Chapter 7 - Victoria's SecretThe mother-in-law knew exactly what she was doingVictoria denied everything.
She sat in Elena's office wearing a cream suit and oversized sunglasses.
“I was told to sign a routine form.”
Elena slid the document toward her.
“Routine forms don't contain instructions about obtaining a daughter-in-law's assets.”
Victoria's jaw tightened.
“You're twisting the language.”
“No.”
Elena turned the page.
“You signed it voluntarily.”
“I trusted my son.”
“You authorized access to Audrey's personal financial information.”
“I never touched her accounts.”
“You encouraged Dominic to pursue them.”
Victoria looked at me.
“Audrey, you have no idea what kind of pressure your husband was under.”
I almost smiled.
“I know exactly what kind.”
She leaned forward.
“People were threatening him.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“That isn't my problem.”
“It became your problem when you used my identity.”
Victoria stood.
“I will not be interrogated like a criminal.”
Elena looked at her.
“Then stop answering like one.”
Victoria stormed out.
Dad watched her leave.
“She's afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Someone above Dominic.”
I frowned.
“Who?”
Dad didn't answer.
That evening, I received a package.
No return address.
Inside was a flash drive.
And a note.
You were never supposed to see this.
Elena connected it to a secure computer.
There were eleven files.
Emails.
Bank transfers.
Scanned passports.
Phone records.
Then a document titled Project Brooke.
I stared at the screen.
“Brooks,” Elena said softly.
“Not Brooke.”
She opened it.
The project began eighteen months before my wedding.
The purpose was simple.
Identify Audrey Brooks.
Determine family resources.
Develop relationship.
Establish trust.
Create financial dependency.
Gain access.
Exit with maximum recoverable value.
I felt nauseated.
Dad's hands clenched.
“This is criminal.”
Elena continued scrolling.
There was another page.
Targets.
Primary: Audrey Brooks.
Secondary: Charles Brooks.
Potential leverage: spouse, pregnancy, family reputation.
Pregnancy.
I stared at the word.
The plan had existed before Leo was born.
Maybe before I was pregnant.
“Dad.”
He looked at me.
“They knew about the baby?”
“We don't know.”
Then Elena opened another file.
A photograph appeared.
Dominic and Vanessa sitting together in a restaurant.
The date was seven months ago.
I recognized the place.
It was the restaurant where Dominic told me he was working late.
He had been with Vanessa.
Not just once.
There were twelve photographs.
Different dates.
Different locations.
Elena closed the file.
“That could support your divorce case.”
I shook my head.
“I don't care about the affair.”
Dad looked at me.
“You don't?”
“No.”
I looked back at the screen.
“I care that my entire marriage was designed around taking something from me.”
Then my phone rang.
A blocked number.
I answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
“Do not trust your father.”
I froze.
“Who is this?”
“You have to understand what Charles Brooks did.”
Dad immediately stood.
“What did my father do?”
The woman ignored him.
“Your mother didn't die for the reason you were told.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Dad's face had changed completely.
“Dad?”
He said nothing.
“Dad, what did she mean?”
He looked at me.
For the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not strategy.
May you like
Fear.
End of Chapter 7Audrey's mother had been dead for twenty years. Yet someone had just claimed she had been murdered.
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