Chapter 8 - WHAT THE DETECTIVE KNEW
Rachel arrived with two investigators.
Daniel handed her the copied files.
She wasn't surprised by Marcus's name.
That frightened him.
“You suspected him?”
“Your father did.”
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
“We had suspicion.”
Rachel looked at him.
“Not proof.”
She opened one of the banking records.
“This changes that.”
Daniel pointed toward Vanessa's message.
“She has Elena.”
Rachel read it.
“We'll get her back.”
“And the baby.”
Rachel looked up sharply.
“She’s pregnant?”
Daniel nodded.
“My child.”
Rachel's expression softened for half a second.
Then she became professional again.
“We need to assume Vanessa is desperate.”
Daniel looked toward the clock.
“I’m going.”
“You are.”
Rachel surprised him.
“But you're not going alone.”
At 11:42 p.m., Daniel drove toward the abandoned Caldwell estate.
A tracker was hidden beneath his collar.
Rachel's team followed from a distance.
The flash drive in Daniel's pocket contained nothing.
The real evidence was already secured.
Daniel entered the dark mansion at 11:58.
Vanessa stood in the ballroom.
Marcus stood beside her.
And Elena sat in a chair near the fireplace.
Her hands weren't tied.
They didn't need to be.
Two men stood behind her.
Vanessa smiled.
“You came.”
Daniel looked only at Elena.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Daniel, don't give them anything.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Touching.”
Daniel finally looked at him.
“You stood beside me at my father's funeral.”
Marcus's expression didn't change.
“I respected Charles.”
“You betrayed him.”
“I disagreed with him.”
“You stole from him.”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Business is rarely as clean as wealthy sons imagine.”
Daniel reached into his pocket.
Vanessa immediately raised a hand.
“The drive.”
Daniel held it up.
“Let Elena leave.”
Vanessa laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Understand what?”
May you like
Her smile disappeared.
“Elena was never supposed to survive long enough to have that baby.”
