Chapter 10 - The Hidden Camera
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Daniel’s heart stopped in his chest. "You hid a camera in the library? Eight months ago?"
"Yes," Maria confirmed quickly. "It's disguised as a smoke detector. It's motion-activated and records directly to a secure cloud server. I paid for the server subscription for a year, just in case something terrible happened and the police ever needed proof. I have the login."
"Maria, you might have just saved my life," Daniel breathed, pulling up his laptop. "Give me the login."
He typed furiously as Maria read the credentials over the phone. The webpage loaded, revealing hundreds of archived video files categorized by date and time.
"Thank you, Maria. I will make sure your family is protected forever," Daniel vowed before hanging up.
He sat in the dark office, the blue light of the screen illuminating his face. He didn't search for videos from eight months ago. He filtered the dates. He searched for last Thursday. The day before the gala.
He clicked on a video timestamped 11:45 PM.
The video loaded, displaying the pristine, dark interior of his home library. The motion sensor had been tripped by two figures walking into the room.
Vanessa, wearing a silk robe, walked to the mahogany desk and poured a glass of wine. A man followed her into the frame, loosening his tie.
It was Julian Vance.
"The proxy is drafted," Julian said, his voice crystal clear on the high-definition audio. He tossed a red leather binder onto the desk. "I’ve countersigned the emergency clauses. Once the police place him in custody, the board will automatically recognize you as the acting CEO."
Vanessa took a sip of her wine, a cruel, terrifying smile spreading across her face.
"Are you sure he'll react?" Julian asked, looking nervous. "Daniel is disciplined. What if he just yells at you?"
"He won't just yell," Vanessa laughed, a cold, calculating sound that made Daniel’s skin crawl. "I'm going to wait until the ballroom is packed. And then, I'm going to push the little brat down the stairs. When Daniel sees his precious daughter bleeding on the marble, he will absolutely lose his mind. He'll hit me. I know he will."
Julian stared at her, looking slightly horrified by the sheer sociopathy. "You're going to injure the child?"
"Collateral damage, Julian," Vanessa shrugged indifferently. "We need the company. A broken leg is a small price to pay for a billion-dollar empire."
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Daniel stopped the video. He had the confession. He had the proof of premeditated assault, conspiracy, and fraud.
He didn't just have enough to stop the board. He had enough to destroy them.
