Chapter 5 - MY FATHER

My father died six years earlier.

Official cause: heart attack.

He had collapsed in this very mansion after dinner.

Daniel and I had been married less than a year.

I remembered that night too clearly.

Rain.

An ambulance.

Daniel holding me while I screamed.

Patricia bringing coffee to the hospital.

Daniel telling me over and over:

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

I looked at Victoria.

“What did you say?”

Daniel struggled against the officers.

“She’s crazy!”

Victoria’s smile disappeared.

“Ask him.”

I turned toward Daniel.

“Where were you the night my father died?”

His eyes flickered.

“At home.”

“With me?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not true,” Marcus said quietly.

Everyone turned.

Marcus opened a folder.

“We found security access logs during the audit.”

Daniel’s face drained.

Marcus continued.

“There was a forty-seven-minute period that night when Daniel’s keycard exited the estate.”

My mouth went dry.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We only confirmed it yesterday.”

Daniel shook his head.

“I went to the pharmacy.”

Marcus held up another page.

“No purchase record.”

“I paid cash.”

Victoria laughed.

“Still lying.”

Daniel screamed at her.

“SHUT UP!”

Officer Grant tightened her grip on his arm.

I walked down the stairs slowly.

My legs felt weak.

“Victoria, tell me what you know.”

Patricia stood up.

“You don’t have to listen to this woman.”

I looked at her.

“You knew she was alive.”

Patricia’s silence answered me.

“How long?”

Her mouth trembled.

“Emily—”

“How long?”

“Since the accident.”

I felt like I had been punched again.

“There was no accident?”

“There was an accident,” Victoria said. “Just not the kind they told you.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

Victoria looked at me.

“Daniel and I were engaged. We were also broke.”

Patricia snapped, “We were not broke.”

“You were drowning in debt.”

“Victoria!”

She ignored her.

“Daniel met you at a charity event. Then he learned who your father was.”

My stomach turned.

“He targeted me?”

“No,” Daniel said quickly. “Emily, no.”

Victoria smiled cruelly.

“He absolutely targeted you.”

I looked at him.

“Is that true?”

He said nothing.

That silence hurt more than the slap.

Victoria continued.

“He was supposed to marry you, gain access to your family, then move enough money to fix everything.”

“Everything?”

“Our debts. His investments. Patricia’s gambling losses.”

Patricia’s head snapped around.

“You promised never to mention that!”

Marcus slowly looked at her.

“Gambling losses?”

Patricia went pale.

Victoria laughed.

“Oh, this family has so many secrets.”

I stared at Daniel.

“What about my father?”

Victoria’s expression changed.

For the first time, she looked uncomfortable.

“He discovered Daniel was still sending money to me.”

My heartbeat pounded.

“And?”

“He threatened to expose us.”

The room went still.

I whispered, “What happened next?”

Victoria looked at Daniel.

Daniel looked at the floor.

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