Chapter 10 - Nathan’s Ring
Nathan stared at the ring in Elena’s palm.
“That’s not possible.”
He touched his left hand.
His ring was gone.
“When did you take it off?” Elena asked.
“I didn’t.”
Claire moved closer. “Someone got near you.”
Nathan thought. “In the ballroom. My mother grabbed my hand after Elena walked away.”
Elena closed her fist around the ring.
Victoria had taken it, then somehow placed it in Elena’s purse.
A message.
Or a warning.
Detective Alvarez returned from the hall. “Walter is conscious. Paramedics are bringing him here because he refused the hospital until he spoke with you.”
Elena almost laughed at the stubbornness.
Twenty minutes later, Walter arrived with a bandage over his temple.
“What happened?” Elena asked.
“Daniel Pike hit me from behind in the garage.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Was my mother there?”
Walter looked at him. “Yes.”
Nathan seemed to shrink.
“She told him to hit you?”
“No.” Walter paused. “She told him to stop.”
Everyone went still.
Elena frowned. “What?”
Walter explained.
Victoria had lured him to the garage to negotiate. She wanted the original evidence. Pike arrived unexpectedly. When Walter refused to hand over his phone, Pike attacked him.
Victoria screamed at Pike to stop.
Pike did not.
“He dragged me into the car,” Walter said. “Victoria followed because he had Elena’s laptop and said he had enough evidence to destroy the entire family if she didn’t cooperate.”
Nathan looked sick. “So she was being blackmailed too?”
Walter gave him a hard look. “Do not turn her into a victim. She created the machine. Pike simply realized he could drive it.”
Elena asked, “Where did he take you?”
“The estate cellar. He demanded Claire’s files.”
Claire crossed her arms. “Why?”
Walter looked at her.
“Because the files don’t just implicate Victoria.”
Claire’s face tightened.
“They implicate who?”
Walter took a breath.
“Your father.”
Claire went white.
“My father is dead.”
“I know.”
May you like
Walter’s voice softened.
“And before he died, he helped Victoria hide forty-two million dollars.”
