Chapter 7 - The Jacket in the Safe
Brooke waited until Victoria and Trevor attended a company dinner.
Then she entered Ethan’s office.
The safe was hidden behind a framed photograph of Ethan in uniform.
Brooke used the key he had given her.
Inside were trust documents, military records, a ceremonial jacket and an older smartwatch Ethan wore before deployment.
The watch should have been turned off.
Its screen lit when Brooke touched it.
It was still connected to Ethan’s email account through an old authentication application.
Brooke checked the security history.
Someone had used the watch repeatedly during the past month.
The authentication approvals matched the nights Ethan’s account had been accessed from the penthouse.
Trevor had not merely guessed passwords.
He had used Ethan’s watch to approve the logins.
Brooke photographed everything with the old phone.
Then she noticed the military jacket.
It was hanging backward.
One sleeve was wrinkled.
A faint trace of Trevor’s cologne remained near the collar.
Brooke checked the building security app.
Video from the previous Friday showed a man entering the private records floor after midnight.
The camera captured him from behind.
He wore Ethan’s military jacket.
The medals were clearly visible.
The guard on duty had saluted him and opened the restricted elevator.
Trevor had dressed like his deployed brother to convince security that Ethan had returned secretly.
Inside the records floor, he accessed the trust vault using Ethan’s watch and entry card.
The video never showed his face.
That was why the jacket mattered.
It created visual “proof” that Ethan had personally visited the building before the transfer documents appeared.
Brooke copied the footage.
She heard the penthouse door open.
Victoria and Trevor had returned early.
Brooke locked the safe and slipped the old phone inside her nightgown.
Trevor entered the office.
His eyes went directly to the open security application.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for Ethan’s tax file.”
Trevor walked toward the safe.
“Did you open it?”
“Yes.”
His jaw tightened.
“That key was not meant for you.”
“Ethan gave it to me.”
“He made a mistake.”
Trevor opened the safe.
The jacket looked untouched.
The watch sat where Brooke had returned it.
He relaxed.
Brooke walked toward the door.
Trevor caught her wrist.
“Stay away from the safe.”
His grip hurt.
“Let go.”
Victoria appeared.
She saw Trevor’s hand around Brooke’s wrist.
She did not tell him to release her.
May you like
She closed the office door instead.
👉 Brooke now knew exactly how they forged Ethan’s digital approval, but Trevor’s fingerprints were about to become the first bruises they would force her to hide.
