessary.He wanted Jasper to know he wasn’t in control anymore.“That was reckless,” Blake muttered, pacing behind him. “Broadcasting to psychos who
Chapter 13: Betrayal in Blood
Gregory stared at the paused video frame. Jasper Caldwell, smug in his thousand-dollar suit, was shaking hands with Marcus Rosewell.This wasn’t a random meeting.This was an alliance.Jasper—the eldest Caldwell sibling. The one groomed for power. The one who led the charge in humiliating Gregory every chance he got, always reminding him of his “place.”But this… this was bigger.He hadn’t just been a bully.He’d been part of the machinery.“You okay?” Blake asked, stepping into the room, wiping sleep from his eyes.Gregory didn’t answer. He hit play.The video continued, audio crackling.“—make sure the old man doesn’t live long enough to sign anything,” Marcus was saying.“What about the boy?” Jasper asked.“He’s no threat,” Marcus replied. “He’s just a cleaner. No records. No rights. But we’ll eliminate him just in case.”Gregory clenched his jaw.They knew about him even then.Before Caldwell’s death.Before the inheritance.They’d planned everything.“Jasper was in on Caldwell’s
Chapter 12: The Price of Legacy
The rain wouldn’t stop.Thunder growled over the hills as Gregory stared at the file, his face bathed in the pale light of the screen. The data was overwhelming—names, dates, photos, maps. Blackmail dossiers on politicians, secret military deals, stock manipulations that shook entire economies.And Voss was at the center of it all.Blake leaned over his shoulder. “He’s not just some criminal. He’s a damn ghost in the machine.”Gregory’s hands balled into fists. “Caldwell built an empire with rot at its core.”Blake nodded. “And now it’s yours.”Gregory looked at him, voice low. “Not yet. Not until I rip out the disease.”They started by cross-referencing the names in the Orpheus file.One stood out: Senator Lowell Grant.Supposedly clean. Publicly anti-corporate. But the file showed he’d taken over $5 million in covert campaign donations filtered through fake charities—all funneled by Voss.More disturbing, he’d approved legislation that dismantled regulatory walls protecting workers
Chapter 11: The Ghost File
The news hit the media the next morning.“Unidentified Man Sparks Security Alert Outside Caldwell Executive Residence.” “Caldwell Death Triggers Board Emergency Meeting—Marcus Rosewell to Step In as Interim CEO.”They didn’t show Gregory’s face, but Marcus knew exactly who it was. And that meant the hunt had officially begun.Gregory wasn’t hiding anymore. He was daring them to come for him.Back in the safehouse, Gregory and Blake reviewed intel Crane had smuggled out from inside the company servers.There was a folder.Encrypted. Heavily.Labeled “Project Orpheus.”“You think this is the key?” Gregory asked.“I think Caldwell was holding onto this for a reason,” Blake said. “He never mentioned it in any legal files. Not even to Crane.”Gregory stared at the folder.“I want it opened.”Blake grunted. “It’ll take time.”“Then start.”While Blake worked on the decryption, Gregory took the elevator down into the panic room—converted into a personal war room. Walls lined with maps, tim
Chapter 10: The First Target
Gregory sat in the back of the armored SUV, eyes fixed on the passing scenery. The city gave way to woods, then hills, then nothing. He hadn’t spoken since they left Crane’s office.He didn’t trust the silence.And he didn’t trust anyone in the convoy with him—not yet.Crane’s man, a former military operator named Blake, sat beside him. Square jaw, scar on his neck, voice like gravel. The kind of guy who always assumed you were about to get shot.“We’ll be at the safehouse in twenty,” Blake said without looking up from his phone.Gregory barely nodded.His mind was spinning too fast.Caldwell was dead.The board of directors would move fast. They’d try to appoint one of their own, erase his name from the succession line, burn the proof.He didn’t even know what the company really did beyond oil, tech, and politics. He’d been cleaning toilets at the mansion of the man who hated him the most—and now that man’s boss had died naming him as heir to a corporate empire.And there were killer
