Joshua pretended to think for a few seconds. "Well, considering the staff saw him return, and all his personal belongings were left untouched in his study... the most logical conclusion is that he was taken directly from the house."


    Mr. Burton raised an eyebrow. "Our estate has top-tier security. Even if someone managed to slip in, carrying a grown man out without anyone noticing is no walk in the park.


    "Even with the cameras down, there are countless staff and family members crawling all over this property. The intruder couldn''t possibly have knocked out everyone in the house without raising a single rm.


    "So, tell me, how exactly did they abduct him right out from under our noses?"


    Joshua met the older man''s eyes. "Mr. Burton, an estate like this must have a few hidden rooms or secret passageways, wouldn''t you say?"


    Mr. Burton''s eyes narrowed as he instantly caught on to what Joshua was implying.


    Joshua continued, "A prominent, legacy family like yours undoubtedly has subterranean routes connecting to the outside world emergencies.


    escape hatches for absolute


    "If someone infiltrated the house through one of those hidden passages, they could easily snatch a person without a single soul being the wiser."


    Mr. Burton stared at him, his expression deeply contemtive. "Joshua Gardner,


    you truly are brilliant. You see angles that most ordinary men would bepletely blind to."


    Joshua smiled. "You tter me, sir. I just have a knack for putting the pieces together."


    The older man''s tone grew heavy with meaning. "If a mind like yours is just ''a knack,'' then there are no truly smart people left in this world.


    "However..."


    He shifted gears smoothly. "While every old-money family has its hidden escape routes, navigating our specificwork is not something just any random intruder could pull off."


    His voice dropped an octave. "In fact, the only kind of person capable of bypassing that level of security... is someone exactly as clever as you."


    Joshua raised an eyebrow. "I''m quite ttered you hold me in such high regard."


    Mr. Burton pressed on. "Since


    so neatly deduced how he was taken.


    care to take a guess nee


    Who


    did the taking?" Content betongs


    Joshua put on another show of thinking it over. "Over the past few years, Setters has been aggressively cornering the market, expanding his reach without a second thought for the coteral damage. He''s made a lot of powerful enemies on his way to the top. the list of people who want him gone is endless.


    "Except..."


    Mr. Burton leaned in, seemingly intrigued. "Except what?"


    Joshua lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Except, the most likely culprit... is someone from inside the Burtons.


    "Think about it, sir. Who else would have an intimate knowledge of this estate''s exactyout?


    "I heard there were no signs of a struggle in the study, which tells me Sellers waspletely off-guard.


    "Who could wander the halls of this house without drawing a single suspicious nce?


    "When you add it all up, the only logical conclusion is an inside job."


    Standing nearby, Neville looked as if a lightbulb had just gone off in his head. He gave a slow, deliberate p.


    "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! Not


    only is


    eviden


    è logic wless, but th


    backs it up perfectly


    tive


    Joshua, you''re quite the detective


    Joshua didn''t shy away from the praise, merely offering a modest smile.


    "It''s just a theory. For all we know, the truth could be the exact opposite of what I''veid out."


    Neville asked, "Then who do you think is the prime suspect within the family?"


    Joshua said, "Well, Sherman has always been the closest to Sellers. He knows the man''s habits better than anyone else.


    "If you ask me... he''s at the top of the list."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!