Chapter 9 - Her Father’s Version
Vanessa found her father in his study, watching the unedited video.
Someone had sent it to his lawyer.
Not published it.
Not yet.
That was almost worse.
Richard paused on the frame where her hand struck Abigail’s face.
“You couldn’t control yourself for one evening?”
Vanessa closed the door.
“She stepped into me.”
“Don’t insult me. I can see the screen.”
Heat crawled up her neck.
“You told me this would be handled.”
“I told you to keep quiet.”
“You told me she was trouble.”
Richard’s eyes lifted.
Vanessa remembered the conversation before the gala.
A printed staffing list on his desk.
His finger resting on one name.
Daniel Foster’s widow. She’s been making accusations. Don’t let her cause a scene.
Vanessa had walked into the ballroom already disliking a woman she had never met.
But the slap had been hers.
That fact stayed stubbornly in the room.
“What happened to her husband?”
“An accident.”
“Then why is your lawyer asking about maintenance reports?”
“Because that is what lawyers do.”
Vanessa looked at the paused image again.
Abigail’s hand over her belly.
The broken glass.
For the first time, Vanessa noticed that the waitress had apologized before being hit.
Richard closed the laptop.
“You’ll record a statement tomorrow.”
“What statement?”
“You were startled. You regret the misunderstanding. You’re receiving counseling.”
“I’m not receiving counseling.”
“You will be.”
He slid a page across the desk.
At the bottom, a paragraph claimed Vanessa had contacted hotel management herself about removing the security footage.
She read it twice.
“I didn’t do that.”
“Your name is already involved.”
“Dad.”
“We need to contain the damage.”
She pushed the paper back.
“You mean I need to take it.”
His expression hardened.
“I have protected you your entire life.”
Vanessa stared at him.
The houses. The parties. The lawyers who arrived before consequences could.
She had always called that love.
“Did you protect me,” she asked, “or teach me you could make anything disappear?”
Richard stood.
“Be careful.”
She left without the statement.
In the hallway, she heard him call his attorney.
“If she refuses, release the internal emails. Make it clear she acted alone.”
May you like
Vanessa stopped outside the door.
For the first time in her life, her father was using the same voice on her that he used on everyone else.
