Chapter 9 - CAMILA’S PERFECT LIE
The shooter escaped.
Agents found a rifle position nearly half a mile from the safe house.
The weapon had been left behind.
Its serial number traced to a security contractor controlled by Victor Laurent.
By morning, federal authorities moved Elena again.
Julian refused to disclose the new location to anyone outside Reeves’s team.
Not even Marcus received the entire route.
Adrian Bell died before reaching the hospital.
His confession had not been formally recorded.
However, Clara had activated an audio device when he entered the house.
Every word survived.
Reeves now had enough evidence to investigate Sofia, Matteo, Camila, Victor Laurent, and Gabriel Sloane.
He did not yet have enough to arrest all of them.
Victor Laurent traveled with diplomatic protection granted through his position as an economic adviser.
Sofia had not signed any operational orders.
Matteo claimed the financial transfers were legitimate corporate expenses.
Camila continued appearing publicly as the injured woman abandoned by Julian.
Her supposed pregnancy became international news.
She produced a private medical statement.
She refused to name her doctor for security reasons.
Julian’s public relations team urged him to remain silent.
He refused.
At noon, he entered Rossi Tower through the front doors.
Hundreds of employees watched from the atrium.
Reporters shouted outside.
Sofia waited in the boardroom with Matteo and six directors.
Camila sat near the window.
She wore pale blue instead of emerald.
The softer color had been chosen deliberately.
Julian placed Adrian’s recorded confession on the table.
“Play it,” he told the secretary.
Sofia did not move.
Matteo’s face remained unreadable.
Camila looked down.
Adrian’s voice filled the room.
He admitted forging Elena’s financial records.
He admitted intercepting her letters.
He named Sofia.
Matteo.
Camila.
When the recording ended, one director stood.
“We need independent counsel.”
Another demanded the board suspend Matteo.
Sofia raised one hand.
Everyone fell silent.
“Adrian was injured and under extreme pressure,” she said.
“He may have said anything to obtain protection.”
“He died because someone wanted him silent,” Julian replied.
“That does not prove his claims.”
“It proves fear.”
Matteo leaned back.
“You are allowing your emotions to destabilize a global company.”
“You attempted to abduct my wife.”
“An accusation from a frightened woman.”
“You pointed a gun at her.”
“No witness outside your loyal employees saw it.”
Clara’s ledger rested inside a secure federal vault.
Reeves had ordered Julian not to reveal it publicly yet.
Julian looked toward Camila.
“Tell them.”
Her face remained composed.
“Tell them you helped Elena escape.”
Camila lifted her chin.
“I have not seen Elena in eight months.”
“You were at the airfield.”
“No.”
“You gave her cash.”
“No.”
“You altered photographs for my mother.”
“No.”
Julian stepped closer.
“You knew she was pregnant.”
Camila’s eyes flickered.
Sofia noticed.
So did Matteo.
Julian continued.
“You knew the child was mine.”
Camila placed one hand over her abdomen.
“You are speaking about children while denying your own.”
Julian looked at her hand.
“You are not pregnant.”
A murmur moved through the room.
Camila’s face tightened.
“You have no right to discuss my medical condition publicly.”
“I have every right to deny your lie.”
She stood abruptly.
“You came to me.”
“You called me at night.”
“You invited me into your home.”
“You allowed me to believe we had a future.”
“Yes.”
Julian’s answer surprised everyone.
“I used your presence to avoid facing my grief.”
“That was cruel.”
“It was.”
Camila’s eyes filled with real pain.
“But I never promised marriage.”
“No.”
“You allowed your father and my mother to build an arrangement around us.”
“Yes.”
“And I was too distracted to see it.”
Camila’s voice shook.
“You think admitting your failures makes you honorable?”
“No.”
“It makes me responsible.”
For a moment, the performance left her face.
She looked like the ten-year-old girl Julian remembered from her mother’s funeral.
Then Matteo spoke.
“Enough.”
Camila glanced toward him.
The fear in her eyes appeared and vanished.
Julian saw it.
Matteo was controlling her.
Sofia called for a vote to suspend Julian’s executive authority pending a psychiatric and legal review.
Three directors supported her.
Two opposed.
The remaining director, Elias Ward, held the deciding vote.
Elias had been Julian’s mentor after Augusto died.
He looked at Julian.
“Can you provide evidence that corporate assets are in immediate danger?”
Julian placed a document on the table.
It showed Matteo transferring two major hotels into a holding company owned by Victor Laurent.
Matteo’s expression changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“You should ask your chief accountant.”
“I am the chief financial officer.”
“Not anymore.”
Julian had signed Matteo’s termination minutes before entering the room.
As controlling shareholder, he had that authority until the trust documents surfaced.
Security officers entered.
Matteo stood.
“You cannot remove me from my own family’s company.”
“I just did.”
Matteo looked toward Sofia.
She remained still.
For the first time, he understood that his mother might allow him to fall to save herself.
He pointed toward Julian.
“This company will collapse without me.”
“Then it deserves to.”
Security escorted him out.
Sofia watched in silence.
Camila moved toward the door.
Julian stopped her.
“Your father ordered the false stillbirth.”
Camila froze.
“Who told you that?”
“Adrian.”
“He was lying.”
“He died naming you.”
Camila’s breathing changed.
Julian lowered his voice.
“Victor planned to take Elena’s child.”
“No.”
“He planned to present the baby as yours.”
“No.”
“You knew.”
“I knew there was a trust.”
“But I never agreed to take her baby.”
“What did you think would happen after Elena gave birth?”
Camila looked toward the directors.
Then toward Sofia.
Sofia’s expression warned her to remain silent.
Camila picked up her handbag.
“I have nothing else to say.”
She left.
That evening, Julian returned to Elena’s hidden location.
She had watched the boardroom confrontation on television.
“You admitted you used Camila,” she said.
“I did.”
“That will damage you publicly.”
“It is the truth.”
Elena studied him.
“You used to treat truth as something that needed legal approval.”
“I learned from excellent liars.”
She looked away, but Julian saw the smallest trace of approval.
Reeves arrived after dark.
He brought financial evidence showing Victor Laurent had financed Sloane’s operations.
He also brought a recording obtained from Adrian’s phone.
The final call Adrian made before seeking protection had been to Camila.
Reeves played it.
Adrian warned Camila that Matteo intended to eliminate Elena after the baby was born.
Camila asked whether Julian knew.
Adrian said no.
Camila then whispered something difficult to hear.
Clara increased the volume.
Camila’s words became clear.
“I will not let them do to Elena what they did to my mother.”
Julian looked at Reeves.
“She wanted to help.”
“Perhaps.”
The recording continued.
Adrian told Camila to retrieve a file hidden inside Victor’s private residence.
The file proved who caused the balcony collapse.
“Did she retrieve it?” Elena asked.
“We do not know,” Reeves replied.
Julian’s secure phone rang.
The caller was Camila.
He answered.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Camila whispered.
“My father knows Adrian recorded me.”
“Where are you?”
“At the Laurent estate.”
“Leave.”
“I cannot.”
“Camila.”
“I found the file.”
Julian looked at Elena.
Camila’s breathing became ragged.
“Matteo is here.”
A door opened on Camila’s end.
Her voice dropped.
“He is not working with my father anymore.”
“Who is he working with?”
Camila began to answer.
The line went dead.
One second later, Julian received a photograph.
Camila was kneeling inside Victor Laurent’s library.
Gabriel Sloane stood behind her.
The message beneath it contained an address and a deadline.
May you like
BRING ELENA AND THE KEY BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
OR CAMILA DIES FIRST.
