Chapter 7 - VANESSA’S REAL PLAN
Adrian stared at the frozen video.
Vanessa.
Lucas.
Together.
It almost sounded absurd.
Until every lie began fitting together.
Rachel spoke first.
“They weren’t just stealing.”
“No.”
Adrian’s voice was quiet.
“They were building something.”
Mercer nodded.
“A way to take control of your company.”
Adrian looked at him.
“You know more.”
Mercer hesitated.
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“Start talking.”
“Lucas needed your voting shares.”
“He couldn’t get them.”
“Not while Emily was alive.”
Rachel suddenly understood.
“Emily’s trust.”
Adrian nodded slowly.
Emily had inherited shares through their marriage agreement.
If Adrian died, control went to Emily.
If Emily died, certain portions returned to Adrian.
But if Adrian remarried under the original family trust rules, a spouse could gain temporary voting authority during medical incapacity.
Rachel said, “Vanessa wanted to marry you.”
Adrian felt sick.
“She kept pushing for it.”
“How close?”
“I bought a ring.”
Sophie stood in the hallway.
“You were going to marry her?”
Adrian turned.
“Sweetheart…”
“You were going to make her my new mom?”
The pain in Sophie’s voice cut deeper than anger.
“No one could ever replace your mother.”
“But you were going to marry the woman who hurt her.”
Adrian had no answer.
Sophie’s face crumpled.
She ran back to the bedroom and slammed the door.
Adrian started after her.
Rachel stopped him.
“Give her a minute.”
“She thinks I betrayed her.”
“You were manipulated.”
“That won’t matter to an eight-year-old.”
His phone rang.
Vanessa.
Adrian answered on speaker.
“Where’s Sophie?”
His voice turned hard.
“Stay away from her.”
“Oh, Adrian. Don’t be dramatic.”
“You killed Emily.”
Silence.
Then Vanessa laughed.
A slow, almost disappointed laugh.
“So you found the recording.”
Mercer’s eyes widened.
She wasn’t denying it.
Adrian whispered, “You’re a monster.”
“No. I’m practical.”
Rachel started recording the call.
Vanessa continued.
“Emily should’ve minded her own business.”
“You ran her off the road.”
“She panicked.”
“You went to the hospital.”
Another silence.
“That part will be difficult to prove.”
Adrian’s fists tightened.
“You think this is funny?”
“I think you still don’t understand.”
“Understand what?”
“You believe this is about me and Lucas.”
“It is.”
“No.”
Her voice changed.
For the first time, she sounded serious.
“Lucas is terrified.”
“Of what?”
“Not what.”
A pause.
“Who.”
Rachel leaned toward the phone.
“Who’s above Lucas?”
Vanessa laughed softly.
“You really think eight million dollars disappeared from a company as big as Cole Development because of one spoiled rich brother?”
Adrian felt his skin go cold.
“Who are you working for?”
Vanessa ignored the question.
“You froze the accounts today.”
“Yes.”
“That was a mistake.”
“Why?”
“Because now they know you know.”
Adrian looked at Rachel.
Then a huge explosion shook the building.
The windows blew inward.
Sophie screamed from the bedroom.
Adrian dropped the phone.
Smoke filled the apartment.
Rachel hit the floor.
Mercer shouted, “Get Sophie!”
Adrian ran through broken glass.
The bedroom door had collapsed inward.
“Sophie!”
No answer.
He pushed through smoke.
The window was shattered.
The bed was empty.
Then he saw the teddy bear lying on the floor.
May you like
Beside it was Sophie’s pink shoe.
But Sophie was gone.
