The Phantom Heiress Rising From The Shadows novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109 How Can You

Be So Useless

The Harper family’s surveillance system had been carefully designed to monitor only communal areas such as the living room and kitchen. The more private spaces–bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, and showers were deliberately left off the grid, allowing the family to retain their privacy.

Aware of the situation involving Rosie’s ruined clothes, Darrell Vazquez, the security guard, began to suspect that someone had manipulated the footage. He was already reviewing the afternoon’s recordings when Ernst and Rosie entered the room. He had gone over the tapes multiple times but had found nothing suspicious

“I’ve gone over the footage of the afternoon, but there’s nothing unusual,” Darrell said, his voice calm but tinged with frustration.

He then brought up a clip showing Brenna leaving her room earlier that afternoon and pointed to the screen. “Here, you can see Miss Brenna Harper leaving just after noon. Ten minutes later, Miss Rosie Harper left

.Tam

Darrell fast–forwarded the footage, scanning for any other signs of activity. For the next thirty minutes, the screen remained devoid of activity. No one entered or exited any of the rooms during that time

Then, Darrell scrolled further. “At five o’clock, Julia comes upstairs with freshly laundered sheets and a summer quilt. She enters Miss Brenna Harper’s room. Half an hour later, she comes out carrying a trash bag with the replaced bedding as well as two dirty garments.”

Shortly after, Dalton was seen coming downstairs, passing the third–floor corner with his usual confident stride. Not long after that, Rachael entered Rosie’s room and left within ten minutes.

Darrell, still focused on the footage, said, “From the moment Miss Rosie Harper left until her return, the only

person

to enter her room was Rachael”

Ernst stood still, his gaze fixed on the screen as he sifted through the recorded footage once again. His brow furrowed in concentration. He had gone over it meticulously, ensuring every second was accounted for. Yet, everything seemed perfectly normal–there were no glitches, no sudden cuts, and certainly no indication of

tampering

Rosie, however, was far from satisfied. Her voice sharpened as she turned to Darrell, her tone laced with accusation. “Are you telling me you sat in this room all afternoon and didn’t take a single break? Didn’t leave to use the restroom or go and get some water? I find it hard to believe you didn’t step away once. If there’s any chance the footage was tampered with, it would have been during those moments.”

Darrell stiffened at her words, a rush of frustration and defensiveness building within him. He felt unjustly cornered. The harshness of the wealthy was often not subtle, and it cut deeply.

But he held back his irritation, knowing that confronting Rosie was not an option. Instead, he answered in a low

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Chapter 109 How Can You

voice, “Miss Harper, I did step away briefly twice, to use the restroom and get some water. But I returned quickly both times, and no one entered the room during those moments.”

Rosie’s anger surged as she looked at Darrell, her voice sharp with accusation. “Really? Just now, you said you never left, but now, you’re admitting to stepping away to use the restroom. Darrell, what are you playing at? Are you involved in something that will hurt this family? We pay you well, and this is how you do your job?”

Her words, filled with mounting frustration, made her hands tremble he couldn’t seem to control her irritation. “If you’re incapable of doing your job properly, then leave. We offer high salaries, and I’m sure there are plenty of people eager to take your place,” she said.

Darrell’s heart sank as he listened, the weight of Rosie’s harsh words crushing him. His face flushed with humiliation. The sting of being publicly rebuked was one thing, but the accusation felt unfair, especially considering the effort he had put into his work. He glanced at Ernst, silently pleading for support, hoping the usually composed man might intervene.

But Ernst remained coldly focused on the footage, his brow furrowed in intense concentration. He scrutinized the screen with mechanical precision, rewinding and fast–forwarding

Rosie’s glare bore into Darrell, her tone accusatory. “It must have been during the time you left the surveillance room that the footage was tampered with.”

Darrell’s frustration began to boil over. The unfairness of it all was suffocating. Why was he being blamed for something that clearly wasn’t his fault? Was it simply because he was just a security guard here–easy to

dismiss, easy to target?

With a deep breath, Darrell steadied himself, trying to maintain his composure. “Miss Harper, there is surveillance in the monitoring room as well. You can review it yourself. No one entered while I was away. I did my job, just as I was asked,” he said.

Rosie’s eyes narrowed, her disdain evident as she glared at Darrell “So, you have the nerve to talk back to me now? Explain this, then; no one entered my room, but my clothes were ruined. Those weren’t just any clothes.. They were worth millions. You couldn’t even compensate me for even one piece with a lifetime’s wages.”

Darrell’s heart sank as the words hit him like a blow. He wanted to respond, to defend himself, but the weight of Rosie’s words left him momentarily speechless. He knew she was right about the clothes, but the humiliation in her tone, the way she treated him as if he were nothing more than an inconvenience, made him feel small. He clenched his fists at his sides, frustration rising within him

Inwardly, Darrell cursed Rosie repeatedly, but outwardly, he maintained a calm facade, enduring the brunt of her rage without a single word of protest.

Rosie’s frustration boiled over as she turned to Ernst. “Ernst, did you find anything amiss?” she asked.

Ernst remained calm, his face neutral as he shook his head and said, “The surveillance footage is intact. I’ve checked the surveillance footage of the monitoring room as well. No one entered during Darrell’s absence.”