Chapter 8: A Wife's First Duty
345 Words
The envelope sat untouched on Damian's desk.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Finally, Damian broke the silence.
"Everyone out."
Vanessa folded her arms.
"Except her."
She pointed at Ariana.
"If she's going to wear my ring and live in my house, she deserves to hear the truth."
Ariana looked at Damian.
"I can leave."
"No," Damian said firmly.
"You stay."
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Interesting."
"You've known her for less than twenty-four hours, yet you're already protecting her."
Damian ignored the comment.
"Open the envelope."
His assistant carefully removed the documents.
The room grew colder with every page.
Security reports.
Hospital records.
Photographs.
Then...
One photograph stopped Damian cold.
It showed Vanessa's car at the bottom of a steep cliff.
The front was crushed beyond recognition.
Ariana covered her mouth.
"Oh my God..."
Vanessa's voice was quiet.
"They thought I died."
"But someone pulled me from the wreck before the car exploded."
Damian looked up.
"Who?"
Vanessa hesitated.
"I don't know."
"It was dark."
"I woke up in a private clinic three days later."
"Why didn't you contact me?"
"I tried."
She reached for her phone.
"There were dozens of unanswered messages."
"They were never delivered."
Damian took the phone.
His eyes narrowed.
Every message had been deleted.
Not by Vanessa.
By someone else.
Someone had intercepted every call.
Every text.
Every attempt she made to come home.
"This wasn't an accident," Damian whispered.
"No," Vanessa replied.
"It was planned."
Before anyone could say another word...
The office door burst open.
Damian's head of security rushed inside.
"Mr. Knight!"
"What is it?"
"We've reviewed this morning's CCTV footage."
"And?"
The guard looked at Ariana.
Then at Vanessa.
His face turned pale.
"There were two women entering the building this morning..."
"But..."
"...only one of them appeared on the security cameras."
The room fell silent.
Damian slowly turned toward Vanessa.
"What aren't you telling us?"
Vanessa didn't answer.
She simply smiled.
A smile that sent a chill through Ariana.
For the first time...
Ariana wondered if Vanessa was hiding something far more dangerous than anyone imagined.
- Writer
