Chapter 3 – The Secret Behind the Will
Vanessa suddenly laughed.
A desperate, broken laugh.
"You think one recording changes anything?"
Ruiz looked at her calmly.
"No."
He reached into his folder again.
"This does."
He unfolded the last will and testament of Richard Hayes, Ethan's late father.
Olivia looked surprised.
She had never seen it.
Ruiz explained quietly.
"Your father-in-law contacted our office six months before he passed away."
"He believed someone close to the family would eventually target his future grandchild."
Ethan, who had rushed home from the airport moments earlier, stared at the document.
"My father... knew?"
Ruiz nodded.
"He created a trust."
"If anything happened to Olivia or the baby because of intentional violence by a family member..."
He paused.
"...that person's inheritance would immediately be revoked."
Vanessa stopped breathing.
"No..."
Ruiz continued.
"Every share."
"Every property."
"Every investment."
"Everything."
Vanessa lunged toward the papers.
An officer stopped her.
"It was all supposed to be mine!"
The words escaped before she realized what she had admitted.
Silence.
Ruiz looked directly at her.
"Thank you."
"For the confession."
The officers stepped forward.
Handcuffs clicked around Vanessa's wrists.
She turned toward Ethan.
"Crying.
"I did it because I loved you."
Ethan's expression never changed.
"No."
"You did it because you loved what you thought I would inherit."
May you like
For the first time since her arrest...
Vanessa had nothing left to say.
