Chapter 3 - What Sophie Saw
I carried Sophie into the study.
Grace stayed with Caleb.
Daniel locked the door.
Sophie sat on my lap.
“Tell me about Uncle Marcus.”
She twisted the rabbit's ear between her fingers.
“He comes at night.”
“How many times?”
“Lots.”
“Why?”
“He talks to Vanessa.”
“What does he say?”
She looked at me.
“I don't know all the words.”
“Tell me the words you remember.”
“He said the house would be his.”
Daniel and I exchanged a glance.
“Anything else?”
Sophie nodded.
“He said Mommy shouldn't have died.”
The room became painfully quiet.
I hadn't expected that.
My wife had died four years earlier.
Officially, it had been a car accident.
I had accepted that explanation.
Until now.
“What did he say about Mommy?”
Sophie lowered her voice.
“He said Vanessa knew.”
My heart stopped.
“Knew what?”
“I don't know.”
She began crying.
I immediately stopped questioning her.
“That's enough.”
I kissed her forehead.
“You did nothing wrong.”
She hugged me.
“I tried to protect Caleb.”
“You did.”
“I thought Daddy was angry with us.”
“No.”
I closed my eyes.
That was the lie Vanessa had been feeding them.
Not just fear.
Isolation.
She had made them believe the one person who would protect them was the person they needed to fear.
I carried Sophie upstairs.
When I returned, Vanessa was waiting.
“You're poisoning them against me.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
“You're making them afraid of me.”
“They already are.”
She stepped closer.
“You've changed.”
“No.”
I looked directly into her eyes.
“You've simply finally met the man you were pretending not to know.”
She slapped my chest.
“You love me.”
“I did.”
She froze.
“Did?”
“Yes.”
Tears appeared in her eyes.
But they didn't move me.
“Evan, please.”
“Leave.”
“Where will I go?”
“Anywhere.”
“You can't throw me out.”
“I own the house.”
She smiled suddenly.
“You think you own everything.”
I noticed the change.
“What does that mean?”
She leaned closer.
“You should ask your attorney who really owns the children's trust.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“What did you do?”
Vanessa smiled.
Then she walked away.
Daniel immediately checked the documents.
His face changed.
“What?”
He looked up.
“The children's trust was amended.”
“When?”
“Five months ago.”
“Who authorized it?”
He hesitated.
“Your signature.”
I stared at him.
“That's impossible.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Not anymore.”
My phone rang.
Security.
“Boss, we found Marcus.”
“Where?”
A pause.
“He's inside the estate.”
May you like
I looked toward the front door.
Then the lights went out.
