Chapter 18 - The Confession
Victor felt every sound disappear except Lily's breathing.
"Where is Ethan?"
"With Rosa in the panic room."
"Where are you?"
"Hallway outside it."
A door creaked on Lily's end.
Serena's voice came through faintly.
"Give me the code."
Victor ran for the hotel exit while police traced Lily's call.
"Do not confront her," he said.
Lily whispered, "She's between me and the stairs."
Serena laughed. "Who are you whispering to? Victor? Put him on speaker."
Lily did.
"Hello, Victor."
"It's over, Serena."
"No. It's finally honest."
Sirens screamed as Victor's car tore toward the secure residence.
Serena continued talking, almost calmly.
"Olivia was supposed to hand over the drive. She refused. Grant panicked. I panicked. People pretend crimes happen because monsters plan everything perfectly. Most crimes happen because ordinary cowards don't want to lose."
Victor's hand tightened around the phone.
"You killed her."
"I didn't push her car off the road."
"You grabbed Grant's wheel."
Silence.
Then Serena said, "He told you that?"
"You recorded him."
She gave a small, bitter laugh.
"Then he deserved what he got."
Lily spoke. "And Ethan? What did he deserve?"
Serena's voice sharpened. "He was never supposed to be hurt. He was leverage."
"He's a child."
"He's a trust with a heartbeat."
The words were so cold that even Victor stopped breathing.
Lily said, "Say that again."
Serena paused.
Then she understood.
"You're recording me."
Lily looked down at the tiny black recorder in her hand.
The same one from under the table.
Its red light blinked.
Serena lunged.
Lily threw a vase into the hallway, not at Serena but into the sprinkler sensor mounted low on the wall.
Glass shattered.
An alarm erupted.
Emergency doors slammed shut between Serena and the panic room.
Lily ran the other direction.
Serena chased her.
Police reached the house as Lily entered the kitchen.
Serena grabbed her from behind.
"You ruined everything!"
Lily twisted free and shouted, "No. I just stopped pretending you were untouchable."
Officers flooded the room.
Serena froze.
Victor entered seconds later.
He didn't go to Serena.
He went past her.
Straight to the panic room.
Rosa opened it.
Ethan reached out.
"Dada."
Victor picked him up and held him so tightly the child squeaked.
Behind him, Serena was handcuffed.
As officers led her away, she looked at Victor.
"You think this fixes you?"
Victor looked at Ethan.
"No."
Then at Lily.
"That's my job."
But before Serena reached the door, a detective stopped her.
His phone had just buzzed.
"We found the crash reconstruction."
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Serena's face changed.
And Victor knew the last lie was about to break.
