Chapter 8 - The Hidden Estate
An hour later, a heavy storm had settled over the coastline. Rain lashed against the windshield of Ethan’s black SUV as it navigated the winding, tree-lined roads leading toward the Sterling family’s private estate in Newport.
In the back seat, Sophia was wrapped in a thick wool coat Ethan had kept in the trunk, her golden hair tied back, her color gradually returning. Emma sat beside her, holding a thermos of hot tea she had bought at a gas station along the highway.
“Where are we going, Ethan?” Emma asked, staring out at the dark, rain-slicked trees. “We can’t just walk into the estate if Clara and Julian are there.”
“We aren't going to the main house,” Ethan replied, looking at her through the rearview mirror. “We’re going to Father’s old boathouse on the south cliff. It’s the only place on the property that isn't connected to the main security network.”
He pulled the SUV off the main road onto an unmarked dirt path, cutting the headlights to avoid detection. The vehicle bumped over tree roots before coming to a stop inside a darkened, overgrown garage built into the side of a rocky hill.
They stepped out into the cold rain, Ethan guiding them with a small flashlight toward a heavy wooden door set into the cliffside. He pulled a rusty key from under a loose stone, unlocked the deadbolt, and pushed the door open.
Inside, the boathouse smelled of salt water, aged cedar, and old motor oil. A sleek, mahogany speedboat sat docked in the water slip inside the floor, swaying gently with the tide.
Ethan flipped a switch, illuminating a small office area at the back of the boathouse.
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Sitting on the desk in the center of the room was a large, dust-covered iron safe—the duplicate of the one from the Bellevue house.
“If Father kept a second copy of his final will anywhere,” Ethan said, walking over to the safe, “it’s in here.”
