CHAPTER 5 — THE MAN BEHIND THE CAMERA
Victor Dane was found in the hospital parking garage twenty minutes later.
He was sitting inside a black SUV with the engine running.
A loaded handgun rested beneath his seat.
Inside the glove compartment, police found twenty thousand dollars in cash and a burner phone.
Marcus stood behind the glass wall of the security office while detectives searched the vehicle.
“This makes no sense,” he said.
Adrian folded his arms.
“Victor works for you.”
“He protects my family.”
“He was inside the suite before Isabella attacked Khloe.”
Marcus turned toward him.
“You think I arranged this?”
“I think you cheated on my niece, lied to her, and surrounded yourself with people who wanted her gone.”
Marcus’s face tightened.
“That doesn’t mean I wanted my child hurt.”
“No. It means you opened the door and let danger walk in.”
Marcus had no answer.
A detective entered holding the burner phone inside an evidence bag.
“We found messages between Victor and Isabella.”
Isabella, now handcuffed, sat in the corner.
She looked toward Marcus.
“Tell them the truth.”
“I don’t know what truth you’re talking about.”
The detective read from the phone.
“‘Camera loop ready. You’ll have seven minutes.’”
Daniel Reyes frowned.
“The camera wasn’t looped. Victor failed.”
The detective continued.
“Another message from Isabella says, ‘Once she loses the baby, Marcus will blame the stress.’”
Marcus stared at her.
“You planned this.”
Isabella’s eyes filled with fury.
“You made promises.”
“I never promised you anything.”
“You said you hated coming home.”
“I was angry.”
“You said Khloe made you feel trapped.”
“I was drunk.”
“You said you wished the pregnancy had never happened.”
Marcus went silent.
Adrian slowly turned toward him.
“Did you say that?”
Marcus’s voice broke.
“Yes.”
The shame on his face was real.
But it changed nothing.
Isabella leaned forward.
“You gave me every reason to believe you wanted her gone.”
“I never told you to hurt her.”
“You didn’t have to.”
A nurse entered.
“Dr. Hale, Mrs. Thorne is awake.”
Marcus immediately stood.
“I need to see her.”
Adrian blocked the door.
“That’s her decision.”
Five minutes later, Adrian returned from Khloe’s room.
“She agreed to speak with you for two minutes.”
Marcus entered alone.
Khloe looked smaller in the hospital bed.
Pale.
Exhausted.
A thin tube ran beneath her nose. Monitors surrounded her.
Marcus stopped beside the door.
“The baby?”
“Her name is Hope.”
He swallowed.
“Hope.”
“She’s in the NICU.”
“I’m sorry.”
Khloe looked at him.
“For Isabella?”
“For everything.”
“Did you sleep with her?”
He lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“Twice.”
“While I was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Khloe turned her face toward the window.
Marcus stepped closer.
“I never asked her to hurt you.”
“But you told her you wished our baby didn’t exist.”
“I was scared.”
“So was I.”
“I made the worst mistake of my life.”
“No,” Khloe whispered. “Your worst mistake was believing your choices only belonged to you.”
Marcus’s eyes filled with tears.
“Please let me fix this.”
She looked back at him.
“You can’t fix what happened.”
“I love you.”
“You loved me from the doorway while I was lying on the floor.”
He flinched.
Khloe’s voice remained quiet.
“That hesitation told me everything.”
A nurse opened the door.
“Time’s up.”
Marcus turned to leave.
Then Khloe spoke again.
“There’s something else you need to know.”
He looked back.
She took a slow breath.
“Someone has been stealing money from your company.”
Marcus froze.
“How do you know?”
“Because Isabella wasn’t trying to destroy only our marriage.”
May you like
Khloe’s eyes hardened.
“She was helping someone destroy you.”
