Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN IN THE WHITE COAT
The security supervisor took Ethan and Maya into a small office.
Victoria wasn’t allowed inside.
She hated that.
Maya could hear her arguing in the hallway.
“I am Ethan Brooks’s mother!”
The door closed.
Silence.
Three monitors glowed against the wall.
The supervisor typed.
“Four seventeen yesterday.”
The video loaded.
The hotel lobby appeared.
People crossed polished marble floors.
A bellman pushed luggage.
A child ran past the camera.
Then a woman entered through the revolving door.
White coat.
Dark sunglasses.
Silk scarf around her hair.
Maya leaned closer.
Ethan stopped breathing.
The woman walked straight to the front desk.
“Can you zoom in?” Maya asked.
The supervisor enlarged the image.
The resolution blurred slightly.
But not enough.
Ethan whispered, “Jesus Christ.”
Maya stared.
The woman removed her sunglasses.
Victoria.
There was no doubt.
Ethan stood so fast his chair slammed backward.
“That’s my mother.”
The supervisor nodded.
Maya felt no victory.
Only a strange, hollow ache.
She had known.
Somewhere inside her, she had known.
But seeing it was different.
Seeing Victoria smile at the clerk while pretending to be Maya made the betrayal real.
The video continued.
Victoria opened her purse.
Pulled out a driver’s license.
The clerk checked it.
Maya leaned forward.
“What is that?”
The supervisor paused.
“I can’t tell from here.”
“That looks like my license.”
Ethan turned.
“Your license is in your wallet.”
Maya pulled it out.
“Yes.”
The supervisor zoomed in.
The image was too grainy.
But Maya knew her own face.
The ID in Victoria’s hand carried Maya’s photograph.
Caroline’s voice came from the doorway.
“Oh my God.”
They turned.
The manager had allowed Caroline and Noah inside after Victoria became aggressive.
Noah stared at the screen.
“She made a fake ID?”
The supervisor’s expression hardened.
“That could be a criminal offense.”
Ethan looked sick.
“Keep playing it.”
The footage showed Victoria receiving two key cards.
She placed one inside her purse.
The other disappeared into a small green envelope.
Then something strange happened.
A man approached her.
Tall.
Gray jacket.
Baseball cap.
Victoria looked around before speaking to him.
The two moved toward the edge of the lobby.
Maya leaned toward the screen.
“Who is that?”
Nobody answered.
The man handed Victoria a padded envelope.
Victoria gave him cash.
Ethan whispered, “What the hell?”
The man left.
Victoria remained for another minute.
Before walking out, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
Maya’s own phone buzzed.
Everyone jumped.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
A male voice spoke.
“Is this Maya Collins?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know me, but Victoria Brooks paid me to help destroy your wedding.”
Maya looked at the screen.
At the man in the baseball cap.
Her blood went cold.
May you like
The voice continued.
“And the hotel key is only part of what she planned.”
