Chapter 7 - THE OLD SECRET
“My father?”
Maya almost laughed.
“That’s impossible.”
Daniel disagreed.
“Ask him.”
“My dad has met Victoria maybe four times.”
“Ask him about Pine Ridge Medical Center.”
Maya froze.
Her father, Thomas Collins, had worked there for seventeen years before the hospital closed.
Ethan saw her face.
“You know it?”
“My dad was a maintenance supervisor there.”
Daniel said, “Exactly.”
Maya’s mouth went dry.
“What does that have to do with Victoria?”
“Ask him.”
The call ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ethan stormed toward the door.
Maya grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
“No.”
“Ethan.”
“She tried to set you up. She hired someone. She wanted you drugged.”
“I know.”
“And now there’s some twenty-six-year-old secret?”
“I know.”
“I’m done waiting.”
He opened the door.
Victoria stood in the hallway.
Perfect posture.
Perfect makeup.
Cold eyes.
Richard stood several feet away from her.
“Ethan,” she said.
He held up his phone.
“Daniel Price.”
Her expression barely changed.
But barely was enough.
“Who?”
“Don’t.”
“I have no idea—”
“STOP LYING!”
The entire lobby turned.
Ethan had never shouted at his mother like that.
Victoria stared at him.
He stepped closer.
“I watched the camera footage.”
Richard frowned.
“What footage?”
Ethan didn’t look away from Victoria.
“Mom checked into room 814 using Maya’s name.”
Richard’s face went slack.
Victoria recovered quickly.
“That is completely false.”
“We watched you.”
“You watched someone who looked like me.”
“You were wearing the white Max Mara coat Dad bought you for Christmas.”
Victoria blinked.
Noah muttered, “That’s specific.”
Ethan continued.
“You used a fake ID with Maya’s picture.”
“I did no such thing.”
“And Daniel Price says you paid him to frame her.”
Victoria’s face finally cracked.
“He’s lying.”
“So you do know him.”
Silence.
Victoria realized her mistake.
Too late.
Maya’s phone rang.
Her father.
She answered.
“Dad?”
“Maya, sweetheart, are you okay? Caroline texted me something happened.”
Maya looked at Victoria.
“Dad, what happened at Pine Ridge Medical Center?”
Nothing.
Not even breathing.
“Dad?”
Thomas finally whispered, “Who told you that name?”
“Please answer me.”
“I don’t want to do this over the phone.”
“Did Victoria Brooks work there?”
Another silence.
Then:
“Yes.”
Richard stumbled backward.
“What?”
Victoria whispered, “Thomas has always been a liar.”
Maya’s father heard her voice.
His tone changed immediately.
“She’s there?”
“Yes.”
“Put me on speaker.”
Maya did.
Thomas Collins spoke clearly.
“Victoria, if you hurt my daughter because you think I’m still afraid of you, you’re making the same mistake you made twenty-six years ago.”
Richard stared at his wife.
“What mistake?”
Thomas answered before Victoria could.
“She stole medication from the hospital and blamed a nurse who lost her career over it.”
Victoria went white.
Richard whispered, “What?”
Thomas continued.
“And I was the one who saw her do it.”
Maya felt the room tilt.
But her father wasn’t finished.
“I kept the original security tape.”
May you like
Victoria’s lips parted.
And for the first time all night, she looked truly terrified.
