Whoever it was...
they didn't come closer.
But she could hear their deep, steady breathing.
A rustle—then the sharp click of a lighter.
The scent of wine drifted through the damp air.
Footsteps again.
And then—a man's voice.
_"What do we do with him? He's overstepped his bounds."
+...
_"If he keeps acting like this, he's going to think he can do whatever the hell he wants."
+...
_Matthew?
+Shh.
Then—silence.
Only the rain, now falling harder than before, filled the void between words.
+"Find someone who can get into his files. Hack them, bribe them, I don't care. I want those files by tomorrow night.
If he starts dragging his feet, drown him. He doesn't look like the type that puts up much of a fight."
Her breath caught.
Were they talking about killing someone?
Her heart skipped—then pounded—then skipped again.
She was so scared she wished she could melt into the wall behind her.
What if they realized she was there?
She could say she'd just arrived.
She could pretend she hadn't heard anything.
Or better—pretend she was asleep.
Yes. That was it.
Just sit still and stay quiet until they were gone.
_"Consider it done."
_"I'm sorry—I know I shouldn't have let it drag on this long. It wasn't that serious—"
_"You heading back to the mansion?"
+"Yeah. It's been a while since I—"
The sentence never finished.
A loud, jarring bang crashed against the door behind her.
It was over.
They knew she was there.