Chapter 16 - The Last Letter
The meeting place was not the estate.
It was a church where Vanessa had donated enough money to have her name engraved on a wall.
Castillo wired Mia and placed officers nearby.
Jason hated every second of it.
"Rachel stays in the car," he said.
Rachel stared at him. "Vanessa asked for me."
"Exactly."
"If she sees only Mia, she leaves."
"Then she leaves."
Rachel took his hand.
"Jason, we've spent days reacting to her. I want this finished."
His eyes filled with fear. "I almost lost you once."
"You didn't."
"That's not an argument."
Rachel squeezed his fingers. "No. It's a promise that I'm not walking in there alone."
They entered the church together.
Vanessa sat in the front pew wearing a black coat.
No makeup. No jewelry.
For the first time, she looked old.
"You brought police," she said.
Mia sat across the aisle. "You brought a fire."
Vanessa ignored her and held out an envelope.
"David wrote this the morning he died."
Jason stepped forward.
"Give it to me."
"First, Rachel withdraws the guardianship objection."
Rachel almost laughed.
"You forged documents, stole my records, pushed me into a pool, and you still think we're negotiating?"
Vanessa looked at her belly.
"You think this is about you. It never was."
"It became about me when you put your hands on me."
Vanessa's face tightened.
"The company is the only thing I ever protected. David would have destroyed it. Jason is too sentimental to run it. Mia hates it. And you walked in carrying the one child who could take control away from me."
Jason whispered, "She's your granddaughter."
"She's leverage."
The word seemed to echo through the church.
Rachel saw Jason break a little when he heard it.
Vanessa stood.
"You wanted the truth? Fine. I pushed David. I didn't mean for him to fall. I pushed Rachel because she wouldn't leave. I did what weak people never understand: I chose what had to survive."
A red recording light blinked beneath Mia's coat.
Vanessa noticed it.
May you like
Her eyes widened.
Then she grabbed Rachel.
