Chapter 14 - The Second Compartment
The file contained a video recorded inside the Moretti mansion, two weeks before Elena vanished. Victor Shaw stood in Vincent's study with Vanessa. They were discussing the trust, the baby, and the need to make Elena look unstable.
Then Victor said something that made Vincent's stomach turn.
"Once the wedding is done, the estate will be under our control. The girl can be sent away. The widow can be managed. And the pregnant maid won't know what she is carrying until it's too late."
Vanessa laughed. "Clara trusts me. She thinks I'm helping her."
Clara stared at the screen. "She told me Daniel's death was a drunk-driving accident. She brought flowers to his funeral."
Elena reached for her hand. "She wanted you to believe she cared."
The video continued. Victor opened a folder. Inside was Daniel's paternity test and a copy of his birth record.
"Daniel is Anthony's son," Victor said. "If his child is born, the trust can be challenged."
Vincent paused the video.
"They knew Daniel was my brother before I did."
Luca sent the file to the attorney and the state investigator already reviewing the altered accounts. A warrant request was filed.
But the video had one more minute. In it, Vanessa leaned close to the camera, unaware she was being recorded.
May you like
The video showed Vanessa handing Victor a key card to the private clinic. It also showed her taking Clara's appointment folder from the kitchen counter. The same woman who had smiled at Daniel's funeral had been tracking his widow and the child he left behind.
"If Clara has the baby, I will make sure she never gets to raise it."
