Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN BEHIND WILLOW
Margaret Carter sat across from Daniel inside the mansion library.
His wrists were bound.
Blood ran from his mouth.
Rosa sat beside him.
Also restrained.
Margaret poured herself tea.
“You always were stubborn.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You always were insane.”
Margaret smiled.
“Thomas used to say that.”
“Thomas was right about something.”
She stopped smiling.
Daniel looked at Rosa.
“You okay?”
Rosa nodded weakly.
Margaret noticed.
“Still protecting everyone.”
“Someone has to.”
“You killed your father.”
“To protect Vanessa.”
“You married Evelyn.”
“To protect Evelyn.”
“You stole nine million dollars.”
“To protect Hope.”
Margaret laughed.
“Daniel, have you ever considered that you're simply a criminal who enjoys pretending his crimes are noble?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Have you?”
Margaret's smile disappeared.
At the cemetery, Marcus refused to let Evelyn go to the mansion.
“She has hostages.”
“One is my husband.”
“And you have a premature newborn.”
“Then help me.”
“We will.”
Thomas spoke from the police vehicle.
“Margaret knows every entrance.”
Marcus looked at him.
“She designed the security system.”
Evelyn frowned.
“My mother?”
Thomas nodded.
“There's a tunnel.”
“Where?”
“Old wine cellar.”
Police surrounded the estate.
Evelyn stayed inside the command vehicle with Hope.
Thomas gave Marcus the tunnel location.
Marcus entered with a tactical team.
Inside the library, Margaret received an alert.
She looked at the security monitor.
“Thomas.”
Daniel smiled.
“You knew he'd come.”
“I hoped he would.”
Margaret pressed a button.
The tunnel doors locked.
Gas began filling the passage.
Marcus's team retreated.
Margaret called Evelyn.
“You brought police.”
“You kidnapped my husband.”
“Bring me the ledger.”
“No.”
“Then listen.”
Margaret placed the phone beside Daniel.
She raised a gun.
Evelyn heard the hammer click.
“Mom.”
“One minute.”
“Don't.”
“Bring me the ledger.”
Evelyn looked at Thomas.
He shook his head.
“She'll kill him anyway.”
Evelyn knew he might be right.
But Daniel spoke through the phone.
“Evelyn.”
She closed her eyes.
“Daniel.”
“Don't give it to her.”
Margaret struck him.
Evelyn flinched.
“Stop!”
Daniel laughed through the pain.
“Still not giving it to her.”
Margaret pointed the gun at his chest.
“Thirty seconds.”
Evelyn made her decision.
“I'll bring it.”
Marcus objected.
Thomas objected.
Evelyn ignored both.
She handed Hope to a female officer.
Then she took the second ledger.
“I go through the front door.”
Marcus stared.
“Absolutely not.”
“She wants me.”
“She wants the ledger.”
“Exactly.”
Evelyn approached the mansion alone.
The doors opened.
Margaret waited inside.
For the first time, Evelyn didn't see her mother.
She saw the architect of everything that had destroyed their family.
“Where's Daniel?”
“Library.”
“Rosa?”
“Alive.”
Evelyn held up the ledger.
“Let them go.”
“Give me that.”
“No.”
Margaret smiled.
“You finally learned to negotiate.”
“I learned from watching criminals.”
“Your father?”
“You.”
Margaret's face tightened.
“You don't understand what Willow built.”
“I understand what it destroyed.”
“It gave us everything.”
“It cost me my family.”
“I am your family.”
“No.”
Those words hurt Margaret.
Evelyn saw it.
Good.
Margaret stepped closer.
“Give me the ledger.”
“Tell me why you wanted me dead.”
Margaret became quiet.
“I didn't.”
“Your driver confessed.”
“He misunderstood.”
“He cut the staircase rail?”
“No.”
Evelyn froze.
“Then who did?”
Margaret smiled sadly.
“Daniel.”
Evelyn stared.
“That's a lie.”
“Ask him.”
Margaret opened the library door.
Daniel sat inside.
Evelyn looked at him.
“Did you cut the railing?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Her stomach dropped.
“Daniel.”
“Yes.”
The word destroyed her.
“Why?”
“To make you believe someone wanted you dead.”
Evelyn stared.
“What?”
Daniel struggled against the ropes.
“I needed you scared enough to leave the mansion.”
“You cut a railing while I was pregnant?”
“I reinforced the lower section.”
“You could have killed me!”
“You weren't supposed to fall.”
“Vanessa pushed me!”
“I didn't know she would.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
Every person she loved had endangered her for some larger plan.
“Why should I trust any of you?”
Daniel had no answer.
Margaret extended her hand.
“The ledger.”
Evelyn looked at it.
Then at the fireplace.
Margaret understood too late.
“No.”
Evelyn threw the ledger into the flames.
Margaret screamed.
She lunged forward.
Evelyn stepped aside.
Marcus's tactical team crashed through the windows.
Margaret reached for her gun.
Daniel shouted.
“EVELYN!”
A shot exploded.
Evelyn fell.
For one horrifying second, everyone thought she had been hit.
Then Margaret dropped the gun.
Blood spread across her shoulder.
Rosa stood behind her.
A second weapon trembled in Rosa's hand.
Police rushed forward.
Marcus grabbed Margaret.
Evelyn looked at the burning ledger.
Margaret began laughing.
“You think you won?”
Evelyn stared at her.
“The ledger is gone.”
Margaret smiled through the pain.
“That wasn't the original.”
Evelyn's face changed.
Margaret leaned closer as officers dragged her away.
“The original was never in this house.”
“Where is it?”
Margaret laughed.
“Ask Rosa.”
Everyone turned.
Rosa lowered the gun.
Her face went pale.
Evelyn stared at her.
“Rosa?”
Rosa slowly backed away.
Then Daniel whispered the sentence nobody expected.
“Evelyn…”
May you like
He stared at the maid.
“Rosa isn't her real name.”
