Chapter 10 - RACHEL’S CONFESSION
Rachel survived.
The bullet passed through her shoulder.
No artery.
No bone.
The doctor called her lucky.
I didn’t.
Sophie sat beside her hospital bed, asleep with her head on Rachel’s hip.
I stood by the window.
Morning light spread across Los Angeles.
Twenty-four hours earlier, I had believed my biggest problem was an acquisition vote.
Now Daniel was under arrest.
Mark was under arrest.
Vanessa was in custody.
Luke was missing.
My dead wife was alive.
And federal investigators were on their way to ask why twenty-two million dollars had moved through an account in my name.
Rachel woke around six.
She saw me.
“Where’s Sophie?”
I pointed.
Her face softened.
Then she looked at me again.
“I owe you the whole truth.”
“Yes.”
“No more pieces.”
“That would be new.”
She accepted that.
“I found the fraud four years ago.”
“Before you disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Luke had already used your identity.”
“So?”
“I thought you’d go to the police immediately.”
“I would have.”
“And Daniel would’ve known.”
“You made that decision for me.”
“Yes.”
She stared at the ceiling.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“You weren’t.”
“I know.”
“You were controlling me.”
That hurt her.
Good.
She nodded.
“Yes.”
Sophie stirred but didn’t wake.
Rachel lowered her voice.
“I created the Zurich account under your name because Luke had convinced several overseas banks you were authorizing vendor transfers. I thought if I centralized the transfers, I could track them.”
“You thought committing another crime would solve the first one?”
“I was terrified.”
“That doesn’t make it smart.”
“No.”
“At least we agree.”
She rubbed her forehead.
“When Daniel realized what I was doing, he threatened Sophie.”
I looked at our daughter.
“What exactly did he say?”
“He sent me photographs of her school.”
My stomach tightened.
“Then Luke contacted me.”
“What did he want?”
“To help me disappear.”
“You trusted him?”
“I was desperate.”
“Again.”
“Yes.”
She took the hit.
“He arranged the plane-crash story. A charter plane went down off the coast. No bodies recovered. Luke switched passenger records.”
“And you let me believe it.”
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.”
I walked toward the window.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then I asked, “Were you ever going to come back?”
“Every day.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When Daniel and Luke were in prison.”
“They weren’t.”
“I know.”
“Because you didn’t finish what you started.”
She looked down.
“That’s fair.”
It wasn’t the response I expected.
It made my anger harder to hold cleanly.
She continued.
“I watched Sophie from a distance.”
“How?”
“School events. Parks. Sometimes the beach.”
My chest tightened.
“You watched us?”
“Yes.”
“You saw her grieve.”
Rachel cried silently.
“Yes.”
“And still stayed away.”
“Yes.”
I hated that answer.
But at least it was true.
A knock came.
Detective Torres entered with two federal agents.
Behind them was Vanessa.
Still in cuffs.
I frowned.
“Why is she here?”
Torres said, “Because she offered a deal.”
Vanessa looked exhausted.
No makeup.
No polished smile.
“I know where Luke is going.”
Rachel sat up.
“Where?”
Vanessa looked at Sophie.
Then at me.
“Ethan’s company.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“The board vote.”
“It’s canceled.”
“No.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“Daniel set an automatic proxy.”
I stared.
“What proxy?”
“If you fail to attend, your voting authority transfers.”
“To who?”
She hesitated.
“Me.”
The room went silent.
I laughed.
“You?”
“Daniel altered the corporate documents.”
Federal Agent Collins stepped forward.
“We confirmed it.”
I felt my pulse rise.
Vanessa continued.
“If I vote yes, the merger passes.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Luke loses access to the clean shell corporation he needs to move the money.”
I looked at the clock.
8:12 a.m.
The board meeting started at nine.
Vanessa said,
“He’ll come for me before the vote.”
A phone rang in the hallway.
One of the agents answered.
His face changed.
He looked at us.
“Too late.”
He held up the phone.
“Vanessa’s transport officer was found unconscious downstairs.”
I turned.
Vanessa was still standing in front of me.
Then she whispered,
“He isn’t coming for me.”
Her eyes moved toward Sophie’s empty chair.
May you like
We all looked.
Sophie was gone.
