Nico shouted again.<\/p>\n
\u201cUncle Stephen!\u201d<\/p>\n
The smell reached us almost immediately.<\/p>\n
Not the faint odor of something overheated.<\/p>\n
Smoke.<\/p>\n
Hot plastic.<\/p>\n
Burning wood.<\/p>\n
Marcus moved before anyone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cNico, get downstairs!\u201d<\/p>\n
I reached for my crutches.<\/p>\n
Celeste grabbed her suitcase and backed toward the door.<\/p>\n
Melissa ran for the stairs.<\/p>\n
Marcus caught her arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. He\u2019s coming down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my son.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you\u2019ll help him by staying where he can see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico appeared at the top of the stairs coughing.<\/p>\n
A gray ribbon of smoke followed him into the hallway.<\/p>\n
Melissa pulled free.<\/p>\n
\u201cNico!\u201d<\/p>\n
He came down fast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat room?\u201d Marcus asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy room. I think the closet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom started toward the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy purse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave it,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
Whatever hesitation she might once have had about listening to me was gone.<\/p>\n
Marcus opened the front door.<\/p>\n
Cold air rushed in.<\/p>\n
Elena, who had been in the kitchen preparing something for Nico, ushered Mom and Celeste outside.<\/p>\n
Melissa stayed beside her son.<\/p>\n
I tried to move quickly on the crutches.<\/p>\n
Pain tore through my ankle.<\/p>\n
Marcus stepped back toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was no insult in it.<\/p>\n
Only fact.<\/p>\n
He put one arm around my back and helped carry most of my weight toward the porch.<\/p>\n
The irony would have been funny on another day.<\/p>\n
Less than twenty-four hours earlier, I had been lying on that porch unable to persuade my own family to make one phone call.<\/p>\n
Now everyone was moving with one purpose.<\/p>\n
Get out.<\/p>\n
Behind us, something cracked upstairs.<\/p>\n
Melissa screamed.<\/p>\n
A smoke alarm finally began shrieking.<\/p>\n
Then another joined it.<\/p>\n
We reached the lawn.<\/p>\n
Marcus called emergency services while Elena moved everyone farther from the house.<\/p>\n
I looked back.<\/p>\n
Smoke had begun pushing from an upstairs window.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s voice came from the phone still clutched in my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cStephen, no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did know.<\/p>\n
I hated it anyway.<\/p>\n
Everything we had preserved was inside.<\/p>\n
The blue folder.<\/p>\n
The laptop.<\/p>\n
The copied records.<\/p>\n
The photographs.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered Marcus had uploaded most of the important material to a cloud folder Rachel created.<\/p>\n
For once, somebody had thought beyond the room we were standing in.<\/p>\n
Sirens sounded.<\/p>\n
Nico stared at the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad did this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa put both hands on his shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice shook.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know a lot of terrible things. We do not know that yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was the first time I heard her make that distinction correctly.<\/p>\n
Evidence first.<\/p>\n
Meaning later.<\/p>\n
The fire department arrived in less than six minutes.<\/p>\n
Men and women moved toward the house with the speed of people who had rehearsed emergencies so thoroughly that urgency did not look like panic.<\/p>\n
One firefighter asked where the smoke began.<\/p>\n
\u201cUpstairs,\u201d Nico said. \u201cMy closet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone else inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPets?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded and moved away.<\/p>\n
Another firefighter helped me sit on the curb.<\/p>\n
I hated needing help.<\/p>\n
I accepted it.<\/p>\n
Flames appeared briefly behind the glass of Nico\u2019s bedroom window.<\/p>\n
Melissa made a sound beside me.<\/p>\n
Nico took her hand.<\/p>\n
The gesture surprised both of them.<\/p>\n
Celeste stood apart from us, pale and rigid.<\/p>\n
She kept checking the street.<\/p>\n
I noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think Dario\u2019s nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She hugged herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he gets scared, he doesn\u2019t run far at first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa turned sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know more about him than I wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel interrupted before the argument could ignite.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both women looked toward the phone.<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s voice remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cStephen, the call Dario made to Celeste needs to be preserved immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI recorded part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou recorded him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI started after he threatened the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSend it to Rachel,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Celeste did.<\/p>\n
Firefighters opened more windows upstairs.<\/p>\n
Smoke rolled out.<\/p>\n
Water darkened the siding.<\/p>\n
Every minute felt longer than the last.<\/p>\n
I kept thinking of the upstairs bedrooms.<\/p>\n
My father\u2019s old watch in the dresser.<\/p>\n
Boxes of photographs.<\/p>\n
Documents I had never scanned.<\/p>\n
Clothes.<\/p>\n
Furniture.<\/p>\n
Objects that had seemed permanent that morning.<\/p>\n
It was strange how quickly ownership could become memory.<\/p>\n
Twenty minutes later, the visible flames were gone.<\/p>\n
The smoke thinned.<\/p>\n
A firefighter approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cFire\u2019s contained.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone exhaled at once.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamage?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly one bedroom and part of the wall cavity. Some smoke and water damage elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico whispered, \u201cMy room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa squeezed his hand.<\/p>\n
The firefighter continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be here a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know what caused it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression was careful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found an area we want the investigator to examine.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat area?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNear the closet wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cElectrical?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould be several things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, no conclusion.<\/p>\n
Professionals seemed to have an irritating commitment to uncertainty.<\/p>\n
I was beginning to appreciate it.<\/p>\n
A police officer arrived soon afterward.<\/p>\n
Not the investigator who had taken my earlier report, but someone who already seemed to know about it.<\/p>\n
He spoke privately with the fire captain.<\/p>\n
Then with Celeste.<\/p>\n
Then with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anyone have access to the house after the locks were changed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot with a key.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWindows?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLocked, as far as I know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBasement entrance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an exterior door.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas that lock changed?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Marcus.<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
The locksmith had changed the front and back doors.<\/p>\n
Not the basement bulkhead.<\/p>\n
Dario had once complained that its lock stuck.<\/p>\n
I had not used it in months.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe could have a key,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
The officer wrote something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knew about that entrance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone who lived here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad used it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot. He stored things downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat things?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxes. Tools.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat tools?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered the basement assessment.<\/p>\n
The measuring crew.<\/p>\n
Plans for three rooms.<\/p>\n
Dario had spent more time down there than I realized.<\/p>\n
A firefighter came outside carrying a clear evidence bag.<\/p>\n
Inside was something black and partially melted.<\/p>\n
The officer met him near the engine.<\/p>\n
They spoke.<\/p>\n
I could not hear.<\/p>\n
I did not need to.<\/p>\n
The officer returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire investigator found what may be an intentionally placed ignition source.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Nico\u2019s hand slipped from hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to characterize it until the fire investigator completes the examination.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas it in Nico\u2019s closet?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy my room?\u201d<\/p>\n
That question had no answer.<\/p>\n
Then Celeste spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s above the basement stair wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone turned toward her.<\/p>\n
She pointed at the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this is the same layout Dario showed me, that wall has a utility chase behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know my layout?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked ashamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe sent me plans.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlans for the basement?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the whole house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa whispered, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRenovation estimates.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShow us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste opened her email and searched.<\/p>\n
Floor plans appeared.<\/p>\n
Not professional architectural drawings.<\/p>\n
Measurements.<\/p>\n
Notes.<\/p>\n
Possible room conversions.<\/p>\n
At the top of the upstairs page, Nico\u2019s bedroom wall had been marked.<\/p>\n
UTILITY ACCESS.<\/p>\n
The firefighter leaned closer.<\/p>\n
Then took the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I show this to the investigator?\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste nodded.<\/p>\n
Mom sat beside me on the curb.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we knew the worst.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did I.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at the damaged window.<\/p>\n
\u201cI keep saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
We waited another hour.<\/p>\n
The sun disappeared behind a line of clouds.<\/p>\n
Neighbors gathered at a distance.<\/p>\n
Some recognized me.<\/p>\n
A few lifted hands.<\/p>\n
Nobody approached.<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s wife brought blankets from their house.<\/p>\n
Elena wrapped one around Mom, one around Nico, and then tried to put one around me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at me.<\/p>\n
I accepted the blanket.<\/p>\n
Personal growth sometimes looked like losing arguments efficiently.<\/p>\n
Finally the fire investigator came outside.<\/p>\n
She introduced herself as Captain Monroe.<\/p>\n
Her boots were wet.<\/p>\n
A smear of soot crossed one sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Stephen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can give you preliminary information. Preliminary means it may change.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire originated inside the wall cavity adjacent to the closet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico listened from behind Melissa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no obvious electrical failure at the origin point.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recovered material consistent with an external ignition source.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone started it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She held up a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m saying we found evidence that requires further examination. We are treating the origin as suspicious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suspicious.<\/p>\n
Not accidental.<\/p>\n
Not proven.<\/p>\n
Enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould someone have started it earlier?\u201d Rachel asked through the phone.<\/p>\n
Captain Monroe leaned toward the speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly. There are devices and methods that can delay ignition. I\u2019m not saying that occurred here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Melissa looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste\u2019s voice barely came.<\/p>\n
\u201cDario asked me about timer plugs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The captain\u2019s attention sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said renovations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he buy any?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have messages?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
She searched.<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Dario asking whether a certain timer could handle a high electrical load.<\/p>\n
Another message asking how long a device remained active after losing Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n
The captain photographed the screen.<\/p>\n
Melissa stared at Celeste.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou answered him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought he was installing heaters in temporary housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word landed hard because it sounded so familiar.<\/p>\n
Melissa looked away first.<\/p>\n
We had all believed something because examining it more closely would have required confrontation.<\/p>\n
Dario had benefited from that more than money.<\/p>\n
He had benefited from our reluctance.<\/p>\n
The police officer took Celeste aside again.<\/p>\n
This time their conversation lasted longer.<\/p>\n
When she returned, she looked frightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want me to stay somewhere they can reach me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of Dario?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he threaten you?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa folded her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste glanced at Nico.<\/p>\n
I understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cNico, go with Elena for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo more hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nearly argued.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
He was right about one thing.<\/p>\n
Hiding facts had created enough damage.<\/p>\n
Celeste spoke carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast month, Dario told me if the first property deal failed, he had a backup.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat backup?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the house.<\/p>\n
The meaning arrived before anyone said it.<\/p>\n
Melissa whispered, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said sometimes damaged property creates more flexibility than occupied property.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he say my house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I swear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you thought he meant property insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel asked, \u201cDid DN Holdings have any policy interest in Stephen\u2019s home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew my homeowner policy.<\/p>\n
Only my name appeared.<\/p>\n
Then another possibility occurred to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould Dario have taken out some separate policy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel went quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll check.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom looked horrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan someone insure a house they don\u2019t own?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot legitimately.\u201d<\/p>\n
That word had stopped being comforting.<\/p>\n
Nothing Dario had done required legitimacy.<\/p>\n
Only paperwork convincing enough to survive the first glance.<\/p>\n
Captain Monroe came back with another officer.<\/p>\n
They had found signs of entry through the basement exterior door.<\/p>\n
The lock had not been forced.<\/p>\n
It had been opened with a key.<\/p>\n
The door had then been relocked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have surveillance cameras?\u201d the officer asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus raised his hand slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy driveway camera catches part of Stephen\u2019s side yard.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the basement path.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus pulled out his phone.<\/p>\n
His security system stored footage in the cloud.<\/p>\n
He opened the previous several hours.<\/p>\n
We crowded around.<\/p>\n
At first, nothing.<\/p>\n
Cars.<\/p>\n
Rainwater still dripping from gutters.<\/p>\n
A delivery van.<\/p>\n
Then, at 4:17 that afternoon, movement appeared near the far edge of Marcus\u2019s camera.<\/p>\n
A man in a dark jacket crossed behind my hedge.<\/p>\n
Only part of his body was visible.<\/p>\n
He moved toward the basement side of my house.<\/p>\n
Melissa leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus replayed it.<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s face did not appear clearly.<\/p>\n
But his walk did.<\/p>\n
Nico whispered, \u201cThat\u2019s Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
The officer asked, \u201cCan you identify him with certainty?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve watched him walk my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa did not answer immediately.<\/p>\n
Then she said, \u201cIt looks like Dario.\u201d<\/p>\n
At 4:31, the same figure emerged.<\/p>\n
He carried nothing visible.<\/p>\n
He left toward the alley.<\/p>\n
The fire alarm had gone off at 6:08.<\/p>\n
Nearly an hour and forty minutes later.<\/p>\n
A delay.<\/p>\n
Just like the messages about timer plugs.<\/p>\n
The officer asked Marcus to preserve the original recording.<\/p>\n
Then he turned to us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need everyone to understand something.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is now an active investigation involving a suspected intentional fire and a person whose whereabouts are unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s face went white.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Dario contacts any of you, do not arrange to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nico looked toward the street.<\/p>\n
The officer continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not let him inside. Do not try to follow him. Call us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The damaged house behind us suddenly seemed less important than the fact that Dario was somewhere outside it.<\/p>\n
Somewhere close enough to have entered through the basement that afternoon.<\/p>\n
Somewhere close enough to know whether the fire worked.<\/p>\n
Then my phone rang.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at me.<\/p>\n
The officer held out his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t answer yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call stopped.<\/p>\n
A text appeared.<\/p>\n
You should have taken the room at your mother\u2019s.<\/p>\n
I showed him.<\/p>\n
Melissa made a choking sound.<\/p>\n
Before anyone could speak, another message arrived.<\/p>\n
Now nobody gets the house.<\/p>\n
The officer took my phone.<\/p>\n
And in that instant, the possibility disappeared that Dario had merely lost control of a bad scheme.<\/p>\n
He was watching the consequences.<\/p>\n
And he wanted us to know it.<\/p>\n
Nico shouted again. \u201cUncle Stephen!\u201d The smell reached us almost immediately. Not the faint odor of something overheated. Smoke. Hot plastic. Burning wood. Marcus moved before anyone else. \u201cNico, get … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chapter-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7293"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7313,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7293\/revisions\/7313"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}