Chapter 2 - The Arrest Waiting Outside
The first officer entered through the front door with his hand resting near his holster.
Two more followed.
Victoria immediately began crying.
Nathan watched the transformation happen before his eyes.
Seconds earlier, she had looked cold enough to kill.
Now she appeared fragile.
Terrified.
Victimized.
“Thank God.”
She hurried toward the officers.
“She tried to take the child.”
Grace stiffened.
Nathan stepped between Victoria and the police.
“Who called you?”
The lead officer glanced at his tablet.
“We received an emergency report approximately twelve minutes ago.”
Nathan looked at the clock.
Twelve minutes earlier, he had still been driving home.
Grace had already been trapped inside the kitchen.
Victoria had apparently arranged the police response before Nathan arrived.
The officer looked toward Grace.
“Grace Bennett?”
Grace slowly stood despite the pain.
“Yes.”
“We need you to step away from the child.”
Lily screamed.
“No.”
She clung harder.
The officer’s expression softened slightly.
“Ma’am, nobody wants to scare her.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“She was assaulted.”
Victoria shook her head violently.
“That is not what happened.”
She pointed toward Grace.
“She broke into Nathan’s private study, stole documents, and told me she intended to disappear with Lily tonight.”
Nathan turned sharply.
“What documents?”
Victoria looked at him.
“Your inheritance records.”
Grace whispered.
“She’s lying.”
The officer checked his screen.
“We also have an active report concerning potential custodial interference.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“Custodial interference by the child’s mother?”
The officer hesitated.
“That’s where this becomes complicated.”
He showed Nathan the tablet.
Attached to the report was a birth certificate.
Nathan stared at it.
Father: Unknown.
Mother: Grace Bennett.
Then another document appeared.
A psychiatric evaluation.
It described Grace as emotionally unstable, paranoid, and potentially dangerous to herself and her child.
Grace stared at the screen in horror.
“I have never seen that.”
Victoria wiped away a tear.
“She needs help.”
Nathan looked at her.
“You knew about Lily.”
Victoria didn’t answer.
Nathan stepped closer.
“You knew.”
Her silence was enough.
The officer cleared his throat.
“Mr. Cole, there’s more.”
A surveillance image appeared.
It showed Grace at Kennedy International Airport.
A suitcase beside her.
Lily holding her hand.
The timestamp was from the previous evening.
Nathan looked at Grace.
Grace shook her head frantically.
“I wasn’t there.”
Nathan examined the picture again.
The woman certainly looked like Grace.
But something about the image bothered him.
Lily began crying.
Nathan looked down at the child.
Then he saw her shoes.
Bright red sneakers with tiny silver stars.
In the airport photograph, Lily was supposedly wearing those exact shoes.
Nathan remembered Grace mentioning that Lily had received them as a birthday gift that morning.
The airport photograph had supposedly been taken yesterday.
Nathan lifted his eyes.
Someone had fabricated evidence very quickly.
And whoever had done it knew what Lily had worn inside his house today.
Nathan turned toward the security camera mounted above the kitchen door.
The small green indicator light was off.
His mansion security system had been disabled.
From the hallway, Nathan’s head of security appeared.
“Mr. Cole.”
Nathan looked at him.
“What?”
May you like
The man’s face was pale.
“Someone erased the last six hours of footage.”
