Chapter 5 - THE ACCIDENT
David’s hands went numb.
He read the report again.
“Brake failure caused by deliberate tampering,” he whispered.
Lily stood behind him.
“Does it say who did it?”
David turned the page.
A private investigator had collected photographs of the damaged vehicle, payment records, and a voice recording.
The final line read:
SUBJECT: VANESSA BLACKWOOD.
David’s chest tightened.
Vanessa appeared in the doorway.
“You weren’t supposed to find that.”
David slowly turned toward her.
“Did you order someone to kill me?”
“I never wanted you dead.”
“You cut my brakes.”
“I wanted you to stop leaving me.”
“You put me in a coma!”
“You were going to divorce me!”
David stepped closer.
“So you tried to murder me?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with tears.
“You had already abandoned me. You were taking everything away.”
“Everything was mine.”
“You promised me a life.”
“I promised you a marriage. Not my life.”
Her face twisted.
“You think you’re better than me because you were born rich?”
David lifted the report.
“You stole twelve million dollars, forged my signature, framed Lily, and nearly killed me.”
Vanessa suddenly grabbed a metal letter opener from the desk.
Lily gasped.
“Put it down,” David ordered.
Vanessa held the blade against her own wrist.
“You’re going to destroy me.”
“You did that yourself.”
“I have nothing left.”
“You still have a choice.”
Vanessa’s hand trembled.
A siren sounded outside.
Vanessa looked toward the window.
David had already called the police.
“You planned this,” she said.
“I planned to find the truth.”
The front door opened downstairs.
Voices echoed through the house.
Vanessa glanced at the folder, then back at David.
“You think this report proves everything?”
“What else could it prove?”
She smiled through her tears.
“That you were never the real target.”
David’s expression changed.
Vanessa dropped the letter opener.
Then she leaned close and whispered:
May you like
“The accident was meant for Lily.”
CLIFFHANGER: Before David could ask why, the lights in the entire mansion went out.
