CHAPTER 8 — The Witness Everyone Forgot
Nathan's face lost every trace of color.
"Attempted... murder?"
The words barely escaped his lips.
He looked around the grand hall, desperately searching for someone—anyone—to deny what had just been said.
No one did.
The officers remained expressionless.
The forensic investigators continued cataloging evidence.
Even Celeste had stopped smiling.
For the first time that night...
she looked genuinely frightened.
My father glanced at the commander.
"Has the homicide unit been briefed?"
"Yes, sir."
"They're fifteen minutes out."
Nathan suddenly stepped forward.
"No."
"This is getting out of control."
He pointed toward the evidence spread across the marble table.
"None of this proves I wanted Victoria dead."
"It proves nothing."
The lead forensic investigator calmly replied,
"It proves motive."
Nathan laughed nervously.
"Motive isn't murder."
"No."
The investigator agreed.
"But motive..."
He tapped the life insurance policy.
"...combined with financial fraud..."
He tapped the staircase footage.
"...combined with video evidence..."
Then he placed one final document beside the others.
"...combined with witness testimony..."
Nathan froze.
"Witness?"
My heartbeat quickened.
"What witness?"
The investigator looked at me.
"Someone who never gave a statement."
A few moments later, another officer entered the hall.
Walking beside him was a frail woman in her early sixties.
She wore a simple navy-blue cardigan.
Gray hair tied neatly behind her head.
The moment I saw her...
I recognized her.
"Mrs. Collins?"
She smiled sadly.
"I've missed you, Victoria."
Mrs. Evelyn Collins.
Blackthorn Manor's longtime housekeeper.
She had worked for Nathan even before we were married.
She had taught me where everything belonged in the kitchen.
She always baked my favorite lemon bread on Sundays.
Six months earlier...
she had suddenly resigned.
Nathan told everyone she wanted retirement.
I never questioned it.
Until now.
Nathan looked horrified.
"No..."
Mrs. Collins looked directly at him.
"You told everyone I moved to Florida."
Nathan remained silent.
She shook her head.
"I never left the city."
My father offered her a chair.
"You've been under our protection since March."
Nathan's eyes widened.
"Our?"
Mrs. Collins nodded.
"I contacted Mr. Sterling after the charity gala."
I stared at her.
"You knew?"
Tears filled her eyes.
"I saw everything."
The room became silent.
Nathan whispered,
"No, you didn't."
She ignored him.
"I was standing in the upstairs hallway."
"I watched you walk behind Victoria."
"I saw your hand."
"I saw you push her."
Nathan slammed his fist against the table.
"You're lying!"
Mrs. Collins didn't flinch.
"You threatened me."
His face turned white.
She continued.
"You came to my apartment the next morning."
"You told me if I ever repeated what I'd seen..."
"...I'd lose everything."
Another investigator quietly placed a folder on the table.
"What is that?" Nathan demanded.
"Audio evidence."
Mrs. Collins nodded.
"I recorded the conversation."
Nathan stopped breathing.
The recording began.
Nathan's voice echoed through the speakers.
"You're an old woman, Mrs. Collins."
A pause.
"No one will believe you over me."
Mrs. Collins' trembling voice answered.
"I know what I saw."
Nathan replied calmly.
"Then forget it."
Another pause.
"Because accidents can happen to witnesses too."
The recording ended.
No one spoke.
The silence felt suffocating.
Nathan slowly lowered his head.
I looked at Mrs. Collins.
"Why didn't you come to me?"
She smiled through tears.
"I tried."
My heart sank.
"What do you mean?"
She reached into her purse.
Carefully...
she removed an unopened envelope.
My name was written across the front.
The paper had yellowed with age.
"I left this at the manor."
"The day I resigned."
"You never received it."
I opened the envelope with trembling hands.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Victoria,
If you're reading this, something terrible has happened.
Please don't trust Nathan.
The fall wasn't your fault.
I saw him push you.
I wanted to tell the police immediately, but I'm afraid.
If I disappear, please forgive me for not being braver.
—Evelyn Collins
A single tear landed on the paper.
I folded the letter carefully.
For six months...
someone had known the truth.
And I had believed I was completely alone.
Nathan suddenly pointed toward Celeste.
"This was her idea!"
Everyone turned.
He continued speaking faster and faster.
"She told me Victoria was planning to divorce me."
"She said I'd lose everything."
"She convinced me to protect myself."
Celeste stared at him in disbelief.
"You unbelievable coward."
Nathan ignored her.
"She handled the offshore accounts."
"She created the shell companies."
"She forged supplier contracts."
"And the insurance policy—"
She cut him off.
"You signed every document."
"You approved every transfer."
"You pushed your wife."
"I didn't touch her."
The room fell silent.
Celeste blinked.
"What?"
Nathan realized what he had just said.
Too late.
"You just admitted..."
My father spoke quietly.
"...that you pushed Victoria."
Nathan's eyes widened.
"No..."
"I meant..."
"There are no mistakes left tonight, Nathan."
At that moment, the front doors opened again.
Three detectives entered.
Their jackets bore the insignia of the Major Crimes Division.
Leading them was Detective Laura Bennett.
She accepted a thick evidence file from the commander.
She flipped through it for several moments.
Then looked directly at Nathan.
"Mr. Ashford."
Nathan swallowed.
"Yes?"
"You are no longer being detained solely for financial crimes."
She closed the file.
"You are now the primary suspect in an attempted homicide investigation."
Nathan's knees nearly gave way.
Before anyone could speak again...
another investigator rushed into the hall carrying a sealed evidence bag.
"Sir!"
My father looked up.
"What happened?"
"We finished processing Mr. Ashford's office computer."
"And?"
The investigator carefully removed a single printed email.
"It was scheduled to be sent automatically..."
"...tomorrow morning."
My father frowned.
"To whom?"
The investigator looked directly at me.
"To Mrs. Victoria Ashford."
I stared at him.
"What does it say?"
He handed me the page.
The subject line read:
I'm Sorry for Everything
At first glance...
it looked like a heartfelt confession.
But as I read further...
my blood ran cold.
Because the email wasn't an apology.
It was a carefully written suicide note...
designed to make it look as though I had taken my own life.
May you like
And at the bottom...
Nathan had already forged my signature.
