Chapter 3 - Vanessa's Real Name
Vanessa Monroe.
That was the name on Daniel's marriage certificate.
Evan placed an old photograph on the desk.
A younger woman stood outside a courthouse beside two men in suits.
Daniel recognized her instantly.
Vanessa.
But the caption beneath the photo read:
VANESSA KEENE, DAUGHTER OF MARTIN KEENE, FORMER CONTROLLER, STELLAN DYNAMICS.
Daniel read it twice.
"Her father worked for mine?"
"He controlled internal accounting during the collapse."
"Vanessa told me her father died when she was twelve."
"Martin Keene died five years ago."
Daniel sat down.
"You think she targeted me."
Evan did not soften it.
"Yes."
Daniel laughed once, but nothing about it was funny.
"Why marry me?"
"We don't know yet."
"That's not good enough."
"Then help me find out."
A sound came from the hall.
They turned.
Vanessa stood at the office entrance.
Her face was white.
She had heard enough.
"Daniel," she said carefully, "he's lying to you."
Evan reached for his phone.
Vanessa's attention snapped to the movement.
"Don't."
Daniel stood between them.
"Is your name Vanessa Keene?"
She looked at him.
For a moment she looked tired rather than frightened.
"It was."
"Was Martin Keene your father?"
"Yes."
"Why did you lie?"
"Because your family destroyed mine."
Daniel went still.
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"Your father blamed mine for everything. My father lost his career, his home, his health. He died still trying to prove Robert Stellan had framed him."
"So you married me?"
"I married you because I loved you."
Evan said, "You entered his company network six weeks before your first date."
Vanessa turned toward him.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Evan placed a printout on the desk.
LOGIN: VKEENE_ARCHIVE.
Daniel looked at the timestamp.
Six weeks before he met Vanessa.
Then another line caught his eye.
May you like
FILE ACCESSED: PROJECT LILY.
The date was four years before his daughter was born.
