Chapter 12 - THE GIRL WHO CARRIED THE LAST PIECE OF THE TRUTH
“Let her go.”
August’s voice was quiet.
But everyone in the room heard the threat.
Richard smiled.
“Still giving orders.”
August looked at the phone.
Elsie sat on the couch.
Scared.
But holding Caroline’s ring.
Victoria looked at the screen.
“She’s tougher than I expected.”
Caroline’s eyes filled with anger.
“Don’t touch my daughter.”
Victoria turned.
“Your daughter?”
She laughed.
“You still think you have a family.”
August stepped between them.
“You don’t get to talk about family.”
Victoria’s smile disappeared.
For the first time...
She looked hurt.
But only for a second.
Then the cold expression returned.
“You know what the worst part was, August?”
He didn’t answer.
“It wasn’t Caroline finding out.”
She looked at him.
“It was watching you choose everyone else over her.”
August froze.
“What?”
Victoria continued.
“She came to you that night.”
Caroline looked confused.
“What?”
Victoria smiled.
“She stood outside your office.”
August’s face changed.
“I was there.”
“Yes.”
The room became silent.
“You were inside.”
August shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“She waited.”
Caroline looked at her father.
“Dad?”
August felt his memory returning.
That night.
The rain.
The phone call.
The meeting he refused to cancel.
He thought Caroline left because she was angry.
But maybe...
She was waiting for him.
Victoria whispered:
“You chose your company.”
August’s eyes filled with pain.
“No…”
Caroline looked away.
“Is that true?”
August couldn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know.
And that hurt more than any lie.
Victoria saw the doubt.
She smiled.
“See?”
“This is why she left.”
Caroline shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“My father made mistakes.”
She looked at August.
“But he would never do what you did.”
Victoria’s expression changed.
“What?”
Caroline stepped forward.
“You didn’t just hide me.”
She pointed at Richard.
“You tried to erase me.”
Richard became nervous.
Caroline continued.
“You forgot one thing.”
“What?”
“My mother.”
August looked confused.
“Your mother?”
Caroline nodded.
“Before she died, she gave me copies of everything.”
Victoria’s face changed.
“She knew.”
Caroline smiled.
“She knew you were dangerous.”
August looked at his daughter.
“Where are the copies?”
Caroline looked toward the phone showing Elsie.
“Elsie knows.”
Everyone froze.
Richard stepped forward.
“What?”
Caroline smiled.
“She memorized where I hid them.”
Victoria laughed.
“She’s seven years old.”
Caroline looked at her.
“She’s my daughter.”
Suddenly, the phone screen changed.
The live video disappeared.
A new message appeared.
From Elsie.
A location.
August stared.
Because it was not from the mansion.
It was from somewhere else.
A place Victoria never expected.
The old Caldwell family vault.
Thomas Reed’s voice came through August’s phone.
“August…”
He sounded shocked.
“She found it.”
August looked at Caroline.
“Found what?”
Thomas whispered:
“The evidence that can destroy them all.”
And somewhere across the city…
Victoria received the same message.
Her smile disappeared.
May you like
Because for the first time in eight years…
She was the one who was losing control.
