CHAPTER 3: THE WOMAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
CHAPTER 3: THE WOMAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Vanessa stood in the doorway of the storage room, watching me with a smile that no longer felt warm.
It felt calculated.
Like she was studying a problem she needed to solve.
For years, I had negotiated with people who wanted my company.
People who wanted my money.
People who wanted my influence.
But Vanessa was different.
She didn’t want a business deal.
She wanted my trust.
And that made her far more dangerous.
“Nothing important?”
Vanessa repeated my words softly.
Her eyes moved toward Nora.
Then toward Lily.
Then back to me.
“Interesting.”
I forced a calm expression.
“What’s interesting?”
She stepped inside.
“The fact that you disappeared from your own engagement party.”
She smiled.
“The fact that my housekeeper looks terrified.”
Her eyes landed on Lily.
“And the fact that a child who should be upstairs is standing beside you.”
The room became painfully quiet.
Lily immediately moved closer to me.
That tiny movement said everything.
She was afraid of Vanessa.
Not nervous.
Not uncomfortable.
Afraid.
Vanessa noticed.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
Then she turned to Nora.
“Did you forget my instructions?”
Nora lowered her eyes.
“No, Ms. Hale.”
“Then why is Lily here?”
Nora didn’t answer.
Vanessa took a slow breath.
The kind of breath people take when they are trying to control their anger.
“I asked you a question.”
Nora looked at me.
Then at her daughter.
Finally, she whispered.
“She wanted to see the party.”
Vanessa smiled.
A cold, empty smile.
“That’s unfortunate.”
I stepped between them.
“Vanessa.”
She looked at me.
“Yes?”
Her voice immediately softened.
The transformation was incredible.
One second she was threatening Nora.
The next second she was the loving woman everyone knew.
“I think everyone is worried about you.”
She reached for my hand.
“You’ve been under so much stress.”
I allowed her to hold it.
But inside, every instinct was screaming.
“Maybe we should leave early,” she continued.
“Get you some rest.”
Normally, I would have agreed.
Normally, I would have trusted her.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, I was watching everything.
The way she spoke.
The way she moved.
The way she avoided looking at Lily.
“I’m okay,” I said.
Vanessa smiled.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The answer came faster than I expected.
Her expression changed slightly.
She noticed.
I knew she did.
Vanessa noticed everything.
Before she could respond, my phone vibrated.
Another message.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
“Do not confront her yet.”
My heart raced.
A second message appeared.
“She already knows you suspect something.”
I looked around the room.
Whoever was sending these messages was watching.
They knew where I was.
They knew what Vanessa was doing.
They knew more than I did.
I locked my phone quickly.
Vanessa noticed.
“What was that?”
I looked up.
“Work.”
She smiled.
“Tonight?”
I shrugged.
“Important clients don’t care about celebrations.”
It was a believable excuse.
After all, my entire life had been built around work.
Vanessa nodded.
“I suppose that’s true.”
Then she leaned closer.
“But tonight is supposed to be about us.”
There was something strange in the way she said it.
Not romantic.
Possessive.
Like I was something she already owned.
I smiled.
“I know.”
She kissed my cheek.
The guests watching us applauded.
They thought it was beautiful.
They thought it was love.
They had no idea I was pretending.
A few minutes later, Vanessa returned to the stage.
She continued greeting guests.
Laughing.
Taking photographs.
Holding hands with politicians and investors.
The perfect future wife.
Meanwhile, I quietly walked toward the security office.
My estate had advanced surveillance.
Every hallway.
Every entrance.
Every room.
When I built the house, I wanted protection.
Now I needed evidence.
The security manager, Daniel Brooks, looked surprised when I entered.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Pull up tonight’s footage.”
He immediately stood.
“Is something wrong?”
“I need to review the kitchen cameras.”
Daniel hesitated.
That bothered me.
“What?”
He looked uncomfortable.
“There’s a problem.”
“What problem?”
“The kitchen cameras were disabled earlier.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Disabled?”
“Yes.”
“By who?”
Daniel looked at the computer screen.
“I don’t know.”
“Find out.”
He started typing.
After several seconds, he stopped.
“Mr. Mercer…”
“What?”
“The system shows the cameras were turned off using your authorization code.”
Silence.
I stared at him.
“That’s impossible.”
Daniel swallowed.
“The system doesn’t lie.”
Someone had used my code.
Someone had entered my security system.
Someone wanted it to look like I was responsible.
“Show me the access log.”
Daniel opened the file.
A name appeared.
My blood turned cold.
Because the person who accessed my security system was someone I knew.
Someone I trusted.
Someone who had been helping me for years.
My personal assistant.
Ethan Cole.
I stepped back.
“No.”
Daniel looked confused.
“Sir?”
“That can’t be right.”
But the evidence was there.
The timestamp.
The access code.
The authorization.
Everything pointed to Ethan.
The same Ethan who knew my schedule.
The same Ethan who knew my medical appointments.
The same Ethan who knew Vanessa better than almost anyone.
I left the security room without another word.
My mind was spinning.
I didn’t know who to believe anymore.
Vanessa.
Nora.
Ethan.
Everyone around me suddenly looked like a stranger.
When I returned to the ballroom, Vanessa was waiting.
She smiled.
“There you are.”
I stopped.
“What?”
She walked closer.
“I was wondering where you went.”
I said nothing.
She touched my arm.
“Something wrong?”
I looked into her eyes.
For the first time, I wondered if she was testing me.
Waiting for me to accuse her.
Waiting for me to reveal what I knew.
Instead, I smiled.
“No.”
She relaxed slightly.
“Good.”
Then she whispered.
“Because I would hate for tonight to end badly.”
The words sounded innocent.
But they didn’t feel innocent.
I looked around the ballroom.
Everyone was celebrating.
Everyone was smiling.
Everyone believed they were witnessing a love story.
But I knew the truth.
This was no engagement party.
May you like
It was a battlefield.
And I had no idea who was standing on my side.
