Chapter 8 - What Survived the Fire
Elena ran before anyone could stop her.
Adrian caught up in the hallway.
“Elena!”
“My father’s letters are in that study!”
“So are armed security officers.”
“You don’t understand!”
He grabbed her shoulders.
“I understand that someone is burning evidence and may still be inside our home.”
Elena stopped.
Her eyes filled.
“There’s one thing in that study that has nothing to do with this case.”
“What?”
She stared at him.
“A box from my mother.”
Adrian softened.
“Elena—”
“She died before our wedding. Those are the last letters she ever wrote me.”
He pulled her close.
“I know.”
For one second she let herself collapse against him.
Then Detective Reyes appeared behind them.
“Nobody is going to the penthouse.”
Adrian looked at her.
“My security team is already there.”
“And NYPD is responding.”
Marissa joined them.
“Daniel doesn’t start fires himself.”
Reyes turned.
“What does that mean?”
“He has people.”
“Names?”
“I only know one.”
She looked toward the conference room where Charles was being guarded.
“Victor Hale.”
Bianca appeared behind her.
“My father’s driver?”
Marissa nodded.
Bianca’s face hardened.
“He’s been with us since I was twelve.”
Marissa whispered, “He handles more than the car.”
Reyes immediately made a call.
Within minutes, officers were looking for both men.
Charles was transported downtown.
Catherine went with detectives to give a full statement.
Bianca refused to leave.
Instead, she sat beside Elena in the empty hotel lobby.
Two hours earlier, Bianca would have ordered Elena to bring her champagne.
Now neither woman spoke.
Finally Bianca said, “I’m sorry.”
Elena looked at her.
Bianca stared at the floor.
“I know that doesn’t fix anything.”
“No.”
“I saw your uniform and decided you were beneath me.”
Elena stayed quiet.
Bianca swallowed.
“That might be uglier than the slap.”
“It is.”
Bianca nodded.
“I know.”
“You knew nobody would stop you.”
Another nod.
“You counted on it.”
“Yes.”
Elena studied her.
“Why?”
Bianca took a long time to answer.
“Because that’s what I watched my father do.”
Elena’s anger didn’t disappear.
But she understood something.
Cruelty had been taught.
That didn’t excuse it.
It explained how easily Bianca had worn it.
“Then stop becoming him,” Elena said.
Bianca looked at her.
Before she could answer, Adrian returned.
“The fire department contained it.”
Elena stood immediately.
“The study?”
“Damaged.”
Her face fell.
“But the fireproof cabinet survived.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Thank God.”
“And our security copied the hallway footage before the system went down.”
Reyes stepped closer.
“Did it catch Daniel?”
Adrian nodded.
“It caught more than Daniel.”
He opened his phone.
The footage showed Daniel entering the penthouse.
Two minutes later, another man followed.
Victor Hale.
Then a third figure entered.
A woman.
Her face was hidden beneath a hood.
Bianca leaned closer.
“Who is she?”
Adrian skipped ahead.
The woman came out seventeen minutes later.
For half a second, the camera caught her face.
Bianca screamed.
“No!”
Elena grabbed the phone.
The woman was Catherine.
Bianca stared at Adrian.
“My mother set your apartment on fire?”
Adrian shook his head.
“Watch.”
The footage continued.
Catherine left.
Then Daniel and Victor remained inside.
Eight minutes later, smoke appeared.
Reyes crossed her arms.
“Catherine may have been retrieving something.”
“Or planting something,” Bianca said.
Adrian’s security chief called.
He answered on speaker.
“What did you find?”
“A box is missing from the study.”
Elena’s face went white.
“What box?”
“Small wooden box. According to the inventory photo, it was stored beside your mother’s letters.”
Elena frowned.
“I don’t remember a wooden box.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You never put it there?”
“No.”
The security chief continued.
“We found something else beneath the cabinet.”
“What?”
“A sealed envelope.”
“Addressed to who?” Elena asked.
A pause.
“You.”
Elena stared at the phone.
“From?”
May you like
The security chief read the handwriting.
“Laura Bennett.”
