Chapter 2 - THE WEST WING
Nathan’s security chief arrived in less than ninety seconds.
Daniel Reyes was forty-five, broad-shouldered, former Secret Service, and usually so calm he could make a house fire sound like a scheduling issue.
That night, he took one look at Nathan’s face and stopped asking polite questions.
“Sir?”
“Secure this room. Nobody touches the glass.”
Reyes glanced at Vanessa.
She folded her arms.
“This is absurd.”
Nathan ignored her.
“Sophia says she saw something upstairs.”
Vanessa snapped, “Sophia is three.”
I pulled my daughter closer.
“She’s also standing right here.”
Vanessa looked at me.
“You need to remember who employs you.”
Nathan’s head turned.
“I do.”
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
Nathan walked toward the staircase.
“Maria. Bring Sophia.”
I hesitated.
“Mr. Cole—”
“If she saw something, I need to know where.”
“She’s scared.”
Nathan crouched in front of Sophia.
His signing was clumsy.
SORRY.
HELP?
Sophia studied him.
Then nodded.
The west wing always felt different at night.
Quieter.
Colder.
Vanessa used two rooms there: a sitting room and a private study that staff were instructed never to enter unless specifically asked.
Sophia held my hand as we walked.
Nathan followed.
Reyes came behind us with one security officer.
Vanessa trailed everyone.
“This is a violation of my privacy.”
Nathan didn’t turn.
“It’s my house.”
“My belongings are still private.”
“Then I guess we’re about to find out how much that matters.”
Sophia stopped outside Vanessa’s study.
She pointed.
ROOM.
Nathan tried the knob.
Locked.
Vanessa exhaled sharply.
“There. Happy? It’s locked because I have jewelry and private documents inside.”
Nathan looked at Reyes.
“Open it.”
“Nathan, you cannot just—”
Reyes produced a key ring.
Vanessa stepped forward.
I had never seen her move that quickly.
“No.”
Nathan blocked her.
“Why not?”
“Because this is disgusting. You’re letting an employee’s child turn you against the woman you’re marrying.”
Sophia hid behind me.
Nathan saw it.
“Lower your voice.”
Vanessa laughed in disbelief.
“You’re defending her?”
“I’m defending a three-year-old from an adult who’s screaming at her.”
Reyes opened the door.
We entered.
Everything inside Vanessa’s study was perfect.
Cream rug.
White shelves.
Gold-framed photographs.
Fresh flowers.
Nothing out of place.
Sophia walked directly toward the desk.
She pointed to the bottom drawer.
BOX.
Vanessa’s breathing changed.
Nathan noticed.
“So open it.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“There’s nothing.”
“Then open it.”
She didn’t move.
Reyes stepped around Nathan.
The drawer was locked.
He knelt.
Vanessa suddenly reached into her purse.
Reyes was faster.
“Hands where I can see them.”
Everyone froze.
She stared at him.
“I was getting the key.”
“Then say that first.”
Her face burned red.
She slowly removed a small key.
Reyes unlocked the drawer.
Inside was a jewelry case.
Receipts.
Two folders.
A prescription bottle.
And a small blue box.
Sophia pointed so hard her whole arm shook.
THAT.
Vanessa immediately said, “Those are vitamins.”
Reyes opened the blue box.
Inside were individually wrapped white tablets.
No label.
Nathan stared.
“What are they?”
Vanessa shrugged.
“Sleep aids.”
“Why aren’t they labeled?”
“I travel. I put them in a smaller box.”
Nathan picked up the prescription bottle.
The label was partly torn away.
“Whose prescription?”
“My mother’s.”
“Your mother lives in Arizona.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you have her medication?”
“For God’s sake, Nathan.”
He passed the bottle to Reyes.
“Bag everything.”
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“You’re not the police.”
“No. But if lab results say those pills match whatever has been in my blood, the police will be here fast enough.”
For the first time, Vanessa looked frightened.
Not angry.
Frightened.
Then Sophia tugged my hand.
MORE.
She pointed at the desk.
More?
She crouched.
I followed.
Beneath the desk was a wastebasket.
Sophia reached toward it.
I stopped her.
Reyes put on gloves and lifted the bag.
Several torn pieces of paper were mixed with tissues and envelopes.
One piece showed part of Nathan’s name.
Reyes reconstructed three fragments on the desk.
Nathan leaned closer.
“What is that?”
At first, I only saw numbers.
Then I saw the logo.
Harrison Mutual Life.
Nathan went still.
Vanessa said nothing.
Reyes turned over another torn fragment.
$40,000,000.
Beneficiary:
Vanessa Hale.
Nathan slowly looked at her.
She shook her head.
“That isn’t what it looks like.”
Nathan laughed.
Just once.
There was nothing amused about it.
“A forty-million-dollar life insurance policy with you as beneficiary?”
“It’s normal estate planning.”
“I’ve never seen this.”
“Our financial adviser—”
“My financial adviser doesn’t move forty million dollars without telling me.”
He gathered another piece.
Near the bottom was a line of print.
Policy condition effective upon legal marriage.
Nathan read it twice.
Vanessa stepped forward.
“That wording is standard.”
Nathan looked at her.
“No.”
His voice had gone flat.
“It isn’t.”
The room felt suddenly smaller.
The wedding was in fourteen days.
If the policy became fully effective upon marriage, then the date printed on their invitations wasn’t only a wedding date.
It was a financial trigger.
Nathan turned to Reyes.
“Call Harrison Mutual.”
Vanessa’s face drained white.
Then Reyes’ phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Nathan asked.
Reyes covered the microphone.
“Dr. Mercer’s at the gate.”
“And?”
Reyes looked directly at Vanessa.
“He says Nathan’s last blood panel showed something he didn’t know how to explain.”
May you like
Vanessa took one step backward.
And for the first time that night, she looked toward the door.
