Chapter 6 - The Edited Truth
The CPS worker agreed to wait until Arthur returned.
By the time he reached the house, Maria was sitting at the dining table with Evan pressed against her side. Two uniformed officers stood near the foyer. The social worker, Dana Wells, had the careful expression of someone who had seen wealthy families weaponize appearances before.
“I need to speak with Evan privately,” Dana said.
Arthur hated it.
But he nodded.
“Maria can sit in the next room.”
“No,” Dana said. “Not if she’s part of the allegation.”
Evan grabbed Arthur’s sleeve.
“Dad.”
Arthur crouched. “Tell the truth. That’s all.”
“What if they don’t believe me?”
“Then I keep telling it with you.”
Evan swallowed and followed Dana into the library.
Clara opened the video attached to the complaint.
It lasted nineteen seconds.
Maria entered the study.
Evan tried to move past her.
Maria caught his shoulders.
He cried.
The clip ended.
No Elena.
No papers.
No context.
Reed swore quietly.
“Whoever cut this knew exactly what to remove.”
Maria looked devastated. “I was pulling him away from her.”
“I know,” Arthur said.
“Do you?”
He looked at her.
For the first time since the night before, Maria’s voice cracked.
“I have worked for you for four years. I was here when Evan had nightmares after the funeral. I was here when he stopped speaking for two weeks. I was here every time you had to fly somewhere because your company was falling apart.”
Arthur felt the accusation because it was true.
“And now someone makes a nineteen-second video and I become dangerous.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Your world believes paperwork.”
Arthur looked at the forged trust forms on the table.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s the problem.”
Dana returned twenty minutes later.
“Evan says Mrs. Vance asked him to sign blank papers and became angry when he refused. He also says Maria intervened.”
Arthur exhaled.
“Is that enough?”
“It’s enough that I’m not removing him today.”
Today.
The word cut.
“But,” Dana continued, “the complaint includes an allegation that you are emotionally unstable since your first wife’s death and that you’ve delegated most parental care.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“Who signed it?”
Dana hesitated.
“It’s confidential.”
Reed stepped forward. “Was it Elena Vance?”
Dana did not answer.
She did not need to.
A crash came from upstairs.
Everyone turned.
One of the security officers ran toward the staircase.
Arthur followed.
Evan’s bedroom window was open.
The drawer where Arthur kept Rebecca’s old jewelry had been pulled out.
On the carpet lay a velvet box.
Inside it was Elena’s diamond bracelet.
May you like
And beneath the bracelet was Maria’s passport.
Someone had just planted evidence in the nanny’s room.
