Chapter 11 - Somebody Fired First
Daniel hit the floor before he understood the sound.
Glass rained over the table.
Ramirez dragged Eddie behind a concrete divider while customers screamed and scattered.
A second shot punched through the front window.
“Stay down!” Ramirez shouted.
Daniel crawled behind the counter.
Outside, a black SUV tore across the parking lot.
Rebecca, still in her car across the road, captured the plate on video.
The SUV was found abandoned twenty minutes later.
Stolen plates. Wiped interior. No weapon.
But Eddie was alive.
And now he was terrified enough to cooperate fully.
By evening, police had the recorder. On it, Mason’s voice said:
“You took the money. You touched the brakes. If anyone asks, Victoria was never there.”
It was not a murder confession.
But it was evidence of a cover-up.
Rebecca moved fast. She filed emergency motions, submitted the coaching video, the forged psychological report, and affidavits from Naomi and Eddie.
Victoria moved faster.
By morning, clips of Daniel appearing drunk and violent were everywhere online.
A headline called him THE BILLIONAIRE DAD WITH A SECRET TEMPER.
Board members panicked.
Sponsors called.
Morgan Holdings stock fell.
Thomas Vale resigned before lunch.
Then Daniel received notice that the board had scheduled an emergency meeting to temporarily remove him as CEO pending investigation.
Exactly what Victoria had prepared for.
Rebecca stared at the notice.
“She knew this would happen.”
Daniel looked across the hotel suite at Lily, who was drawing planets at the table with a box of crayons. She had drawn Saturn too large and Earth too small, then written HOME beside the blue circle in purple marker.
For the first time, Daniel understood what Victoria had really gambled with. Not his reputation. Not the company. Lily’s idea of home.
“She built the fire before she lit the match.”
His phone rang.
Evelyn.
“Daniel, there are reporters outside my house.”
“Don’t answer the door.”
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Victoria came here.”
Daniel stood.
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
“Is she still there?”
“No.”
“What did she want?”
Evelyn began crying.
“She wanted Hannah’s letter.”
“Did you tell her I had it?”
“No.”
May you like
A long pause.
Then Evelyn whispered, “She said if you keep digging, Lily will lose another mother.”
