Page 17 of The Next Door Billionaire's Deception

Better safe than sorry.

I instructed the technicians to keep the security cameras hidden when they were being set up. I also surveyed the apartment when I moved in, looking around to see if they did a proper job. I had no idea then that they’d come in handy so soon.

The monitors for the security cameras are all set up in the study. They also have motion sensors and infrared features which are of better quality than ordinary security cameras. After ensuring the doors are locked, I head to the study.

Looking through the feed, I find a peculiar video. It’s the video of Richard walking through the corridor to get to my room. It doesn’t look like he’s stumbling around. He looks like a man on a mission. He finds my room quite quickly. I lean forward, lips drawn into a thin line.

What’s he so determined to find?

I have a vague idea, but I can’t go off with a basic assumption. There are better ways to catch someone than just making a blind assumption. I keep watching until I get past the time when we both return to the party. Just a few minutes after we leave my room, someone walks in. He’s dressed like someone from the party, but I don’t recall seeing anyone wearing a cap at the party. The cap covers a part of his face, so his features aren’t clear.

He broke into my room more swiftly than Richard did and headed straight for one of my bedside tables. I don’t keep anything important there, but –

The key to my safe!

I run out of the study and straight to my room. Unlocking the door, I make a beeline for the bedside table. The key is still there, and it looks untouched, but I can’t shake this ill feeling that it’s been replaced. If the man could sneak into my room that quickly, replacing my keys would be easy.

Closing the drawer, I walk toward the closet. I don’t know how much time I have, but I must get to the safe before he does. After changing into fresh clothes, I hurry out of the room. There’s no time to tell Celine where I’m going. There are just some things she doesn’t need to know. Somehow, it feels strange to admit that I keep a safe. But the safe exists for a reason, a reason I’m not ready to share yet.

I reach the parking lot of the building in no time and locate my car. Then, I start it as swiftly as I get into it and drive out of the parking lot. It’s been a while since I went to my safe, but it’s untouched. If there were a breach, the sensors would’ve alerted me.

As I enter the freeway, my phone starts to ring. I pick up the call without glancing at the screen.

“So sorry Celine. I’ll be back soon.”

“Am I on to Miss Melissa Durham?”

The masculine voice coming from my speaker is unfamiliar.

“Yes …who am I speaking with?”

“It’s Chad Tracinski, and I’m calling from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

The FBI hadn’t contacted me since before I moved. Is something going on?

“Is there something wrong, sir?”

“You’re not in trouble if that’s what you’re asking, but I need to meet with you urgently. Where are you now?”

“On the freeway.”

“Follow the next exit you see. I’ll track your location and meet you at the first restaurant you see. I won’t be long.”

“Can it wait? I need to check something urgently.”

“It can’t wait. You’ll have to pull over at the next exit. Please, leave your phone in the car. This is a matter of extreme confidentiality.”

Even though the matter of my safe is urgent, I can’t just say no to an FBI agent. Obstruction of the law is a criminal offense, and I’m not looking to go to court, especially not while the executives are testing me. So, I pull over at the next exit and drive past several trees before driving into the parking lot of a small restaurant. Then I turn off the engine and wait.

Things are happening too fast. Way too fast. From catching Richard snooping around to realizing someone may or may not have tampered with my safe. And now, a meeting with an FBI agent.

My phone rings again, startling me out of my thoughts.

“Hello?”

“You’re being followed. Look behind.”

A cold feeling slithers through my spine and the hairs on the nape of my neck rise.

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