Chapter 4: The Woman In The Photograph
I stared at the picture until my vision blurred.
Elena.
My wife.
The mother of my daughter.
Gone for nearly two years.
But there she was.
Standing in the garden behind this very mansion.
And beside her was Victoria.
I looked up slowly.
Victoria was watching me.
She knew.
Somehow, she knew exactly what I had just seen.
“Marcus?”” Andrew asked.
I didn’t answer.
I turned the phone toward him.
The moment he saw the picture, his expression changed.
“Where did you get this?””
“Someone sent it to me.””
“When?””
“Just now.””
Andrew studied the image carefully.
“This picture was taken before you married Victoria.””
My heart raced.
“What does that mean?””
He looked at Victoria.
“It means they knew each other.””
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
I noticed.
“You said no before I even asked.””
She looked away.
“That doesn’t prove anything.””
I stepped closer.
“Did you know my wife?””
Silence.
That silence was the answer.
Victoria finally spoke.
“Yes.””
The room seemed to shrink.
“How?””
She swallowed.
“Your wife and I met years ago.””
“Where?””
“At a charity event.””
I laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Elena never mentioned you.””
Victoria’s face tightened.
“She didn’t tell you everything.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
Because a small part of me had always wondered if there were things I didn’t know about Elena’s life.
But I never imagined this.
“What did you want from her?””
Victoria looked at me.
“I didn’t want anything.””
Andrew interrupted.
“Then why did you access documents connected to her daughter?””
Victoria didn’t respond.
I watched her carefully.
The confident woman from the pool party was gone.
Now she looked cornered.
“I loved Marcus.””
Her voice was softer.
“I still do.””
I felt nothing.
“You tried to take my daughter’s inheritance.””
“No.””
“Then explain it.””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Suddenly, Daniel rushed into the room.
“Mr. Carter.””
Everyone turned.
He was holding a tablet.
“We found the footage.””
My heart stopped.
“From the pool?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
Victoria immediately stepped backward.
“Daniel, don’t.””
But Daniel pressed play.
The room filled with silence.
The video showed the pool area.
The guests.
The decorations.
Victoria holding Amara.
Then the footage stopped.
A minute before the incident.
The screen showed Victoria looking around.
Checking if anyone was watching.
Then she reached into her purse.
And pulled out a small device.
A camera blocker.
Nobody spoke.
Then the video continued.
Victoria looked directly toward the camera.
And said something.
Something nobody had heard before.
Daniel turned up the volume.
Victoria’s recorded voice echoed through the room.
“After tonight, Marcus won’t have a choice.””
My blood ran cold.
Andrew looked at me.
“What does that mean?””
The footage continued.
Victoria placed the device near the security panel.
Then she made a phone call.
A man answered.
Her next words made everyone freeze.
“Once the baby is gone, the trust money becomes much easier to access.””
My grip tightened around my daughter.
Victoria stepped toward me.
“Marcus, wait—”
But nobody was listening anymore.
Because on the video screen, the man on the other end of the call finally spoke.
And I recognized his voice.
It belonged to someone I trusted.
May you like
Someone who had been helping me protect Amara since the day Elena died.
Someone who had just walked into the mansion.
