Chapter 5 - The First Betrayal
Victoria refused to surrender her phone without a warrant.
Detective Reyes could not legally force her.
Nathan could still make one decision.
“The wedding is canceled.”
Victoria stared at him.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“You’re in shock.”
“I watched you stand over Grace with a weapon.”
“She threatened everything we built.”
Nathan heard the words carefully.
Everything we built.
Not our relationship.
Not our future.
Everything we built.
“What exactly did we build, Victoria?”
Her jaw tightened.
Daniel’s phone rang.
He answered.
Thirty seconds later, he looked at Nathan.
“We have an access log.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
Daniel continued.
“Grace’s personnel file was downloaded this morning.”
“By who?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Your executive credentials.”
Nathan stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“I know.”
Nathan’s credentials required biometric authentication.
His fingerprint.
His face.
Or a backup security token.
Daniel looked at him.
“Where is your backup token?”
Nathan thought.
Then remembered.
His home office safe.
He ran upstairs.
The others followed.
The safe door was closed.
Nathan entered the code.
Inside sat financial documents.
A passport.
Cash.
But the security token was gone.
He turned toward Victoria.
She stood in the doorway.
“You know my safe code.”
“So does Daniel.”
Daniel looked offended.
“I haven’t entered this house without Nathan present in years.”
Victoria smiled faintly.
“Convenient.”
Nathan checked the security log on his office computer.
Someone had opened the safe at 7:14 that morning.
His household system recorded every electronic lock.
Victoria had arrived at 6:50.
Grace had arrived for work at 8:00.
Nathan had left for a breakfast meeting at 6:30.
Victoria folded her arms.
“That still doesn’t prove anything.”
Nathan stepped toward her.
“No.”
“But it tells me where to keep looking.”
Downstairs, Lily suddenly screamed.
Grace ran.
Nathan followed.
Mrs. Alvarez stood outside Lily’s room.
The window was open.
Cold air moved through the curtains.
On the bed lay a red envelope.
Grace grabbed Lily.
Nathan picked up the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Grace.
Pregnant.
Leaving a doctor’s office five years earlier.
A black marker had drawn a line across her stomach.
Nathan felt rage rise through him.
There was a note.
Leave before midnight.
Or history repeats itself.
Grace began shaking.
Nathan turned the photograph over.
At the bottom was a stamped symbol.
A silver V inside a circle.
Daniel arrived and stared.
“What is it?”
Grace looked at Victoria.
“The Vale family seal.”
Victoria said nothing.
Then Daniel’s face changed.
“Nathan.”
“What?”
“I’ve seen that symbol somewhere else.”
“Where?”
May you like
Daniel looked toward the hidden library.
“On the envelope your father ordered me never to give you unless Grace Bennett returned.”
