Chapter 3: The Trap
Vivian realized the investigation was closing in.
So she made one final mistake.
She returned to the mansion late at night.
She thought everyone had gone home.
She headed straight for Margaret's private office.
The hidden safe was already empty.
But Vivian didn't know that.
She tore apart drawers.
Searched behind paintings.
Pulled books from shelves.
Then she found a second envelope.
Inside was a single handwritten note.
I knew you'd come back.
The office lights suddenly switched on.
Detectives stepped through every doorway.
Ethan stood behind them.
His face showed nothing.
"Looking for this?"
He held up another USB drive.
Vivian's breathing became uneven.
"I didn't kill her."
"You have no proof."
The lead detective calmly pressed a button on a tablet.
Audio filled the room.
Vivian's own voice.
"If Margaret talks... everything we've built disappears."
Another voice answered.
"Then make sure she never talks."
Vivian's knees nearly gave out.
The recording had come from a voice recorder hidden inside Margaret's antique desk.
The one place Vivian never thought to search.
Handcuffs clicked around her wrists.
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For the first time since entering the Carter family...
No amount of wealth could buy her silence.
