Chapter 7 - The Hidden File
Vanessa had returned to the estate at dawn.
Not to collect clothes.
Not to retrieve jewelry.
She had gone directly to Ryan's office.
Police found her standing beside the fireplace with a metal file box and a bottle of lighter fluid.
She was arrested before she could burn anything.
I wanted to feel safe.
Instead, I wondered what had been inside that box.
By afternoon, I was discharged with strict instructions.
Rest.
No stress.
Return immediately if contractions resumed.
The no stress part felt almost insulting.
Maya took me to her house.
Ryan was not allowed near me.
Temporary protective order.
Vanessa remained in custody.
David drove directly from the courthouse to meet us.
“They opened the file box.”
I sat at Maya's kitchen table.
“What was inside?”
He placed a copy of one document in front of me.
A property survey.
Our estate.
Certain areas were highlighted.
Driveway.
Stone staircase.
Balcony.
Pool.
Garage.
My stomach turned.
“What is this?”
“There are notes.”
I read one.
Loose rail - believable accident.
Another.
Pool camera blind spot.
Another.
Medication?
I pushed the page away.
“Oh my God.”
Maya covered her mouth.
David said, “We don't know who wrote these.”
“I do.”
I pointed at the handwriting.
“I've seen Vanessa's handwriting.”
The room became silent.
“Ryan knew about this?”
“We don't know.”
I remembered his message.
I never agreed to hurt her.
Meaning he knew she had thought about it.
Maybe discussed it.
Maybe threatened it.
And said nothing.
That alone felt like another kind of betrayal.
David produced another document.
A contract.
Stone Crisis Consulting.
The company named VHC Strategy as recipient of large payments.
The work description was vague.
Reputation management.
Corporate restructuring.
Asset protection.
“Ryan was hiding money through her company,” David said.
“How much?”
“At least $1.3 million.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“He appears to have been moving money away from marital assets.”
My stomach twisted.
So Project Stone wasn't a murder plan.
It was financial theft.
Ryan had been preparing to leave me.
Quietly.
Richly.
Protected.
“And the insurance?”
“We're still working on that.”
My phone rang.
Unknown caller.
David nodded for me to answer on speaker.
“Hello?”
A woman spoke.
“Is this Emily Cole?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Nina Park. I worked for Vanessa.”
I sat straighter.
“What do you want?”
“To tell you something before she ruins my life too.”
David began recording.
Nina continued.
“Vanessa told me she was going to become Mrs. Ryan Cole.”
I looked at Maya.
“She said Ryan was transferring money?”
“Yes.”
“Did she say anything about my insurance?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Every hair on my arms rose.
“What?”
“She said Ryan was stupid because he thought insurance was protection.”
“What did she mean?”
“I don't know.”
“Nina.”
“I swear.”
Her voice cracked.
“But I heard her say something else.”
“What?”
“That after the baby came, you would be worth more dead than divorced.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Did Ryan hear her say that?”
Nina went quiet.
Then answered.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He told her to shut up.”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
I swallowed.
At least he had rejected it.
But Nina wasn't finished.
“Emily?”
“Yes?”
“There's something Ryan never told you.”
“What?”
“Vanessa didn't meet him last year.”
May you like
My hand tightened around the phone.
“She knew him before you got married.”
