Chapter 12 - LILY'S CAMERA
Adrian changed tactics.
He claimed Vivian manipulated him and that Claire had helped stage her own locking to gain sympathy and board control.
His lawyers produced a video.
Claire appeared to say:
"Lock me away if you have to. Just make sure Lily believes it."
Rachel paused the frame.
"Deepfake."
But a fake could still poison public opinion.
Lily raised her hand.
"I have the real one."
Her toy camera had been left recording under a couch three days before the wedding.
The original conversation showed Adrian pressuring Claire to sign a management authorization.
Claire refused.
Then Vivian entered.
"Children make women sentimental. Don't discuss Lily's trust tonight."
Claire on the real recording asked, "Why are you talking about my daughter's trust?"
The fake had been built from pieces of that conversation.
Brooks smiled.
"Lily just gave us the source material."
The management authorization led to another layer of the scheme.
It would not give Adrian Lily's shares.
It would give him influence over the Mercer Foundation.
Six hundred million dollars in charitable assets.
Vance companies were already listed as proposed investment managers.
Hundreds of millions in future fees.
Then federal agents traced Vivian's Cayman accounts.
One payment stood out.
Five million dollars to Riverstone Recovery Services.
A private psychiatric facility.
Patient reservation:
CLAIRE MERCER VANCE.
Admission date: wedding night.
Estimated stay: ninety days.
No family contact except spouse.
Claire stopped breathing.
They had booked the hospital before drugging her.
A second transport reservation was attached.
LILY MERCER.
Destination: St. Anne's.
Same departure time.
Mother and daughter were supposed to be separated before sunrise.
Lily held Claire's hand.
"They were going to make us disappear."
Claire looked at the paperwork.
"No."
Her voice hardened.
"They were going to make institutions agree not to listen to us."
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Then Brooks received a new alert.
Adrian had escaped house arrest.
