Chapter 10: Vanessa’s Confession
Vanessa Sterling had spent weeks trying to destroy me.
She had humiliated me.
Framed me.
Tried to make everyone believe I was nothing more than a dishonest maid.
But when I saw her sitting on the floor of her bedroom, shaking beside the broken mirror, I didn’t see my enemy.
I saw someone who was finally afraid.
And that scared me more.
Because people like Vanessa didn’t become frightened easily.
Ethan rushed toward her.
“Vanessa, what happened?””
She looked up.
Her perfectly styled hair was falling apart.
Her makeup was streaked from tears.
For the first time since I met her, she looked human.
“He was here.””
Richard immediately stepped forward.
“Who?””
Vanessa’s eyes moved toward him.
And the hatred on her face surprised me.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.””
The room became silent.
Ethan looked at his father.
“Dad?””
Richard didn’t answer.
Vanessa pointed at him.
“You knew.””
Richard’s expression changed.
“Knew what?””
“That Thomas was alive.””
Everyone froze.
Daniel looked at me.
I looked back at him.
The same thought crossed both our minds.
Vanessa knew.
But how?
Ethan helped her stand.
“Start from the beginning.””
Vanessa laughed weakly.
“You want the truth now?””
Her eyes moved around the room.
“The truth nobody wanted?””
She looked at me.
“I hated you.””
I didn’t react.
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
Her voice cracked.
“I hated you because Ethan looked at you differently.””
She wiped her face.
“I spent my entire life being prepared to become part of this family. My parents built relationships around it. Everyone told me I belonged here.””
She looked at Ethan.
“Then you appeared.””
Ethan frowned.
“I didn’t do anything.””
“Exactly.””
Her voice became bitter.
“You didn’t even try to love me.””
The words hung there.
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then I remembered the earrings.
The lies.
The way she tried to ruin my life.
Vanessa looked at me.
“When Thomas approached me, he knew exactly what to say.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Thomas approached you?””
She nodded.
“He knew I wanted Ethan. He knew I wanted control.””
She looked down.
“He promised me everything.””
“What did he ask for?”” Ethan asked.
Vanessa hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Information.””
Richard’s face darkened.
“What information?””
“About Naomi.””
My stomach tightened.
Vanessa continued.
“He wanted to know when she worked. Where she went. Who she spoke to.””
Ethan looked furious.
“And you gave it to him?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
Nobody spoke.
Then she added:
“But I didn’t know why.””
I stepped closer.
“You planted the earrings.””
She looked at me.
“Yes.””
The confession was quiet.
Almost pathetic.
“I thought if I made you look like a thief, Ethan would stop caring about you.””
“And when he didn’t?””
Her jaw tightened.
“Thomas told me to create a bigger problem.””
The room went cold.
“The charity ball,” I said.
Vanessa nodded.
“I was supposed to make you lose control.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because he wanted proof.””
“Proof of what?””
Vanessa looked at Richard.
Then at me.
“That you were still dangerous.””
I frowned.
“I’m a maid.””
“No.””
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“You’re the woman who survived Philadelphia.””
A chill moved through me.
Vanessa knew.
She had always known.
Before I could ask more, Marcus entered.
“Mr. Whitmore.””
Ethan turned.
“What?””
“We found something in the security system.””
He held up a tablet.
“Someone accessed the cameras again.””
Richard immediately looked worried.
“Where?””
Marcus swallowed.
“The old east wing.””
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone knew.
The east wing had been closed for decades.
The part of Whitmore House nobody entered.
The part connected to Thomas.
Ethan looked at me.
“We’re going.””
Richard grabbed his arm.
“No.””
Ethan pulled away.
“You don’t get to tell me no anymore.””
Then he walked toward the door.
Daniel followed.
I followed too.
Because after eight years of searching…
I was finally close.
But when we reached the east wing, the door was already open.
And inside was something waiting for us.
A room covered in photographs.
Hundreds of them.
Photographs of me.
From Philadelphia.
From my old job.
From Whitmore House.
Someone had been watching me for years.
And on the center wall was one final picture.
A photograph of me leaving the hospital after the fire.
May you like
With a note beneath it.
*I SAVED YOU ONCE. NOW YOU OWE ME.*
