Chapter 6 - Vanessa’s Jealous Plan
Vanessa Whitmore had spent her entire life believing she deserved the spotlight.
She was the daughter everyone photographed.
The daughter everyone praised.
The daughter her mother introduced first.
And she had always accepted that position without question.
Until Thanksgiving.
Until Emma walked out of the kitchen.
Until Alexander Hayes looked at Emma like she was the only person in the room.
That image haunted her.
Not because she loved Alexander.
Because she hated what he represented.
Proof.
Proof that Emma had never been ordinary.
Proof that the sister she ignored had become someone powerful.
Vanessa sat in her apartment, scrolling through articles on her phone.
Every headline made her more furious.
ALEXANDER HAYES ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH EMMA WHITMORE’S COMPANY
MYSTERY WOMAN BEHIND HAYES GROUP’S NEW EXPANSION
EMMA WHITMORE: THE BUSINESSWOMAN NOBODY SAW COMING
Nobody saw coming.
Vanessa hated those words.
Because she had.
She had seen Emma.
Every day.
And she still didn’t see her.
Her husband, Daniel, walked into the room.
“You’re still reading about her?”
Vanessa locked the phone.
“I’m just trying to understand.”
“Understand what?”
“How she did this.”
Daniel sat down.
“Maybe she worked hard.”
Vanessa looked offended.
“She was always in the background.”
“That doesn’t mean she was incapable.”
The sentence irritated her.
Because it sounded too close to the truth.
Vanessa stood.
“She’s manipulating him.”
Daniel frowned.
“Alexander Hayes doesn’t seem like someone easily manipulated.”
“She’s using the family situation.”
“Vanessa…”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t understand.”
She walked toward the window.
“Emma always wanted attention.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Did she?”
Vanessa stopped.
Because deep down…
she knew the answer.
Emma never wanted attention.
She wanted respect.
There was a difference.
But admitting that meant admitting Vanessa had been wrong for years.
And Vanessa Whitmore never admitted she was wrong.
Her phone rang.
Her mother.
She answered.
“What happened?”
Diane’s voice was cold.
“We need to meet.”
Vanessa immediately knew.
Something was coming.
Two hours later, Diane, Vanessa, and Logan sat together in Diane’s private study.
The same room where family decisions had always been made.
Except now…
they were making decisions about Emma.
“I checked the company records,” Logan said.
His usual confidence was gone.
“She owns more than we thought.”
Diane’s face tightened.
“How much?”
“Enough.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Logan looked frustrated.
“Enough that Alexander doesn’t need us.”
Silence.
That was the real problem.
For years, the Whitmore family believed Emma needed them.
Now they realized they needed her.
Diane folded her hands.
“Then we change the story.”
Vanessa looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“We make people believe Emma abandoned us.”
Logan frowned.
“Mom…”
“She embarrassed the family.”
Diane’s eyes hardened.
“She walked away from Thanksgiving.”
Vanessa understood immediately.
A public narrative.
A reputation attack.
“She’s emotional,” Vanessa said slowly.
“She’s confused.”
Diane nodded.
“Exactly.”
Logan looked uncomfortable.
“You’re saying we blame her?”
Diane looked at him.
“No.”
A pause.
“We remind everyone who she really is.”
Vanessa almost smiled.
Because she understood.
They weren’t fighting Emma’s success.
They were fighting her freedom.
But what they didn’t know…
May you like
was that Emma was no longer the girl who stayed silent.
And Alexander Hayes had spent two years learning exactly how dangerous she could become when someone finally gave her permission to fight.
