Chapter 3
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The next morning, Arthur took Sarah to the Westhaven Docks to settle the bootleg liquor accounts.
The moment the mansion door locked, I tore off my sunglasses, got up, and quickly locked the study door behind me.
Following what I remembered, I found the hidden switch my father had left deep inside the bookcase. A secret compartment opened, revealing a black box and an external hard drive.
I connected the drive to the computer. Hundreds of encrypted folders unlocked one after another.
The screen filled with intimate footage of me, filmed over the past three years while Arthur positioned me and used me however he wanted.
A surge of emotion rose in my throat. I forced the tears back and swore I would never shed another tear for that man.
Fighting nausea, I backed up every piece of evidence and planted a custom Trojan. The next time Arthur opened the drive, the original files would destroy themselves.
After handling the evidence, I took an encrypted satellite phone from another hidden compartment.
Only one person on the whole continent could answer this secure line.
Of course, Arthur knew nothing about any of it.
I dialed the number with practiced ease. It connected after one ring.
"Which dead fool wants to die today?"
Lucas's voice came through, cold and violent, carrying the menace of a man who had spent years fighting and killing.
"Lucas, it's me. Evelyn. I remember everything now. My sight has returned too."
I let my voice return to the cold, proud tone of the Vayne heir.
The other end went completely silent.
A moment later, something heavy hit the floor.
Lucas Moretti, the man who terrified the Aldermere underworld, spoke with an uncontrollable tremor in his voice, almost choking on the words.
"Miss Vayne... you're awake? Your memories are back?"
"We'll catch up later. I need people now." My tone left no room for argument.
"Arthur has betrayed the promise he made to my father. He used me as proof of loyalty to climb the ranks, auctioned my intimate photos on the dark web, and tried to steal the trust assets. Tomorrow night, he'll take me aboard an offshore yacht and force me to sign. I want you to investigate his money trails over the past three years, trace the server IP of the dark web forum, and find every debt he owes through the underground banks."
"Miss Vayne, I'll take a team over there right now and cut that bastard to pieces."
"A bullet would be too easy."
I turned the black-and-gold signet ring my father had left me and smiled coldly.
"I want him to watch every hope collapse. I want regret and despair to t*****e him from the inside. Use our underworld funds to short his three illegal docks. Place the best dive team in the waters outside the yacht tomorrow night."
"What are you planning?"
"At tomorrow's gala, I'll pretend to fall overboard and stage a fake accidental death."
I laughed softly.
"Once I'm declared dead, the trust automatically becomes invalid. He won't get a penny, and he'll be trapped forever under crushing debt, fear, and regret."
"As you command, my queen. I'm ready whenever you are."
At noon, the doorbell rang. Lucas arrived disguised as a licensed mobility instructor for the visually impaired.
He handed Arthur a business card, but Arthur rejected him with open hostility.
"I've never heard of any appointment. We don't need you here."
"Arthur, I requested it."
I groped for the white cane and gripped it, my tone firm.
"I've been falling a lot recently. I need professional guidance to practice."
Arthur still had the unsigned trust agreement in mind. He needed to keep up his devoted-husband act.
He could only swallow his anger and agree.
"Fine. Only in the garden. 1 hour."
After Arthur returned to the study, Lucas led me into a blind spot outside the surveillance cameras and gripped my arm, his eyes red as he bent close and whispered the truth in a few brutal words: mortgages, loan sharks, and £50 million in debt.
I understood at once.
His investments had collapsed, leaving him with a catastrophic debt. That was why he was desperate to seize my assets and survive.
Since he was already teetering on the edge, all I had to do was give him a gentle push and watch him fall.
- Writer
