Chapter 12: The Woman Who Helped Plan My Death
Vanessa's face looked different.
The confident smile was gone. Her makeup was smeared, and her hands trembled around the weapon.
But her eyes were still cold.
"Hello, Adrian.""
I stood between her and my family.
"Put the gun down.""
She laughed nervously.
"You always did think you could tell me what to do.""
Thomas stepped into the room.
"Enough, Vanessa. We don't have all night.""
My mother grabbed Emma's hand.
"Stay behind me.""
Victor closed the door.
"Adrian, I see you've had quite a family reunion.""
I stared at him.
"You threatened to kill me.""
Victor shrugged.
"Business is business.""
"Is that what you called it when you arranged my accident?""
He smiled.
"Your uncle made the arrangements. I handled the financial side.""
Thomas glanced at him.
"Don't get comfortable, Victor. You're not in charge here.""
Victor's expression hardened.
I noticed the tension between them.
They were working together, but they didn't trust each other.
That might be our only advantage.
Vanessa pointed her gun toward me.
"Give me the document.""
I kept my hands visible.
"Why?""
"Because it belongs to Thomas.""
My mother laughed bitterly.
"It belongs to my children.""
Vanessa turned toward her.
"Nobody asked you.""
"You're holding a weapon in front of three people you tried to destroy. I think I have the right to speak.""
Vanessa's fingers tightened.
"You should have stayed dead.""
My stomach twisted.
"You knew my mother was alive?""
She looked at me.
"Of course.""
"How long?""
"Since before your accident.""
Emma stepped forward.
"You knew he was going to crash?""
Vanessa shrugged.
"I knew there was going to be an accident.""
I stared at her.
"You were my fiancée.""
"And you were going to marry me. I was supposed to spend the rest of my life taking care of you while your family controlled everything?""
"You wanted the money.""
"I wanted what I was promised!""
Thomas interrupted.
"Vanessa, stop talking.""
But she was furious now.
"You told me Adrian would die. You said I'd receive enough money to start a new life.""
I looked at Thomas.
"You promised her money?""
"She was useful.""
Vanessa turned toward him.
"Useful? I spent months pretending to love that man!""
Victor laughed.
"At least you were paid.""
Vanessa spun toward him.
"Don't you dare.""
I slowly stepped toward her.
"How much?""
She hesitated.
"Two million dollars.""
"From Victor?""
She nodded.
"Before the accident.""
I looked toward my mother.
She was watching Vanessa with an expression I couldn't understand.
"Did you know about this?"" I asked.
My mother nodded.
"I discovered the payments before the crash. Vanessa was working with Victor to gain access to your personal accounts.""
Vanessa raised the weapon.
"Enough!""
Emma stepped in front of Elizabeth.
"You're not going to hurt him.""
Vanessa laughed.
"Move, Emma. You're not part of this.""
Emma looked directly at her.
"You tried to kill my brother. You nearly killed him again at the mansion. What makes you think I'll move?""
For a second, Vanessa seemed uncertain.
Then Thomas grabbed her arm.
"Give me the gun.""
She resisted.
"No!""
"I said give it to me!""
The struggle lasted only a moment.
The gun went off.
A bullet struck the ceiling.
Agent Brooks shouted from the corridor.
"FEDERAL AGENTS! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!""
Thomas spun toward the door.
Victor grabbed the document from my hand.
He shoved me against the wall and ran toward the emergency exit.
Vanessa dropped the gun.
Thomas pulled her toward him.
"Move!""
But she stumbled.
Agent Brooks entered with two officers.
"Thomas Blackwood! Put your hands where I can see them!""
Thomas raised his arms.
Victor was already gone.
I pushed away from the wall and ran after him.
"Adrian, no!"" Emma screamed.
I reached the corridor just as Victor disappeared through a service door.
I followed him down the stairs.
My legs protested, but I kept moving.
At the bottom, Victor was trying to open a metal exit gate.
"Victor!""
He turned.
For the first time, he looked genuinely frightened.
"You should have stayed in that wheelchair!""
I stopped a few feet away.
"And you should have stayed out of my family.""
He pulled a small knife from his pocket.
I stepped back.
"Drop it.""
"Give me the trust document!""
"You don't have it anymore.""
He glanced at his empty hand.
Then he realized something.
The document wasn't in his pocket.
I had slipped it into Emma's locket before he grabbed me.
Victor lunged.
I dodged.
He stumbled against the wall, dropping the knife.
I kicked it away.
Two officers rushed through the doorway and forced him to the ground.
As they handcuffed him, Victor looked up at me.
"You think you've won?""
I said nothing.
He laughed.
"Thomas isn't the only person who knows about that trust.""
I leaned closer.
"Who else?""
Victor smiled through his bruised lip.
"The person who signed the original papers.""
My father appeared behind the officers.
His face was pale.
Victor looked directly at him.
"Ask Richard who really inherited your grandfather's money.""
My father closed his eyes.
Then he whispered something I never expected.
"Victor is telling the truth.""
I turned toward him.
"What?""
Richard slowly removed a folded document from his jacket.
"I signed the original trust agreement.""
My mother looked at him.
"Richard, no.""
He unfolded the paper.
"Your grandfather didn't leave the money to Adrian.""
I stared at the document.
"Then who?""
Richard's voice trembled.
"He left it to the child who wasn't supposed to survive.""
Emma looked confused.
Elizabeth stepped closer.
My mother began crying.
Then my father revealed the name.
"Samuel Hayes.""
The same man we had believed was our cousin.
The same man working with Thomas.
The man who had disappeared years ago.
But there was something else written beneath his name.
A handwritten condition.
If Samuel ever attempts to harm the Blackwood children, the entire inheritance shall pass to the three surviving triplets.
I looked at the document.
Then at my mother.
"Does that mean the money belongs to us now?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
I felt a strange sense of relief.
But before I could speak, Agent Brooks returned.
"Adrian, we have a problem.""
"What now?""
He showed me his phone.
A photograph appeared.
Samuel Hayes was standing outside the Blackwood mansion.
He was holding a little girl by the hand.
Behind them stood a man I recognized.
My father's younger brother.
Thomas.
But Thomas was already in federal custody.
I looked at the photograph again.
The timestamp was from five minutes ago.
Then a message appeared beneath it.
*YOU CAUGHT THE WRONG MAN. THE REAL THOMAS BLACKWOOD IS STILL FREE.*
My mother began screaming.
"That's impossible!""
Agent Brooks stared at her.
"Mrs. Blackwood, what do you mean?""
She pointed at the photograph.
"The man you arrested tonight...""
Her voice broke.
"That's not Thomas.""
She looked at me.
"That's Samuel.""
And suddenly, the man we had spent years believing was dead was standing outside our family home, holding the one person nobody had thought to protect.
The little girl.
May you like
My niece.
The final Blackwood secret.
