There was nothing wrong with the windows, including the balcony outside. Nothing was there other than some plants.
To be sure, Philip even sent someone out over the balcony rails to check outside, and no one was hiding underneath, either.
From the looks of it, they shouldn't have seen anything else.
Jessica was in disbelief as well.
"How's that possible? I heard it. A woman crying, just crying and crying, like someone's wringing her neck. How – how could there be no one there?"
She walked in a trance over to the balcony, checking front and back in a panic.
But in reality, in a space this small, anyone hidden would have been found already. It was impossible for them to have hidden until now.
"Was it... really a ghost..."
"What do you mean ghost? I don't believe that nonsense!"
Philip flared up and yanked the curtains down. At that moment, a small black object fell from above.
Followed quickly by the sound of sobbing.
Everyone froze.
Almost petrified.
They stared at the little object on the ground. After a while, they finally understood that the crying had come from this thing.
Aleena stooped over and picked it up. It was a mini recorder.
Someone had recorded the sound in earlier and set it on a timer. That's why Jessica had heard the intermittent sobbing.
"Bastard!"
She slammed the device on the ground, her expression turning ugly.
"Who was it? Who put something like this in Jessica's room?"
The servants who'd followed inside saw what was going on and turned white in a panic.
They hurriedly shook their heads, denying their involvement.
Philip shot a dark look at Jessica.
"Who's been in your room today?"
Jessica was still dazed. She thought for a long while and shook her head.
"There's been too many, I don't remember."
All throughout the day, servants had come in and out of her room. If not half a dozen, at least three or four would have come and gone. How were they supposed to tell who the culprit was?
"Oho! Is that so? Then call the police! Have them all interrogated. We'll find out the truth."
Some of the servants started begging for mercy right away.
"It really wasn't me, sir. I've never done anything like that."
"Yeah, we've got no grudge with Miss Jessica. Why would we do something like this? It doesn't benefit us!"
Naturally, Philip didn't listen.
"Enough, anyway, that's how we'll deal with it. Relax. If you really didn't do it, there'll be no consequences. But if I find out that we really have a rat in here..."
He glared at them and sneered. "Heh! Don't blame me for what happens next!"
With that, he had the few servants who'd been in Jessica's room put in custody, ready to call the police when morning came. Then he left.
At the McCarthy Mansion.
Everything was quiet in the bedroom when the phone at the head of the bed suddenly buzzed twice.
Natalia opened her eyes. Her slender frame was being held tightly in the man's embrace. A thick, solid arm was wrapped around her. She could smell his fresh scent clearly in the dark.
She lifted his arm lightly off her and leant over for the phone.
It was an anonymous text, its contents simple.
"It's done. Wire the money."
Natalia smiled and didn't reply. She deleted the text and put the phone back.
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