CHAPTER 062
OLIVIA’S POV
“Well, how am I meant to know? I’m just now figuring it out too–I’m equally as curious,” I said, pacing back and forth in the kitchen, my nerves on edge.
What I saw last night disturbed me. I couldn’t shake it, not even for a second. That file
it was labeled Murderer. Why would anyone label something like that so plainly? And what made it worse–what made my skin crawl–was that it had my parents‘ names
on it.
I kept replaying the scene in my head over and over again. If only I had more time. Why does he always show up at the worst possible moment? It’s almost like he knows exactly when I’m about to make a move–like he’s watching me, waiting to ruin every plan I come up with.
I told Julian everything–every single thing I saw. And now we were stuck. Adrian wasn‘ t home today, which should’ve been good news, but of course, he had to go and lock his library. Since when did he start doing that?
That library held his laptop, and that laptop was my only way to confirm what I saw. It had to be in there–the file, the evidence.
“Are you sure it was your parents‘ names you saw?” Julian’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
“Yes, I know their names, first and last. It was exactly what I saw–clear as day,” I replied, my voice low but firm.
“Okay, so what’s your plan for getting more info on this?” he asked, sounding way
calmer than I felt.
I stopped pacing and let out a shaky sigh. My hand went to my forehead, trying to stop the pounding inside my skull. “Honestly, I don’t know. He locked the library and you know that’s where he keeps his laptop. Without it, I’ve got nothing.”
“We’re gonna have to find a way around that problem,” Julian said, his voice taking on a serious tone. “We need to get not just the information about your parents, but also everything about the people he paid to frame you. If it’s all locked in there, then there’s a chance you’re not leaving that house.”
The weight of his words dropped on my shoulders like bricks.
I
“Okay, then do you have any idea how? Because I certainly don’t,” I said, throwing my hands up.
Successfully unlocked, be one of the maids knows
“Does he leave the key somewhe……. where he hides them?” Julian suggested.
“No, he wouldn’t do that,” I said quickly. “I’m sure of it. He’s way too careful for that.”
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CHAPTER 062
“Alright, then we move on to plan B. Do you know how to pick locks?” he asked.
“No! Why would I ever learn that?” I shot back, staring at the phone like he’d just suggested I rob a bank.
“Well, it comes in handy in situations like the one you’re in right now,” he replied, annoyingly calm.
“Okay, so now that you know I don’t, what do we do?” I asked, arms crossed.
“Relax. All you need is a little guidance. Picking locks isn’t as hard as everyone thinks it
is.”
Guidance? Was he really suggesting I pick Adrian’s lock? That had to be the worst idea ever. That’s breaking and entering. Literally. What would my child think of me if they ever heard I did something like this? Jeez.
“I’m not doing it,” I said, standing my ground.
“Liv, this isn’t the time to be stubborn,” Julian said, voice low and serious. “We need that information, and now’s the best chance–we don’t know how long he’ll be gone.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. If I wanted out, if I wanted answers, this might be the only shot I had. I let out a long, slow breath.
“Okay… what do I need to do?” I asked, already walking out of the kitchen and into the dining room, trying to mentally prepare myself for what came next.
“Alright, I’m going to guide you. Slowly. You’re going to get into that office by picking the lock,” Julian said, his voice shifting into instruction mode.
I looked up as I entered the hallway, and my eyes immediately landed on the security cameras. Nice try, but you’re not going to have any solid proof that I walked in there dush
“First, I need to shut off the cameras,” I said, already making my way to the storeroom where the control panel was located.
Once there, I flipped the power switch. It was surprisingly easy to find, which was both comforting and suspicious. Either way, the cameras were down. No more eyes on me.
“They’re off. Let’s begin,” I said as I shut the storeroom door behind me and walked toward the library.
“You’re going to need something small and thin–like a hairpin or a needle,” Julian instructed.
“I’ve got one,” I said, pulling the pin out of my hair and stepping in front of the locked.
door.
“Good. Now, I don’t assume you have a tension wrench, so you’ll have to substitute it with a paper clip. Go grab one.”
I put the call on speaker, placed the phone on a nearby stool, and went to the center table to grab a paper clip.
CHAPTER 062
“Straighten the paper clip and insert it into the bottom of the keyhole. Apply slight pressure,” Julian said patiently.
“Okay… done. What next?”
“Insert the hairpin at the top of the lock. While keeping slight torque on the paper clip, scrub the pin back and forth in the keyhole. Keep doing that until you feel the pins set.”
Wow. Just like that, huh? Like I’m supposed to magically understand how this works?
My hands moved slowly, shakily, as I followed Julian’s instructions. My heart beat faster with each second. The pins inside the lock shifted and clicked–something was happening.
I wasn’t sure if it was going to work. But there was something behind that door that I needed to get and I was going to get it
