Chapter 10 - the husband who believed her
Ethan returned to the Mercer house shortly before midnight.
Vanessa was sitting in the living room wearing a cream robe. A book rested in her lap.
She looked up as though nothing had happened.
“Where is Sophie?”
“With Rachel.”
“For how long?”
“Until we understand what happened.”
Vanessa closed the book.
“You mean until you decide whether to believe your daughter or your wife.”
Ethan removed his jacket.
“I want to believe you.”
It was the first lie he told her.
Vanessa studied him carefully.
“Then why did you install cameras?”
“Because I panicked.”
“You accused me.”
“I was angry.”
“You took Sophie away.”
“I made mistakes.”
Vanessa stood.
She approached slowly.
“What changed?”
“I read Claire’s file.”
Her eyes searched his face.
“And?”
“She was investigating financial fraud.”
“Did she mention me?”
“She believed you knew Adrian.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I should have told you.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid you would think I was connected to his crimes.”
“What crimes?”
“Adrian stole money.”
Ethan waited.
The answer came exactly as expected.
“He disappeared before the police could arrest him,” Vanessa continued. “Claire contacted me because she believed I knew where he went.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Then why did she warn me not to trust you?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with practiced pain.
“Because Adrian made her believe I was responsible.”
“Were you?”
She looked directly at him.
“No.”
Ethan let silence stretch between them.
Then he sat on the sofa.
“I miss my daughter.”
Vanessa’s expression softened.
“Bring her home.”
“Will she be safe?”
“Of course.”
He lowered his face into his hands.
“I don’t know what to believe.”
Vanessa sat beside him.
This was the role she understood best.
The patient rescuer.
The woman who gave comfort when confusion became unbearable.
She touched his shoulder.
“You don’t have to solve everything tonight.”
“I’m afraid I already destroyed our family.”
“You didn’t.”
“I accused you of hurting Sophie.”
Vanessa leaned closer.
“She is confused.”
“I know.”
The words were difficult to say.
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“She misses Claire. Sometimes children blame the person who replaces someone they lost.”
“She said you locked her in the cupboard.”
“She locked herself in.”
Ethan nodded slowly.
“I believe you.”
Vanessa’s body relaxed.
He felt it.
She placed her head against his shoulder.
“You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”
Ethan looked toward the hidden camera in the smoke detector.
“I’m sorry.”
For the next six days, Ethan performed the role Vanessa expected.
He brought Sophie home but arranged for Mrs. Bell and two undercover officers to remain nearby at all times.
He pretended the security investigation had ended.
He disabled the visible cameras.
He apologized for doubting Vanessa in front of the household staff.
Vanessa became affectionate again.
She bought Sophie a new doll and read stories beside her bed whenever Ethan watched.
When they were alone, she whispered reminders.
“Your father believes me now.”
Sophie said nothing.
Ethan had explained the plan to her as simply as possible.
“You never have to be alone with Vanessa. Mrs. Bell will always be close. I need Vanessa to think I do not know about the blue file.”
“Are we pretending?”
“For a little while.”
“Like a game?”
“No.”
Ethan held her hands.
“It is important, but you can stop whenever you feel afraid.”
Sophie considered this.
“Will you believe me?”
“Every time.”
On the seventh night, Vanessa entered Ethan’s office.
She waited until she believed he was asleep.
A hidden camera recorded her opening the desk drawer and photographing the foundation transfer schedule.
She called someone from the balcony.
“The dinner is still happening,” she whispered. “He believes the girl invented everything.”
The person on the other end spoke too quietly for the camera to capture.
Vanessa answered, “I will get the authorization during the event.”
Another pause.
“No, the child is no longer a problem.”
Ethan watched the live feed from the guest room.
Miles sat beside him with headphones.
“Can you identify the caller?”
“Encrypted signal.”
“Location?”
“Within five miles.”
Vanessa’s voice continued.
“She does not know where the ledger is.”
The person answered.
Vanessa became tense.
“I searched the box. It was empty.”
Ethan looked at Miles.
The service cupboard.
Vanessa had searched it during the missing minute.
The caller said something else.
Vanessa whispered, “Claire never gave the key to Ethan.”
Miles typed rapidly.
“I have part of the voice.”
“Can you clean it?”
“I need more.”
Ethan turned up the volume.
Vanessa moved closer to the balcony door.
“I’m not going back to Adrian,” she said. “You promised he would remain asleep.”
Ethan’s heart stopped.
Miles looked at him.
Adrian was alive.
And someone was keeping him unconscious or heavily sedated.
Vanessa ended the call.
Before leaving the office, she opened Ethan’s laptop.
She entered a password.
The screen unlocked.
Ethan had changed that password two days earlier.
Only Miles knew the new one.
Ethan slowly turned toward him.
Miles’s face had gone pale.
“I didn’t tell her.”
“Then how did she get it?”
Miles stared at the live feed.
“Because that isn’t your laptop.”
The device on Ethan’s desk looked identical, but the serial number belonged to a computer registered to Mercer Systems.
Someone had replaced it.
The office door opened on the screen.
A man stepped inside.
Only his lower body appeared within the camera angle.
Black shoes.
Silver buckles.
Sophie’s faceless man.
Vanessa spoke to him.
“You took too long.”
The man answered.
“I had to make sure Daniel was blamed.”
May you like
Ethan recognized the voice.
It belonged to someone he had trusted for nearly fifteen years.
