Chapter 3 - The Web of Lies
Margaret gripped the edges of her gown. “Who did this to us? Who made you hide?”
Elena bitter-laughed, a dry, painful sound. “Look around, sister. The man who stood beside our father’s casket. The man who manages this entire estate, holding our family trust in his palm.”
Margaret’s mind raced through the inner circle of her corporate board, landing instantly on one name. “Arthur... Arthur Vance?”
“He didn't just want the estate, Maggie,” Elena whispered, taking a cautious step closer, scanning the dark perimeter of the garden. “He wanted the legacy wiped clean. He staged the fire twenty years ago to steal our father’s patents. He told me if I ever returned, he would find your daughter—my niece—and make sure she shared my fate.”
A cold realization swept over Margaret. The little girl who had crossed the ballroom tonight wasn't just a random wanderer; she was Elena’s daughter, sent as a living SOS because the walls had finally closed in.
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“We have to go to the police,” Margaret said urgently, pulling out her phone.
“The police chief is on his payroll, just like half the state senate,” Elena snapped, grabbing Margaret’s wrist with a grip like iron. “If we go public now, we won't survive the night. He knows we have the locket.”
