Chapter 5 - THE VIDEO THAT SURVIVED
Vanessa insisted the phone had fallen from her hand.
Nobody believed the timing.
Not even Ethan.
The phone was taken to the police lab.
Maya expected answers by morning.
Instead, things got worse.
At 2:17 a.m., someone entered Maya’s room.
She woke to the sound of a drawer closing.
Her eyes opened.
Darkness.
A shadow moved near the door.
“Who’s there?”
The figure ran.
Maya jumped from bed and chased them into the servants’ hallway.
“Stop!”
The person disappeared around the corner.
Maya followed.
By the time she reached the kitchen, the room was empty.
Then she smelled smoke.
Her room.
Maya ran back.
Flames climbed from the trash can beside her desk.
“Oh my God.”
She grabbed a blanket and smothered them.
Inside the burned papers was an envelope she had never seen before.
Most of it was destroyed.
But three words remained readable.
CUSTODY PETITION DRAFT.
Maya heard footsteps.
Ethan appeared.
“What happened?”
“Someone was in my room.”
He looked at the smoke.
“You started a fire?”
“No!”
She held up the burned paper.
“They planted something.”
Ethan read the surviving words.
His face changed.
“What is this?”
“I don’t know.”
Vanessa came running behind him.
“What happened?”
Maya looked at her.
“You tell me.”
Vanessa stared at the document.
Then her eyes widened theatrically.
“Oh my God.”
“What?” Ethan asked.
She looked at him.
“Remember what I told you?”
“Vanessa.”
“She wanted Oliver.”
Maya felt sick.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Vanessa pointed toward the burned document.
“She was preparing a custody case!”
“It was planted.”
“In your room?”
“Yes!”
Ethan looked torn.
Maya stepped closer.
“Someone came into my room two minutes ago. Check the hallway cameras.”
Grant arrived.
“I already did.”
Maya turned.
“And?”
“The servants’ hallway camera went offline.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Of course it did.”
Ethan stared at Grant.
“Another camera failure?”
Grant stiffened.
“The system may have been compromised.”
“By whom?”
“We’re investigating.”
Maya looked at Ethan.
“You have someone inside your security system.”
Before he could answer, Detective Ortiz called.
Ethan put the phone on speaker.
“We recovered data from Vanessa’s phone.”
Nobody moved.
Ortiz continued.
“There was a deleted video recorded approximately ninety seconds before Oliver entered the pool.”
Maya’s hands trembled.
“Does it show what happened?”
“Part of it.”
Vanessa stepped backward.
Ethan noticed.
“Play it.”
Ortiz sent the file.
Grant opened it on the television.
The video began with shaky footage of the pool.
Then Vanessa’s voice.
Soft.
Cold.
Talking to someone standing off camera.
“Once she jumps in, everyone will believe the rest.”
The video ended.
Ethan slowly turned toward Vanessa.
Maya thought it was finally over.
Then Grant spoke.
“That doesn’t prove she meant Maya.”
Maya looked at him.
And in that instant, she understood something even more frightening.
May you like
Grant wasn’t protecting Vanessa because he worked for the family.
He was protecting her because he was part of it.
