Chapter 8 - VICTORIA’S FIRST OFFER
Victoria requested a private meeting with Arthur.
Her attorneys said she wanted to discuss divorce and restitution.
Detective Collins recommended against it.
Arthur agreed only if police recorded everything.
They met inside a secure conference room.
Victoria wore a gray prison uniform.
Her cheek no longer carried the mark from Arthur’s slap.
He hated that his violence had become part of the story.
It had not protected Maya and Noah.
The police protected them.
Evidence protected them.
He had acted from rage.
He could not condemn Victoria’s violence while treating his own as righteous.
When he entered, Victoria smiled.
“You look tired.”
“You spent a year making me tired.”
“I made you successful.”
“You drugged me.”
“I helped you sleep.”
“You forged my signature.”
“Gideon handled legal details.”
“You framed a child.”
“Maya was never supposed to be arrested.”
“Only expelled?”
Victoria leaned forward.
“I can still protect you.”
Arthur almost laughed.
“From what?”
“Public humiliation.”
“The hotels will collapse if investors believe you were controlled inside your own home.”
“They already know.”
“Not everything.”
She lowered her voice.
“Your board approved payments to Vale companies.”
“You signed them.”
“While drugged.”
“Try proving which signatures were false.”
Arthur said nothing.
Victoria continued.
“Withdraw support for the murder charge.”
“Say Elena threatened me.”
“Say the children were unstable after her death.”
“In return, my family restores the property and keeps the hotels out of court.”
“You want me to blame Maya and Noah.”
“I want you to choose reality.”
“Their mother is dead.”
“The children have no one.”
Arthur looked at her.
“They have each other.”
“And now they have people who know what you did.”
Victoria’s expression changed.
“You always wanted to be a hero.”
“No.”
“I wanted someone else to manage the ugliness while I collected the credit for kindness.”
“That is why I married you.”
For the first time, she looked surprised.
Arthur continued.
“You were willing to be cruel for me.”
“I called it strength.”
“You made decisions I did not want to examine.”
“I called it competence.”
“I benefited from what you were long before you turned it against me.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Then we are the same.”
“No.”
“I am responsible for my failures.”
“You are responsible for your crimes.”
He stood.
She spoke quickly.
“Maya’s father is alive.”
Arthur stopped.
Victoria smiled.
“Elena lied about him.”
“Why?”
“Because he was dangerous.”
“Where is he?”
“I will tell you if you help me.”
Arthur looked toward the mirrored wall.
Detective Collins had heard everything.
Victoria had introduced another secret.
But she had made the same mistake.
She believed information belonged only to the person withholding it.
Police already had Elena’s files.
By evening, they found the name.
Samuel Torres.
Former Vale security officer.
May you like
Reported dead thirteen years earlier.
He was alive inside a private prison in South America.
