Chapter 5 - THE HIDDEN CAMERA
Two days later, Corinne returned with Miriam, Officer Ruiz, and a court-appointed supervisor.
Ross waited in the living room with Gwendolyn.
Casey was supposedly at preschool.
The new keypad on Corinne’s office door had been professionally installed. Ross claimed the room contained private marital documents and refused to provide the code.
Officer Ruiz reminded him that the house belonged solely to Corinne.
Ross finally entered six numbers.
The door opened.
At first, the office appeared ordinary.
Then Corinne noticed empty spaces on the shelves.
Her backup drive was gone.
Tax records had been removed.
The fireproof document box sat beneath the desk, scratched around the lock.
Corinne used Casey’s hidden key.
Inside were the original trust documents, property deed, insurance policies, and a sealed envelope from her late father.
Someone had tried to force the box open.
Miriam photographed everything.
While checking the desk, Corinne noticed a small black device connected beneath the monitor.
It was a hidden camera.
The memory card contained dozens of recordings.
Ross had filmed himself searching the office. In one video, Gwendolyn entered carrying the custody folder.
In another, Ross photographed financial documents while complaining that Corinne had “locked away money that should belong to the family.”
Then they found the recording that changed the case.
Gwendolyn stood near the desk, holding Casey by the wrist.
The child was crying.
“You will tell the judge your mother scares you,” Gwendolyn said.
“I want Mommy.”
Gwendolyn tightened her grip.
“You will say what we practiced.”
Ross appeared behind the camera.
“Not so hard,” he said. “Don’t leave a mark before she gets here.”
The room fell silent.
Officer Ruiz immediately called child protective services.
Ross’s face lost all color.
Gwendolyn tried to reach for the camera, but the officer stepped between them.
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For months, Ross had recorded Corinne hoping to use her reactions against her.
Instead, his own hidden camera had recorded the truth.
