Chapter 3 - AMELIA’S LAST MESSAGE
Police arrived twenty minutes later.
Victor told them about Serena.
He told them about Daniel.
He did not tell them about the ledger.
Not yet.
Detective Elena Brooks took Lily’s phone as evidence after copying the recording.
“Serena Montigue is officially wanted for questioning.”
Victor stood beside Ethan.
“For questioning?”
“She dragged my child across a floor.”
“She discussed making him disappear.”
Brooks remained calm.
“And now we have evidence.”
“We do this correctly, Mr. Hale.”
“Or people like Serena walk because wealthy families think rules don’t apply to them.”
Victor said nothing.
She was right.
After Ethan was examined by a doctor, Lily sat beside him.
The child refused to release her finger.
Victor watched from the doorway.
“He trusts you.”
Lily looked up.
“He was scared.”
“No.”
Victor stepped inside.
“He trusted you before tonight.”
Lily lowered her eyes.
Victor sat across from her.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Three times.”
Victor frowned.
“I never received anything.”
“I sent you messages.”
“Emails.”
“I left a note in your office.”
Victor stared at her.
“I saw none of them.”
Lily slowly understood.
“Serena.”
“Or Daniel.”
Victor stood.
Someone had controlled access to him.
His calls.
His schedule.
His legal documents.
Maybe even his staff.
He returned to Amelia’s room.
This time, Detective Brooks followed.
They searched everything.
Books.
Drawers.
Photographs.
The hidden chamber.
Then Lily noticed the photograph on Amelia’s desk.
“Victor.”
“What?”
“She’s wearing something.”
Around Amelia’s neck was a thin gold chain.
Attached to it was a tiny key.
Victor looked at the key they had found downstairs.
Same shape.
Different size.
He picked up the frame.
Behind the photograph was handwriting.
Victor recognized it instantly.
Amelia’s.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, LOOK WHERE ETHAN FIRST SLEPT.
Victor ran.
Ethan’s original nursery had been closed since he moved into the east wing.
They entered.
The crib was still there.
Victor pulled away the mattress.
Nothing.
Lily examined the wooden frame.
“There.”
A tiny keyhole was hidden beneath the carved initials E.A.H.
Victor searched Amelia’s jewelry box.
The smaller key was gone.
Then Lily remembered something.
“Her necklace.”
Victor looked at her.
“Amelia was buried wearing it.”
Silence fell.
Detective Brooks spoke carefully.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
Victor stared at the crib.
Brooks crouched.
“Maybe we don’t need the key.”
A technician opened the compartment.
Inside was a flash drive.
And a handwritten letter.
Victor opened the letter.
My dearest Victor,
If you find this, I failed to tell you the truth while I was alive.
Daniel Cross has been stealing from Hale Holdings for years.
He is not working alone.
Victor stopped reading.
His hands began shaking.
He continued.
Your mother discovered it.
Instead of stopping him, she joined him.
Serena knows everything.
The trust was changed without your knowledge.
I found the original documents.
I found the accounts.
And I found something worse.
If anything happens to me, protect Ethan.
Do not trust Daniel.
Do not trust Serena.
And Victor—
My accident was not an accident.
Victor’s hand dropped.
Lily whispered his name.
He couldn’t answer.
For two years, he had believed Amelia died when her car lost control on a rain-soaked mountain road.
Now his dead wife was telling him she had been murdered.
Detective Brooks reached for the flash drive.
“We need to see what’s on this.”
Victor nodded.
A technician inserted it into an isolated laptop.
One video file appeared.
AMELIA_FINAL.
Victor pressed PLAY.
Amelia appeared on the screen.
She looked frightened.
Behind her was the same hidden room beneath the mansion.
“If you’re watching this, Daniel knows I found the ledger.”
A noise came from behind her.
Amelia looked toward the door.
Then back at the camera.
“Victor, there’s one thing you need to know about Ethan’s trust.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“The money was never the real reason they wanted control of him.”
She leaned toward the camera.
May you like
“Ethan owns the evidence.”
Then the video abruptly ended.
