Chapter 6 — The Woman Victoria Chose
Chapter 6 — The Woman Victoria Chose
Claire was taken to the police station for questioning.
She was not arrested that night, but the evidence was enough to obtain a temporary protective order. She was forbidden from contacting Emma or returning to the property.
Victoria blamed Emma.
“You’ve ruined that girl’s life.”
Emma stared at her across the breakfast table.
“She hid a camera beside my bedroom.”
“She was emotional.”
“She threatened my unborn child.”
“You cannot prove she sent the message.”
Samuel entered with a tablet in his hand.
“Actually, we can.”
He placed it on the table.
The threatening number had been generated through an encrypted messaging application. Claire had deleted the account, but the photograph contained hidden metadata.
It had been taken on Claire’s phone.
Ryan closed his eyes.
Victoria’s hands trembled around her coffee cup.
“She didn’t mean it.”
Emma’s restraint finally broke.
“Stop defending her.”
Victoria blinked.
“You watched her humiliate me. You let her wear my mother’s robe. You helped her enter my marriage. And now you’re excusing a threat against my baby.”
“My grandchild,” Victoria corrected.
Emma rose from her chair.
“You don’t get to claim her now.”
Victoria stood as well.
“You cannot keep Ryan’s child from this family.”
“The same child you called a trap?”
“I was angry.”
“The same excuse your son used.”
Ryan flinched.
Emma looked at both of them.
“You believe anger gives you permission to destroy people. It doesn’t.”
Victoria’s voice turned cold.
“You would have nothing without this family.”
Emma laughed softly.
It was the first genuine laugh she had managed in days.
“I had a career before Ryan. I had savings before Ryan. And apparently, I had this house before Ryan.”
Ryan pushed back from the table.
“That’s enough.”
Everyone turned.
He faced his mother.
“You hired Claire to seduce me.”
Victoria’s lips tightened.
“I encouraged you to see that Emma was wrong for you.”
“You paid a woman to manipulate me.”
“You were unhappy.”
“I was weak.”
The admission hung between them.
Ryan looked at Emma.
“And I blamed you for every problem I was too afraid to confront.”
Emma’s expression did not soften.
Ryan turned back to Victoria.
“You have six days left.”
Victoria stared at him.
“You’re choosing her?”
“No,” Emma said. “He doesn’t get to choose me anymore.”
Ryan swallowed.
Emma continued.
“He’s choosing whether to remain your obedient son or finally become an adult.”
Victoria slapped the table.
“This family company belongs to me.”
Ryan’s face hardened.
“No. It belonged to Dad.”
“And now you run it because I protected it.”
Samuel cleared his throat.
“We should discuss that.”
Victoria looked at him.
“What now?”
Samuel slid a financial statement across the table.
“The company’s board has called an emergency meeting.”
Ryan picked it up.
His eyes moved rapidly over the page.
“Why?”
Samuel’s answer was simple.
“Because the missing two million dollars was not the only unauthorized transfer.”
Victoria went still.
Ryan looked up.
“How much is missing?”
May you like
Samuel met his gaze.
“Eleven million.”
