Part 4
The phone call ended, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in its wake.
Margaret stood frozen, her eyes darting from Daniel to the phone in his hand.
Arthur was the family’s head attorney.
He had been loyal to Daniel’s father for thirty years, but when the old man died, his loyalty shifted strictly to Daniel.
Arthur knew where every asset was buried.
He knew every legal loophole Margaret had used over the last decade to keep her grip on the family fortune.
If Arthur arrived with a forensic team, the carefully constructed wall of lies Margaret had built would crumble in an hour.
“You wouldn't dare,” Margaret whispered, her voice losing its venom, replaced by a desperate, jagged edge.
“You wouldn't expose your own mother to that kind of scrutiny, Daniel. Think of the headlines. Think of what this will do to your father’s memory.”
“My father would have thrown you out himself if he saw what you did to Ava,” Daniel said, his voice cold as ice.
He walked back to Ava’s side, kneeling down again.
He took her small, cold hand in both of his, pressing it against his cheek.
“I’m so sorry, Ava,” he murmured, ignoring his mother completely.
“I’m so sorry I left you here. I thought you were just resting. I believed her when she told me you wanted to be left alone.”
Ava looked at him, her vision blurry with tears, but for the first time in weeks, the fog in her mind was starting to clear.
The terror was still there, but beneath it, a tiny spark of survival was beginning to ignite.
“She… she intercepted my calls, Daniel,” Ava whispered, her voice trembling.
“Every time you called, she took the phone. She told me you were too busy with the merger. She said you were tired of dealing with a sick wife.”
Daniel’s grip on her hand tightened until his knuckles turned white.
He remembered the phone calls.
He remembered calling from his hotel room in Chicago at midnight, desperate to hear Ava’s voice.
Margaret had always answered.
“She’s sleeping, darling. The new medication has her resting so peacefully. Don't disturb her. Focus on the deal. Do it for her.”
It had all been a trap.
A perfectly executed, psychological isolation.
Margaret watched them, her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw ached.
She realized she was losing control of the narrative.
And to Margaret Vance, losing control of the narrative was worse than death.
She straightened her posture, trying to reclaim her dominant position in the room.
“She is manipulating you, Daniel. Can't you see it? She’s using her weakness as a weapon. She’s always done that. She knew she didn't belong in this world, so she plays the victim to keep you tethered to her side.”
Daniel didn't even look back at her.
“Rosa,” he called out gently.
The housekeeper stepped forward, wiping her eyes. “Yes, Mr. Daniel?”
“Go upstairs to our room. Pack a bag for Ava. Pack enough for a month. We are leaving as soon as Arthur gets here.”
Margaret gasped, taking a step forward.
“Leaving? You cannot take her out of this house! She requires medical supervision! I have nurses scheduled to arrive in the morning!”
“Your corporate paid guards masquerading as nurses won't be setting foot on this property again,” Daniel said, his voice cutting her off like a guillotine.
“We are going to the clinic in the city. A real clinic. With doctors who don't take bribes from my mother.”
Margaret’s eyes widened.
She realized then that Daniel didn't just suspect her.
He knew.
He knew about the payments to Dr. Evans.
May you like
He knew about the falsified medical reports.
The trap she had built for Ava had just snapped shut on her own leg.
