Chapter 10 - The Night Before the Pool)
Grant postponed the wedding.
Officially, a storm had damaged part of the outdoor reception area.
Vanessa reacted badly.
"You cannot postpone it."
Grant looked at her.
"It will be one week."
"One week matters."
The words escaped too quickly.
Vanessa realized it immediately.
Grant pretended not to.
"Why?"
She recovered.
"It doesn't. I'm frustrated."
Grant touched her shoulder.
"We'll still have the engagement dinner tomorrow."
Claire watched from the hallway.
Vanessa smiled.
But after Grant left, she stood completely still for several seconds.
Then she took out her phone.
Claire followed her at a distance.
Vanessa walked toward the rear terrace.
Julian was waiting.
Claire activated her recorder.
"Tomorrow night," Julian whispered.
Vanessa looked toward the house.
"Too many people."
"That's better."
"How?"
"Witnesses."
Claire's heart hammered.
Julian continued.
"They need to see the maid panic."
Vanessa folded her arms.
"And the camera?"
"Disabled."
"The new system?"
"I have access."
Claire nearly stepped forward.
She stopped herself.
Vanessa said, "And Grant?"
"Keep him inside for two minutes."
"What about the boy?"
Julian's voice dropped.
Claire could not hear the first sentence.
Then she heard the second.
"The water does the rest."
Claire backed away.
Her shoe touched wet stone.
Julian turned.
Claire ran.
This time she did not wait to be caught.
She crossed the kitchen and locked the door behind her.
Grant and David listened to the recording less than five minutes later.
The phrase was clear.
The water does the rest.
Grant looked murderous.
"We're done."
David agreed.
"Yes."
Claire looked at him.
"Police?"
"They can move on conspiracy, financial theft, threats, and the garage evidence."
Grant picked up his phone.
Before he could call, every light in the mansion went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Noah began crying upstairs.
Claire ran.
Grant followed.
Emergency lights activated.
They reached the nursery.
The crib was empty.
Claire's blood turned cold.
"No."
Grant shouted his son's name.
David called security.
A sound came from the adjoining bathroom.
Claire rushed inside.
The daytime nanny was on the floor.
Alive.
Dazed.
Noah was beside her in a laundry basket.
Grant lifted him.
The nanny opened her eyes.
"Someone hit me."
"Who?"
"I didn't see."
Grant held Noah tightly.
David's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
"The security gate just opened."
"Who left?"
David listened.
"Julian."
Grant cursed.
"Vanessa?"
"Still here."
They found her in the east bedroom.
She claimed to know nothing.
Police arrived.
Julian escaped.
Vanessa's attorney arrived thirty minutes later.
Without stronger direct evidence connecting her to the attack on the nanny, police questioned her but did not arrest her that night.
Grant wanted her removed from the property.
Vanessa refused to leave voluntarily.
Her attorney warned that an accusation without proof would become public.
Grant laughed.
"I don't care."
Vanessa looked at Claire.
"I do."
Claire understood the threat.
Vanessa intended to destroy her publicly.
The next morning tabloids received anonymous messages claiming Grant Mercer's housemaid had become dangerously obsessed with his infant son.
No names were published at first.
By noon Claire's photograph appeared online.
Someone had leaked the planted bracelet story.
Then the strawberry incident.
Then edited security footage showing Claire running through the garden and breaking the terrace window.
To strangers, she looked unstable.
By evening people were calling her a thief.
A liar.
A dangerous employee.
Claire turned off her phone.
Grant stood beside her in the kitchen.
"I'm sorry."
Claire stared at the dark screen.
"They planned this for months."
"Yes."
"I was never just a witness."
"No."
"I was the ending they needed."
Grant nodded.
Claire looked toward Noah.
The baby sat in his high chair playing with a spoon.
Grant said quietly, "You can still leave."
Claire shook her head.
"No."
"Claire."
"They want everyone looking at me."
She stood.
"So let them."
Grant frowned.
Claire's eyes moved toward the pool outside.
"If Vanessa still thinks I'm the perfect scapegoat, she's going to finish the plan."
Grant understood.
"No."
"Grant."
"Absolutely not."
"She won't stop."
"Then police stop her."
"With what?"
He said nothing.
Claire continued.
"She survived every accusation because she never did anything where someone could see."
Grant looked at the pool.
May you like
Claire lowered her voice.
"Tomorrow night, make sure someone sees."
