Chapter 14 - What the Fire Could Not Burn
The east wing suffered heavy smoke damage.
Fortunately, everyone survived.
The fire department quickly determined the blaze had not been accidental.
Someone had poured an accelerant across the archive room carpet.
Someone wanted the files destroyed.
But they had made one mistake.
Daniel had already copied everything.
Victoria’s investigation included hundreds of pages.
Bank records.
Employee histories.
Photographs.
Private medical information.
Divorce filings.
Debt records.
And surveillance reports.
Rosa’s file was nearly sixty pages long.
Ethan sat beside her in the temporary guesthouse while she read it.
“They followed me to Lily’s preschool.”
“Yes.”
“They interviewed my neighbors.”
“Yes.”
“They photographed my mother’s clinic.”
Ethan’s voice tightened.
“Yes.”
Rosa reached the final page.
There was an assessment written by a private investigator.
High probability child is Ethan Caldwell’s biological daughter.
Date: six months earlier.
Rosa looked up.
Victoria had known.
Not merely suspected.
Known.
Another page contained an instruction from Victoria.
Delay disclosure until after marriage documents are executed.
Rosa stared at the words.
“She wanted you married before you knew.”
Ethan felt physically sick.
Victoria had been willing to enter a marriage while hiding his child from him.
Worse, Richard had helped.
Daniel arrived.
“We identified the person who entered the estate before the fire.”
A photograph appeared.
Jonathan.
Ethan’s former chief of staff.
Rosa stared.
“I thought he was cooperating.”
“So did we.”
Jonathan was arrested an hour later.
Under questioning, he confessed.
Victoria had called him.
She told him the files contained information that would send him to prison for deleting security evidence.
She promised money.
A new identity.
Medical care for his wife.
All he had to do was destroy the archive.
Jonathan insisted he never intended the fire to spread.
Ethan did not care.
His daughter could have died.
That night, Victoria finally called Ethan.
He answered.
“You nearly killed Lily.”
“I did not start that fire.”
“You sent Jonathan.”
“I told him to destroy documents stolen from me.”
“Inside a house where my daughter was sleeping.”
Victoria’s breathing changed.
“I never wanted Lily hurt.”
“You shoved her.”
“She was ruining everything.”
The words came out before Victoria could stop them.
Ethan became silent.
Victoria realized what she had said.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Ethan, please.”
“No.”
“I love you.”
“You loved what marrying me gave you.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Then why did you hide my daughter?”
Victoria started crying.
Real tears this time.
“Because I knew what would happen.”
Ethan said nothing.
“You would look at Rosa again.”
Her voice broke.
“You would look at that child.”
“And suddenly I would become unnecessary.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“You were never unnecessary.”
For a second, Victoria became quiet.
Then Ethan finished.
“You became unacceptable.”
He ended the call.
Minutes later, Daniel entered.
“Police just located Richard.”
“Where?”
“At a private airfield.”
Ethan stood.
“Was he leaving?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
His expression was strange.
“He was waiting for someone.”
“Who?”
Daniel turned the tablet around.
May you like
Security footage showed a black sedan approaching Richard’s aircraft.
Victoria stepped out.
