Chapter 7 - The Hidden Security Server
Moving with practiced stealth, Marcus and Elena slipped through a side maintenance hatch that led directly into the underground utility tunnels beneath the mansion. The air down here was damp and smelled of aged concrete and electrical wiring, but it offered a labyrinth of safe passage away from the patrolling guards. Panting slightly, Elena clutched the encrypted drive against her chest like a precious lifeline. Marcus led her to an old maintenance alcove where an ancient desktop computer still functioned as a legacy monitor for the estate's HVAC system. Plugging the drive into the dusty USB port, the screen flickered to life, illuminating their tense faces in a pale blue glow. They held their breath as the video file loaded: the wide-angle camera overlooking the pool deck at midnight. The footage played back in crisp, terrifying detail. It showed Victoria standing aggressively over the edge of the pool, her hand extended in a sharp shoving motion just as the infant carrier tipped dangerously forward, followed instantly by Victoria pulling back with a look of pure panic as the baby fell into the water. Elena watched in stunned silence as the video proved every word of her innocence—and exposed Victoria's chilling premeditation.
