Chapter 1 - THE VOICE ON THE RECORDINGChristopher stared at Juliette.
Emma was still shaking violently in his arms.
Water dripped from her blonde hair onto his black shirt. Her lips had turned pale, and every breath came with a small, painful cough.
Christopher tightened his arms around her.
“Don't move,” he whispered to his daughter. “Daddy's got you.”
Emma buried her face against his chest.
Juliette stood several feet away, trembling.
“Chris, please,” she said. “You have to believe me. It was an accident.”
Christopher slowly looked at her.
“An accident?”
“Yes.”
“You're saying Emma accidentally ended up in the deep end?”
Juliette nodded desperately.
“She slipped.”
Christopher's jaw tightened.
“She slipped,” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“Then why were you standing beside the pool?”
“I heard her scream.”
“And why didn't you jump in?”
Juliette froze.
Christopher took one step toward her.
“You were standing three feet from my daughter.”
“I panicked.”
“You panicked?”
“Yes!”
“You had enough time to scream.”
Juliette's voice cracked.
“I was terrified!”
Christopher looked down at Emma.
His daughter was barely six years old.
She couldn't swim.
Juliette knew that.
Everyone in the house knew that.
And yet Emma had been found in the deepest part of the pool.
Christopher's expression hardened.
“Get the doctor.”
His security chief, Marcus, immediately moved.
Juliette watched him go.
Then she looked back at Christopher.
“Chris, you're misunderstanding everything.”
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“I understand exactly what I saw.”
Juliette's eyes filled with tears.
“I love Emma.”
Christopher laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You haven't said that in months.”
“That isn't fair.”
“You stopped calling her your daughter.”
Juliette swallowed.
“She isn't my biological daughter.”
“She is my daughter.”
The courtyard fell silent.
Then Emma whispered weakly,
“Daddy…”
Christopher immediately turned.
“I'm here.”
“She pushed me.”
Juliette's face went white.
Christopher slowly looked back at his wife.
“What did she say?”
Emma lifted her head.
“She pushed me.”
Juliette shook her head violently.
“No.”
Emma's little fingers grabbed Christopher's shirt.
“She said… I wouldn't need the money anymore.”
Christopher stopped breathing for a moment.
Juliette stared at the child.
Then something changed in her expression.
Fear.
Real fear.
Christopher noticed.
“What money?”
Emma coughed.
“The money Mommy left me.”
Christopher's heart pounded.
Emma's biological mother, Sophia, had died two years earlier.
Before her death, Sophia had established a trust for Emma.
It contained nearly a billion dollars.
But the money could not be accessed until Emma turned eighteen.
Christopher had never cared about it.
He had enough wealth to provide for his daughter ten times over.
Juliette, however, had become obsessed with it.
At least, that's what Christopher had secretly begun to suspect.
He carried Emma toward the house.
“Chris!” Juliette called.
He didn't stop.
“Chris, you're making a mistake!”
Christopher turned at the doorway.
“No.”
He stared directly into her eyes.
“I made the mistake when I trusted you.”
Juliette's face crumbled.
Inside the mansion, Christopher placed Emma on the sofa.
The family physician arrived minutes later.
After examining her, he looked at Christopher.
“She swallowed some water, but fortunately her lungs sound clear. Keep her warm and watch her closely.”
Christopher nodded.
When the doctor left, Marcus entered.
He was holding a small black device.
“Mr. Hale.”
Christopher looked at him.
“What is that?”
“We found it beneath the poolside bench.”
Marcus placed it on the table.
“It appears to be an audio recorder.”
Juliette, who had followed them inside, suddenly stopped.
Christopher noticed.
“Play it.”
Juliette stepped forward.
“Chris, don't.”
Christopher looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because it's private.”
Marcus pressed the button.
At first, there was only static.
Then Juliette's voice emerged.
Cold.
Sharp.
Nothing like the frightened woman Christopher had just seen.
“You've got to stop crying, Emma.”
Christopher's eyes widened.
The recording continued.
“I told you to stay away from that trust document.”
Emma's tiny voice answered.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“You know exactly what I'm talking about.”
A chair scraped against the floor.
Then Juliette said:
“When you turn eighteen, everything becomes yours.”
Emma began crying.
“I don't want the money.”
“I don't care what you want.”
Christopher's fists clenched.
The recording continued.
“Your father thinks you're innocent. That's the problem.”
A pause.
Then Emma whispered:
“Please don't hurt me.”
Juliette's voice became colder.
“I wouldn't have to hurt you if you would cooperate.”
Christopher suddenly stood.
Juliette screamed,
“Turn it off!”
Marcus didn't.
The recording continued.
“You have no idea how much your father's wealth could belong to me if you weren't in the way.”
Christopher stared at his wife.
Juliette lunged toward the recorder.
Marcus blocked her.
Christopher's voice was almost inaudible.
“You planned this.”
Juliette froze.
“I can explain.”
“You planned to kill my daughter.”
“No!”
Christopher stepped closer.
“You told her she was in the way.”
“I was angry!”
“You told her you'd make her disappear.”
“I didn't mean it!”
“You pushed her into the pool.”
Juliette started crying.
“I swear I didn't mean to kill her!”
Christopher's face became expressionless.
That was worse than anger.
“Thank you.”
Juliette stared at him.
“For what?”
“For finally telling me the truth.”
He turned to Marcus.
“Call the police.”
Juliette's eyes widened.
“Chris!”
He didn't look at her.
“And call my attorney.”
“Chris, please!”
Christopher picked up Emma.
His daughter wrapped both arms around his neck.
Juliette watched them disappear down the hallway.
But Christopher didn't see the small smile that appeared on Juliette's face.
Because while he believed he had just won...
Juliette knew something he didn't.
The recording was real.
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But it wasn't complete.
And the missing part could destroy Christopher.
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