Chapter 5 - The Garage
Victor returned to the mansion shortly before dawn.
Serena was gone from the living room.
Marcus met him at the entrance.
“She tried to leave through the west garage.”
Victor’s expression hardened.
“Where is she now?”
“Guest suite.”
“She’s not under arrest.”
“I know.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“But you need to see what was inside her car.”
In the garage, Serena’s black SUV remained parked with its rear hatch open.
A suitcase sat inside.
Serena had apparently packed it hours earlier.
Victor opened it.
Clothes.
Jewelry.
Cash.
Two passports.
Then Marcus handed him a folder.
Inside was a termination agreement for Lily.
The document accused the nanny of mistreatment, negligence, and theft.
Victor checked the date.
It had been prepared six days earlier.
Before tonight.
Before Serena supposedly caught Lily hurting Ethan.
Victor read the final page.
There was a settlement offer.
Twenty-five thousand dollars in exchange for Lily leaving immediately and signing a confidentiality agreement.
Victor looked at Marcus.
“She planned to blame Lily before tonight.”
Marcus nodded.
“There’s more.”
A wire-transfer receipt was clipped beneath the contract.
Twenty-five thousand dollars had already been transferred to a company called Larkin Consulting.
Victor had never heard of it.
Marcus searched the corporate registration.
The company had no employees.
No public office.
No visible operations.
But one name appeared on an old filing.
Caleb Moore.
Victor recognized it.
Caleb was Adrian’s personal financial adviser.
Victor stared at the paper.
His phone rang.
Serena’s voice came through.
“Victor, please come upstairs.”
He almost disconnected.
Then she said something unexpected.
“Adrian is setting me up.”
Victor went completely still.
“What?”
“I know what you found.”
“How?”
She ignored the question.
“Larkin Consulting belongs to people connected to your brother.”
“I already know that.”
“Then you should understand.”
“Understand what?”
Serena lowered her voice.
“I was supposed to scare Lily away.”
Victor gripped the phone.
“Why?”
Serena began crying.
“At first, I didn’t know.”
“Know what?”
She whispered the words.
“That this was never really about the nanny.”
Victor waited.
May you like
“It was about Ethan.”
Then the line went dead.
