Chapter 13 - What Camille Knew
Camille had lied again.
Not about knowing Eric.
About not knowing there was a contingency involving the children.
“My father said they would be safe.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I swear.”
She was crying now.
I felt nothing.
She admitted giving Eric the wedding schedule.
The venue access code.
The side-gate camera blind spot.
But Emma had arrived through the main entrance with a catering group.
Eric saw her too late.
That was why Camille panicked.
That was why she screamed to cancel the wedding.
Not because a child called me Daddy.
Because the plan had failed in public.
Whitmore Capital’s board suspended him.
Lenders froze credit.
News cameras surrounded the building.
I watched none of it.
I was in a pediatric store buying a car seat.
I picked the most expensive one.
Noah put it back.
“Stop panic-buying fatherhood.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“Buy the safe one. Not the one with Italian leather.”
I laughed.
It was the first normal sound I had made in days.
Then my phone rang.
Olivia.
“Alexandre, Emma is gone.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?”
“She was with your mother in the hospital family room.”
“Where’s Ava?”
“With me.”
“Emma?”
“Gone.”
Security footage showed a woman in hospital scrubs leading Emma toward an elevator.
The woman removed her mask inside the parking garage.
I recognized her.
Camille’s mother.
Margaret Whitmore.
She had barely spoken during the wedding.
She had also never been part of the investigation.
Until now.
On camera, Margaret opened a car door.
May you like
Emma climbed in.
Then the car drove away.
