Chapter 4 - THE SECOND FRAME
Natalie arrived at noon.
By 12:08, she was crying.
By 12:14, she had changed her story twice.
By 12:21, Adrian stopped questioning her.
Diane took over.
That made Natalie more frightened.
Diane never raised her voice.
“I entered Emma’s room because Mrs. Cole asked me to find earrings.”
“What earrings?”
“Diamond.”
“Brand?”
Natalie hesitated.
“I don’t remember.”
“You searched someone’s bedroom for jewelry you cannot describe?”
Natalie looked toward Vanessa.
Vanessa whispered:
“Don’t look at me.”
Diane noticed.
Everyone did.
Marcus placed a still photograph on the table.
Natalie entering Emma’s room carrying something in her left hand.
Another image.
Leaving empty-handed.
“The flash drive?”
Diane asked.
Natalie broke.
“She made me do it.”
Vanessa stood.
“Natalie!”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“Sit down.”
Vanessa stared at him.
Then slowly obeyed.
Natalie wiped her face.
“Mrs. Cole said Emma had been snooping.”
“I wasn’t,” Emma said.
Natalie nodded desperately.
“I know.”
“She said Emma had copied corporate files and we needed proof.”
“So Vanessa gave you the drive?”
“Yes.”
“What was on it?”
“I don’t know.”
Diane did.
A copy of stolen Orion files.
The plan became clear.
The Rolex established Emma as a thief.
The flash drive established her as a corporate thief.
If Adrian discovered Vanessa taking the encryption key, she could claim she had been retrieving it after finding Emma with confidential material.
Emma’s reputation would collapse before she could defend herself.
A nanny against a billionaire’s wife.
Vanessa had assumed everyone knew which woman would be believed.
Emma looked at her.
“Why?”
Vanessa said nothing.
“Why me?”
“Because you saw too much.”
The confession slipped out quietly.
Natalie stopped crying.
Adrian stared at his wife.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
It was over.
Not legally.
Not completely.
But the lie was over.
Diane leaned forward.
“Who received the files?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.”
“Mrs. Cole—”
“No.”
Adrian spoke.
“Then leave.”
Her eyes opened.
“What?”
“Leave the house.”
“You can’t throw me out.”
“My attorneys can explain your options.”
“This is my home!”
Adrian looked around.
At the photographs.
The furniture.
The rooms Lily grew up in.
Then back at Vanessa.
“You turned it into a crime scene.”
Vanessa stood.
“Fine.”
She grabbed her handbag.
At the doorway, she turned toward Emma.
“You think you won?”
Emma shook her head.
“I was never competing with you.”
That answer hurt Vanessa more than anger could have.
She left.
Marcus followed at a distance.
Ten minutes later, Diane’s phone rang.
One of the forensic analysts.
They had partially identified the destination of the stolen Orion files.
A shell company.
Then another.
Then an investment fund.
The beneficial owner appeared on-screen.
Adrian knew him immediately.
Grant Mercer.
Founder of VantaCore.
His largest competitor.
And a man who had once told a technology conference:
May you like
“If Adrian Cole ever slips, I intend to be standing underneath him.”
Apparently Grant had stopped waiting.
