CHAPTER 3 — “The Recording”
Nathaniel: “Security footage.”
Guard: “Sir, some cameras were… offline for maintenance.”
Nathaniel: “Which ones.”
Guard: “Main staircase. Upper landing.”
Nathaniel: “Convenient.”
Vivien: “You’re really going to do this? After everything I’ve done for this family?”
Nathaniel: “For this family?”
Vivien: “I love your mother.”
Nathaniel: “Do you?”
Vivien: “Yes.”
Nathaniel: “Then explain why she said your name before she passed out.”
Vivien: “She was confused.”
Nathaniel: “Or honest.”
Vivien: “Nathaniel, you’re letting a child destroy us.”
Nathaniel: “No.”
Vivien: “Then what are you doing?”
Nathaniel: “I’m listening.”
Guard: “Sir… there is one backup feed.”
Nathaniel: “Play it.”
(soft static)
Margaret’s voice: “Vivien… don’t…”
Vivien (on recording, faint): “You should have stayed out of it.”
Margaret: “Nathaniel will—”
A sharp sound. A stumble.
Lily’s small gasp in the background.
Nathaniel: “Stop the video.”
Vivien: “That proves nothing.”
Nathaniel: “It proves enough.”
Vivien: “You’re choosing a child over me?”
Nathaniel: “I’m choosing truth over comfort.”
Vivien: “You think I did this for money? Power?”
Nathaniel: “I don’t know what you did it for yet.”
Vivien: “You’ll regret this.”
May you like
Nathaniel: “No.”
Nathaniel: “You will.”
