Chapter 3
Daniel stepped into the hospital room holding flowers.
White lilies.
My dead daughter’s flowers.
For one second, grief and rage collided so violently I almost forgot to breathe.
Vanessa stood behind him with red eyes and a bandage around her wrist.
A fake injury.
A real performance.
Daniel stopped when he saw Marcus.
Then Priya.
His face flickered.
Just once.
“Why are they here?”
Priya stood.
“I’m Mrs. Carter’s attorney.”
Daniel forced a sad smile.
“My wife had a head injury. I think legal conversations can wait.”
“My client is conscious and represented,” Priya said.
His jaw tightened.
Then he looked at me.
“Brianna.”
His voice softened.
The old voice.
The one he used when Lily was sick.
The one he used when he wanted something.
“I’m so sorry. You scared me.”
I stared at him.
My head throbbed.
My ribs ached.
But I kept my voice steady.
“Did I?”
Vanessa took one step forward.
“You attacked me, Bree. You don’t remember, but you did.”
I looked at her bandaged wrist.
“Which hand held the trophy?”
Her face drained.
Daniel moved fast.
“She’s confused.”
Marcus stepped beside my bed.
“No, she’s not.”
Daniel glared at him.
“This is family.”
Marcus’s voice was flat.
“No. This is evidence.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened.
Daniel looked at me.
“What did you tell them?”
I smiled faintly.
“Less than you did.”
He went still.
Priya pulled out her tablet and pressed play.
Daniel’s voice filled the hospital room.
“She won’t remember anything.”
Vanessa’s whisper followed.
“By Friday, the money will be offshore.”
Daniel’s face went white.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Stop that.”
Priya paused the recording.
“I suggest both of you leave before hospital security removes you.”
Daniel stared at me.
Not sorry.
Not afraid for me.
Afraid of me.
“You recorded us?”
“No,” I whispered. “You recorded yourselves.”
Vanessa’s mask cracked.
“You always had to be smarter than everyone.”
I looked at her.
“I trusted you.”
She laughed once.
It came out sharp.
“You trusted everyone. That was your problem.”
The words hurt because they were true.
Daniel grabbed Vanessa’s arm.
“We’re leaving.”
“No,” Marcus said.
Two police officers appeared in the doorway.
Daniel stopped.
Hospital security stood behind them.
A detective entered last.
Detective Elena Ruiz.
She looked at the flowers in Daniel’s hand, then at my bandaged head.
“Daniel Carter?”
He swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Vanessa Monroe?”
Vanessa lifted her chin.
“Yes?”
“We need to ask you both some questions about an assault and attempted financial fraud.”
Daniel turned to me.
“Brianna, don’t do this.”
I looked at the lilies.
Then at him.
“You did this beside the fireplace.”
The officers escorted them out.
Vanessa shouted that I was framing her.
Daniel stayed silent.
That silence was the closest thing to truth he had given me all night.
Detective Ruiz took my statement.
Then Marcus took over the company side.
He explained the attempted account access, forged codes, draft incapacity petition, offshore transfer plan, and the modified trophy.
Detective Ruiz listened carefully.
When he finished, she asked, “Why install a recorder in the award?”
Marcus glanced at me.
“Because Mrs. Carter suspected someone close.”
The detective looked at me.
“Did you suspect your husband?”
I closed my eyes.
“No.”
“Your friend?”
A tear slipped into my hairline.
“No.”
“Then who?”
I opened my eyes.
“My CFO.”
Marcus looked away.
That was the part I had not told anyone yet.
My CFO, Elaine Porter, had warned me Daniel was asking strange questions.
But she also had access.
Motive.
Debt.
Fear.
I had watched the wrong door.
Detective Ruiz wrote it down.
“Then we check all of them.”
At dawn, Priya received the court notice.
Daniel’s attorney had filed the incapacity petition anyway.
Claiming I was mentally unstable.
Claiming I had attacked my best friend.
Claiming my husband needed immediate control of my company and personal accounts.
Priya looked at me.
“Ready?”
May you like
I touched the bandage on my head.
“Yes.”
