Chapter 5 - THE BRIDE'S CONFESSION
Vanessa was questioned at the police station that afternoon.
Her attorney advised her not to speak, but she requested to see Daniel.
He agreed only after Detective Harris arranged for the conversation to be recorded.
Vanessa entered the interview room without her wedding veil. Her hair was loose, and the perfect makeup she had worn that morning had been washed away.
She looked smaller.
“You came,” she said.
“I want to know why.”
She lowered her eyes.
“Ethan said you would never choose me if Olivia came back.”
“So you locked her inside a wall?”
“I didn't know what else to do.”
“You could have let her leave.”
“She had evidence.”
“You could have called the police.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly. “And let Ethan destroy me?”
Daniel leaned forward.
“Why did you agree to marry me?”
At first she didn't answer.
Then she said, “Because Ethan told me you were going to lose everything.”
She explained that Ethan had approached her months earlier. He told her Daniel's company was facing an internal investigation and that he needed someone close to Daniel to help him secure control of the family trust. Vanessa had been working as a consultant for one of the company's subsidiaries. Ethan promised her a large financial settlement if the plan succeeded.
At first, she believed the money was legitimate.
Then she discovered that the documents were fraudulent.
By then, Ethan had photographs of her accepting payments and had threatened to expose her.
“He said if I didn't cooperate, I'd go to prison alone,” she whispered.
“So you helped him threaten Olivia.”
Vanessa nodded.
“Did you know Lily was at the hotel?”
“I didn't know she'd see anything.”
“You knew she was my daughter.”
“I know.”
“You knew Olivia was her mother.”
Vanessa began to cry.
Daniel felt no satisfaction.
“Why the wall?”
“Ethan said the flower structure had a storage space. He told me the staff wouldn't open it until after the ceremony. He said we'd move Olivia before the guests left.”
“You were going to leave her there for hours?”
“I thought it would only be a short time.”
“She was tied up. Her mouth was covered. She could have suffocated.”
Vanessa covered her face.
“I didn't think—”
“You didn't think about her. You thought about yourself.”
She looked up.
“Daniel, I loved you.”
“No. You loved the life you thought you could take from me.”
He stood.
“Tell the detective everything. All of it. If you leave anything out, the evidence will find it.”
As he reached the door, Vanessa spoke again.
“Ethan has another copy of the trust documents. He keeps it at your father's old office.”
Daniel turned.
“Why are you telling me?”
“Because he said he was going to take Lily.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“What?”
“He said if the police got involved, he'd use the custody papers to claim you were unfit. He said he could make it look like Olivia had abandoned her again and that you were too unstable to raise her.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Where is he now?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don't know. But he has people inside your company.”
Daniel left the room and called Detective Harris.
May you like
The wedding had not been the end of Ethan's plan.
It had been the beginning.
