Chapter 12 - The Woman Who Started ItMason refused to believe it.
“My mother loved my father.”
Thomas laughed weakly.
“Love has nothing to do with money.”
Grace appeared beside them.
“She knew.”
Mason looked at her.
“You knew?”
Grace nodded.
“I found letters.”
“Where?”
“In the old records.”
Mason's breathing became heavy.
Thomas was taken to the hospital.
Vanessa was arrested.
But before police took her away, she grabbed Emma's arm.
“Listen to me.”
Emma looked at her.
“Your sister wasn't the first person Adrian tried to kill.”
“Who was?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“Your mother.”
Emma froze.
“My mother?”
Vanessa nodded.
“She knew too much.”
Emma's entire body went cold.
“My parents were ordinary people.”
“They weren't.”
Vanessa looked toward Grace.
“Her mother found the financial records before anyone else.”
Grace lowered her eyes.
“She knew.”
Emma stared at her sister.
“You knew?”
Grace nodded.
“I found out while investigating Bellmont.”
Mason interrupted.
“What does this have to do with my mother?”
Vanessa explained.
“Your mother discovered your father's secret accounts. She wanted to leave.”
“And?”
“She threatened to expose him.”
Mason whispered:
“So he tried to stop her.”
“No.”
Vanessa's voice was quiet.
“She stopped him first.”
Mason looked lost.
“My mother killed my father?”
“Yes.”
“But the official story says he died of a heart attack.”
“It was staged.”
Mason sank into a chair.
He suddenly remembered childhood.
His mother crying in the kitchen.
His father shouting.
A door slamming.
A bottle breaking.
He had forgotten.
Or forced himself to forget.
Then Emma noticed something.
“Where is Lily?”
Everyone froze.
Mason stood.
“Lily?”
She wasn't in the mansion.
Her room was empty.
Her stuffed elephant lay on the bed.
Vanessa's face changed.
“No.”
“What?”
“She knows.”
“Knows what?”
Vanessa whispered:
“Lily saw the person who took Thomas.”
Mason's blood ran cold.
They searched the mansion.
Nothing.
Then they found Lily's shoes beside the garden gate.
Detective Collins ran outside.
A vehicle had left the property.
Security footage showed a black SUV.
The passenger was Lily.
The driver turned toward the camera.
Mason recognized him.
Adrian.
A phone rang.
Mason answered.
Adrian's voice came through.
“Now you understand.”
“Bring my daughter back.”
“You want Lily alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then bring me the ledger.”
Mason stared at Vanessa.
Adrian continued:
“Come alone.”
“Where?”
“The place where your father buried his first secret.”
“Where?”
Adrian smiled.
“Bellmont Street.”
The line ended.
Emma looked at Mason.
“We're going.”
Detective Collins shook her head.
“No.”
Mason looked at her.
“That is my daughter.”
“And it's a trap.”
Emma stepped forward.
“Then we spring it.”
Grace looked toward the burning horizon.
“They're not trying to steal the ledger anymore.”
Mason asked:
“What are they trying to do?”
May you like
Grace answered:
“Destroy everyone who knows what it contains.”
