Chapter 2
I stared at the text message.
Chloe wasn't going away quietly.
She had documents.
She was threatening to destroy me.
And she was threatening my daughters.
"Trace that number," I told Hector. "Find out who she's talking to. And find everything you can on Chloe. Her past. Her finances. Everything. I want to know who I was really going to marry."
Hector nodded and left.
I went to the kitchen.
Marisol was making breakfast.
The girls were sitting at the table.
Laughing about something.
For the first time in months, they looked happy.
Relaxed.
Safe.
"Good morning," I said.
They looked up.
"Morning, Daddy!" Sofia said.
She ran to me and hugged my legs.
I picked her up.
She was warm.
She smelled like vanilla and shampoo.
"Did you sleep okay?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Marisol read me a story. And she said we can go to the park later. Can we, Daddy? Please?"
I looked at Marisol.
She smiled.
"Of course we can," I said.
We ate breakfast together.
It was peaceful.
Normal.
And I realized how long it had been since we'd had a normal morning.
Chloe had been poisoning our home.
And I hadn't even noticed.
After breakfast, I pulled Marisol aside.
"I need to talk to you," I said.
She nodded.
We went to my office.
I closed the door.
"Chloe isn't going to just disappear," I said. "She's threatening us. She says she has documents. She's going to try to hurt us. And I need to know… did she ever threaten you?"
Marisol looked down.
"She said she'd get me fired," she said quietly. "She said she'd make sure I never worked again. She said she'd tell people I was stealing from you. That I was abusing the girls."
She paused.
"But I didn't care," she said. "Not as long as the girls were safe."
I looked at her.
This woman.
Quiet.
Humble.
Brave.
She'd been protecting my daughters.
At risk to herself.
And I'd almost let Chloe turn me against her.
"Thank you," I said. "For everything. And I want you to know, you're not going anywhere. You're family now. Whatever happens."
Tears filled her eyes.
"Thank you, Mr. Vance."
"Alexander," I said. "Call me Alexander."
She smiled.
"Alexander."
That afternoon, Hector came back with his report.
And it was worse than I'd imagined.
"Chloe's real name isn't Chloe Bennett," he said. "It's Chloe Voss. She has a criminal record. Fraud. Embezzlement. She served two years in prison five years ago. She changed her name when she got out."
I stared at him.
"She's a criminal."
"And there's more," he said. "She's been siphoning money from your accounts. Small amounts. Over the past six months. About $280,000 total. She's been transferring it to offshore accounts."
My blood ran cold.
"How did she get access to my accounts?"
"She had your passwords," he said. "She must have watched you enter them. Or she found them somewhere. And the documents she's talking about… we think she has copies of some of your business records. Private deals. Things that could be taken out of context. Things that could damage your reputation."
I thought about the text message.
*I'll destroy him.*
She wasn't just angry.
She was dangerous.
And she knew too much.
"Where is she now?" I asked.
"She's staying at a hotel in Beverly Hills," he said. "And she's been meeting with someone. A man. We haven't identified him yet. But they've been together constantly since she left the house."
I needed to protect my family.
I needed to end this.
Before Chloe could hurt anyone else.
That evening, I was in the living room with the girls.
We were watching a movie.
Sofia was asleep on my lap.
Valeria was leaning against me.
Marisol was sitting nearby.
Watching us.
Smiling.
And for a moment, everything felt perfect.
Then the doorbell rang.
Hector went to answer it.
He came back a minute later.
His face was grim.
"It's the police," he said. "They have a warrant. They're here to search the house."
I stood up.
Carefully, so I wouldn't wake Sofia.
I handed her to Marisol.
"Take the girls upstairs," I said.
She nodded and carried Sofia away.
Valeria followed.
I walked to the front door.
Two police officers were standing there.
And behind them was Chloe.
Smiling.
Victorious.
"Mr. Vance," one of the officers said. "We have a warrant to search the premises. We've received a report that you're in possession of stolen property. And that you've been embezzling funds from your own company."
I looked at Chloe.
She was still smiling.
This was her revenge.
May you like
She wasn't going down alone.
She was going to try to take me with her.
