I Thought My Daughter’s Fall Was an Accident—Then the Nanny Told Me What She Saw

Police wired Elena before she entered Margaret's hotel suite.

Mark hated every second of it.

Elena hated that he looked more frightened for her than she felt for herself.

"Keep her talking," Ruiz said. "Do not move toward the weapon."

Elena nodded.

Inside, Margaret sat on a chair near the window, hands tied in front of her. Victoria stood behind the sofa with a pistol pointed toward the floor.

"There she is," Victoria said.

"Let Margaret go."

"Still giving orders in other people's houses."

"You asked me here."

Victoria smiled.

"Do you know what I learned after I married Mark? Nobody enters this family. You get absorbed by it. Margaret decides who matters. Peter decides what numbers matter. Mark decides which crisis is worth coming home for."

"Clara didn't do any of that to you."

The smile vanished.

"Clara owned the vote."

"She is three."

"Exactly. A three-year-old controlled the future of a company employing six thousand people because a dead grandfather thought blood was better than competence."

Elena stared at her.

"So you decided a child was disposable."

Victoria's hand tightened on the gun.

"I decided the company couldn't be left to chance."

"You mean left to Clara."

"I mean left to Mark."

That was new.

Elena kept her face still.

"What did Mark do?"

Victoria laughed.

"Nothing. That's what he always does until the fire reaches his own room."

Then she looked at Margaret.

"Ask your precious mother what happened to Olivia."

Margaret went pale.

Elena's heart kicked.

Olivia. Clara's mother.

"What about her?"

Victoria stepped closer.

"Olivia found the old family clause before I did. She threatened to remove Mercer money from the foundation and put everything into an outside trust."

Margaret whispered, "Stop."

Victoria smiled.

"Why? Afraid Mark will finally ask the right question?"

Elena heard movement outside the suite.

Victoria heard it too.

She raised the gun.

"You brought police."

"Victoria-"

The suite door burst open.

Victoria fired.

The shot shattered the mirror beside Elena's head.

Police tackled her before she could fire again.