Chapter 8 - The Perfect Story
By noon, the story was already online.
BILLIONAIRE’S NANNY INVESTIGATED AFTER CHILD INJURY.
Victor stared at the headline.
His name appeared throughout the article.
Lily’s name did too.
Serena was described as the courageous fiancée who had intervened to protect Ethan.
The article claimed Victor had ignored warning signs.
None of that had been publicly released.
Someone had leaked it.
Naomi read the piece.
“This is coordinated.”
Victor looked at Marcus.
“Find the source.”
Before Marcus could answer, the front gate called.
Child Protective Services had arrived with two detectives.
Victor opened the gates immediately.
He had nothing to hide.
But the timing was unmistakable.
A caseworker interviewed Victor.
Then Lily.
Then Maria.
Serena requested her own interview.
She cried convincingly.
She described herself as terrified.
She claimed Lily had become increasingly aggressive.
Then she showed investigators photographs.
Victor nearly stopped breathing.
Ethan had bruises in several pictures.
Serena claimed she had secretly documented them because she feared Lily.
Lily looked horrified.
“She took those after she hurt him.”
Serena began crying harder.
“That’s disgusting.”
The detective held up a hand.
“Both of you stop.”
Victor handed them the recorder.
For a moment, he believed that would end everything.
Then the detective asked a question.
“Where did this device come from?”
Lily answered.
“I don’t know.”
Victor turned toward her.
“What?”
“I thought Maria left it.”
Maria shook her head.
“I didn’t.”
Everyone stared at the tiny recorder.
Nobody knew who had placed it beneath the table.
The detective’s expression changed.
“So we have an unidentified recording device with unknown chain of custody.”
Serena’s lawyer smiled slightly.
Victor noticed.
Later, after the investigators left, Marcus entered Victor’s office.
“We traced the media leak.”
Victor expected Adrian.
He was wrong.
“The article was sent from Daniel Cross’s private email.”
Victor clenched his jaw.
“Find him.”
Marcus hesitated.
“We did.”
“Where?”
“His apartment.”
Victor waited.
Marcus placed a photograph on the desk.
The apartment was empty.
Drawers open.
Closet cleared.
Daniel had disappeared.
But taped to his desk was one handwritten message.
May you like
Victor recognized Daniel’s handwriting.
You’re looking at the wrong Blackwood.
