Chapter 21 - THE TAPES DON'T LIE
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Marcus’s fingers trembled as he pulled out his encrypted smartphone, tapping furiously on the master security application for the estate. His face was devoid of color, carved from stone and cold terror. Beside him, Victoria’s chest rose and fell in ragged, shallow breaths.
“Marcus, please,” Victoria whispered, her voice faltering as she reached for his arm with manicure-perfect fingers. “You’re letting a disobedient maid drive a wedge between us. She’s crazy. She threw herself into the pool to make it look like a rescue!”
Marcus ignored her, swiping past live feeds until the hedge camera’s recorded storage appeared on the screen. The illuminated time stamp matched five minutes prior.
He hit play.
On the small high-definition screen, the nightmare unfolded in crisp, unyielding clarity.
The video displayed Victoria standing alone by the pool, her emerald satin gown glowing under the turquoise lights. There was no struggle. No accident. No panic. The footage clearly showed Victoria placing her hand on the dark stroller’s handle, looking casually toward the French doors, and curling her lips into a cruel, deliberate smile.
With a calculated push, she sent the stroller rolling toward the water.
A second later, the video showed the stroller plunge into the deep end. Victoria didn't budge. She simply stepped back and adjusted her hair. Then came the navy blur—Elena sprinting from the shadows, launching herself headfirst into the freezing pool without a second thought.
Marcus watched the video three times. With every loop, the blood drained further from his face until his veins pulsed with deadly fury.
He slowly turned his head to look at Victoria.
“She jumped in to make it look like a rescue, did she?” Marcus’s voice dropped to a terrifying whisper.
Victoria backed away, her heel catching on the stone edge of the patio. “Marcus… I can explain… it was an accident, the brake slipped—”
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“Shut up,” he commanded, his voice shaking the quiet night air. “Don’t you dare utter another word in front of my son.”
Elena remained on her knees, shivering violently in her soaked uniform, clutching her bruised jaw as the truth finally filled the silence between them.
