Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Preston's mother.
Victoria Hayes.
The woman who once told me I wasn't sophisticated enough to marry into her family.
The woman who smiled politely while I served champagne at her charity galas.
The woman who called my father a "small-time contractor" despite his years of hard work.
I stared at the interview recording.
"Victoria?"
Roman nodded grimly.
"She's been connected to several companies we couldn't trace."
My hands trembled.
"She helped destroy my family."
Investigators recovered financial records showing Victoria controlled numerous shell companies linked to the Black Crown.
She had also approved payments to medical consultants and private security contractors.
But proving her involvement in my father's medical crisis would require additional evidence.
Roman contacted Gabriel.
His brother remembered something important.
"Victoria kept a private office beneath Halcyon."
"Where?" Roman asked.
"Near the old elevator control room."
I looked at the blueprint.
There it was.
A small rectangular space.
No label.
No official access.
But connected to B4.
Investigators searched the office.
Inside, they found old computers, financial ledgers, and a locked metal cabinet.
The silver key Gabriel provided opened it.
Inside was a collection of documents.
Including the original ownership agreements for my father's construction company.
I stared at the signatures.
My father's name.
Preston's name.
Victoria's name.
And several forged authorizations.
The documents showed how control of the company had been transferred through fraudulent transactions.
For the first time, I had evidence strong enough to challenge what had happened.
I began crying.
Roman stood beside me.
"We can take this to court."
I nodded.
But then an investigator found another folder.
WHITMORE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT.
My stomach dropped.
Inside were payments, care instructions, and communications concerning my father.
Several documents appeared to have been altered.
One contained an instruction to restrict outside medical consultations.
Signed:
Victoria Hayes.
I covered my mouth.
For years, I'd begged for second opinions.
And every time, Dr. Mercer insisted they were unnecessary.
Roman's expression turned cold.
"She wanted to keep Henry dependent."
An investigator continued reading.
Then his face changed.
"There's something else."
"What?" I asked.
He looked up.
"Victoria isn't just financially connected to Charles Hayes."
"She's married to him," Roman said.
The investigator shook his head.
"Legally, yes."
Then he placed a second document on the table.
It was an old birth record.
The name of the child was Preston Hayes.
But the father's name wasn't Charles.
It was Gabriel Costa.
Roman went completely still.
May you like
And I stared at the paper.
Preston was Gabriel's son.
