Chapter 13 - The Bride Who Wanted an Empire
Vanessa was gone when they returned to the mansion.
Her bedroom had been cleared.
Jewelry.
Passport.
Cash.
Laptop.
Everything important had disappeared.
On the mirror, someone had written a message in lipstick.
You should have fired the maid.
Emily stared at it.
Daniel punched the doorframe.
Detective Reed immediately issued alerts to airports and border authorities.
But Vanessa had planned ahead.
Her passport remained active under another legal surname.
Her father had created accounts overseas.
Peter Lewis gave investigators everything he knew.
The stolen funds had moved through charities, construction firms, and fake consulting companies.
Vanessa’s engagement to Daniel had never been only about love.
Marriage would have given her access to Hawthorne assets large enough to hide the missing money forever.
Emily stood in the study listening.
Then she noticed something.
“If Vanessa was leaving tonight, why burn the archive?”
Reed looked at her.
“To destroy evidence.”
“But why tie Peter inside?”
Peter went pale.
Emily continued.
“If she wanted evidence destroyed, killing the person who knew everything makes sense.”
Daniel’s expression darkened.
“She planned to murder him.”
Peter started shaking.
Emily looked toward the window.
“And if she was willing to do that, she won’t simply run.”
Reed asked the obvious question.
“What else does she need?”
Emily thought about the anonymous phone call.
The caller had demanded the ledger.
Vanessa knew the ledger could connect the old theft to the new transfers.
“She needs the original ledger.”
Daniel looked toward the third floor.
“It’s in police custody.”
Emily shook her head.
“Does she know that?”
Nobody answered.
Emily’s stomach tightened.
“She thinks it’s still here.”
Margaret suddenly appeared in the doorway.
She had heard everything.
“If she thinks the ledger is inside the mansion, she’ll come back.”
Reed nodded.
“That can work in our favor.”
Daniel immediately objected.
“You want to use my house as bait?”
Reed looked at him.
“I want to use what she wants as bait.”
Emily folded her arms.
“And who will she expect to have it?”
Everyone looked at her.
May you like
Emily already knew the answer.
“Me.”
