Chapter 18 - Unmasking the Monster
I didn't waste time with emotional speeches. I systematically dismantled his entire life's work in ten minutes.
First, I projected the biometric access logs onto the screen, showing the exact moment Daniel's fingerprint disabled the lake house alarms. Then came the high-definition traffic footage, displaying his SUV speeding away with Vanessa in the passenger seat. Finally, Marcus distributed thick folders to every board member containing the authenticated insurance documents, tracing the twenty-million-dollar policy directly to Vanessa's brother.
The room grew terrifyingly quiet. The murmurs of support for Daniel completely evaporated.
Then, I played the audio.
Vanessa’s chilling voice filled the massive ballroom. "And the children?"
Daniel’s cold, impatient reply followed instantly. "They are already asleep."
A sound like a collective intake of winter wind moved through the crowd. Men covered their mouths in horror. Women turned their faces away from the screens.
But I wasn't finished. I clicked the next file, playing the crystal-clear recording from the clinic garden.
"You should have destroyed that watch," Daniel's voice echoed through the room.
On the video feed, Daniel suddenly lunged toward the jail camera, his eyes wide with panic. "Turn it off! That's illegal! Turn it off right now!" he screamed, rattling his handcuffs against the metal table.
No one moved to touch the audio system.
May you like
His own voice continued to play, loud and damning: "They weren’t supposed to wake up. The leak was meant to make you look negligent."
One of the senior board members, a man who had mentored Daniel, stood up silently. He walked over to the corporate display table, picked up the framed photograph of Daniel as CEO, and dropped it face-down onto the floor.
