CHAPTER FIFTEEN #2
Her gaze moved to Damian.
“What is this?”
He descended the stairs.
Elena looked around. “Damian, why are there officers in the bedrooms?”
“Take Sophie to the main house.”
Vanessa caught her daughter’s shoulder.
“No.”
Damian continued down.
“The police are coming.”
Color left Vanessa’s face.
Elena frowned. “Police?”
“Julian will explain.”
Vanessa gave a small laugh. “Explain what?”
Damian reached the bottom step.
“Why Alyssa’s jewelry is in your closet.”
Sophie looked up at her mother.
Vanessa’s fingers tightened against the child’s shoulder.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Her medical files are in your suitcase.”
“Alyssa planted them.”
“She has not entered this property since I ordered her out.”
The words nearly stopped him.
He forced himself to continue.
“We found the copied security credential. The forged foundation forms. Photographs of the estate taken months before you arrived.”
Vanessa looked toward the open door.
Two officers stood outside.
Another waited near the kitchen.
She calculated quickly. He could see it now.
Every pause.
Every glance.
Every small adjustment aimed at the nearest weakness.
“Damian,” Elena said, “perhaps this should be handled privately.”
“No.”
Vanessa released Sophie.
The child backed toward Elena.
“You’ve misunderstood,” Vanessa said.
“I understood exactly what Alyssa told me.”
Her mouth hardened.
“So this is about her.”
“It has always been about her.”
Vanessa approached him.
The bandage on her wrist had disappeared during the appointment. A pale support wrap remained, loose enough to slide along her skin.
“Charles made those documents,” she said. “He wanted you to think I was unstable.”
“Charles did not place Alyssa’s rings in your cosmetic bag.”
“He came here.”
“Security has no record of him entering.”
“He knows people.”
“Stop.”
The word echoed through the guesthouse.
Vanessa went still.
Damian had used that tone on Alyssa at the gala.
On his wife.
Because Vanessa wanted him to.
“Where is the phone from the staircase?” he asked.
“I lost it when she pushed me.”
“Alyssa did not push you.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
The tears no longer moved him.
“You saw me bleeding.”
“I saw what you arranged for me to see.”
“You believe her now?”
The question carried genuine injury.
That was the ugliest part.
Vanessa believed his trust had belonged to her.
“I should have believed her at the gate.”
He took out his phone.
“The police will search the guesthouse. Julian has already sent copies of the documents to counsel.”
Vanessa moved closer.
“Don’t do this.”
“You destroyed my marriage.”
“No.” Her voice dropped. “I showed you what it was.”
“You engineered every crisis.”
“I gave you choices.”
“And I failed every one.”
The admission tasted like blood.
Vanessa stared at him.
Damian pressed the call button.
She seized his wrist.
“Listen to me.”
He removed her hand.
“Do not touch me.”
“I came back for you.”
“I never asked you to.”
“You promised.”
“Fifteen years ago.”
“You said I could call if I was ever in danger.”
“You were not in danger.”
Her face changed.
“I was losing everything.”
“So you decided to take Alyssa’s life.”
“It should have been mine.”
The words entered the room cleanly.
Elena made a shocked sound near the door.
Sophie stood beside her, white-faced.
Vanessa saw the child.
Regret appeared too late.
She turned back to Damian and rose onto her toes.
Her mouth aimed for his.
Damian caught both her shoulders and pushed her away before her lips reached him.
“No.”
Vanessa stumbled against the console table.
The pharmacy bag fell from Sophie’s hand.
A bottle rolled across the floor.
Damian stepped back.
“There has never been anything between us.”
“There was.”
“Fifteen years ago.”
“You loved me.”
“I loved who I believed you were.”
Her hand flew to her cheek.
Fingernails scraped hard across the skin.
Four red lines appeared.
Before Damian understood, Vanessa tore open the front of her blouse.
Buttons struck the floor.
She dragged one sleeve down her shoulder and screamed.
“Get away from me!”
Sophie cried out.
Vanessa seized the child and pulled her close.
“Tell them,” she said. “Tell them what he did.”
Sophie stared at Damian.
“Vanessa,” Elena whispered.
“Tell them he attacked me.”
The child began shaking.
Damian took a careful step forward.
“Let Sophie go.”
Vanessa dragged her backward toward the study.
“You hurt Mommy,” she told the child. “You saw him.”
“No,” Sophie said.
The single word came out barely audible.
Vanessa’s expression sharpened.
“Say it.”
Sophie shook her head.
Vanessa pulled her into the study and slammed the door.
The lock turned.
Damian reached it a second later.
“Open the door.”
Furniture scraped across the floor inside.
Julian came down the stairs.
“What happened?”
“Call the police again. Tell them she has Sophie locked inside.”
A sharp chemical smell reached Damian through the door.
He stopped.
Gasoline.
“Vanessa!”
Liquid splashed across the study floor.
Sophie began crying.
Damian struck the door with his shoulder.
The frame held.
Security officers rushed from the bedroom.
“Get the ram.”
Smoke curled beneath the door.
Damian looked through the narrow glass panel beside it.
Vanessa stood near the desk holding a red gasoline can.
A silver lighter flashed in her other hand.
His lighter.
The monogram caught the light before her thumb moved across the wheel.
Flame rose between her fingers.