Chapter 8 - THE ASSISTANT WHO WANTED MY LIFE
Vanessa Reed had never wanted to be Vincent's assistant forever.
She wanted his office.
His company.
His mansion.
And eventually, his name.
That was what investigators discovered when they searched the financial records connected to the proposed merger.
Vanessa had been negotiating with outside investors.
She'd promised them controlling access to several Moretti subsidiaries.
But the deal depended on removing two obstacles.
Me.
And Vincent's uncle, Anthony.
I stared at Rachel when she explained.
"Anthony was involved too."
"Yes. But Vanessa appears to have been planning to cut him out once the merger closed."
My stomach tightened.
"Then why target me?"
"Because your ownership rights could block the transaction."
I looked away.
For years, I'd thought Vanessa simply wanted my husband.
Now I understood she wanted everything attached to him.
His power.
His money.
His future.
And perhaps she'd convinced herself that destroying me was just another business decision.
Investigators obtained internal messages between Vanessa and a private security contractor.
The messages discussed my movements.
My medical appointments.
And the route I usually took home.
One message contained a chilling instruction.
Mrs. Moretti must not arrive at the shareholders' meeting.
The meeting had been scheduled for the afternoon of my accident.
I remembered.
Vincent had asked me to sign documents that morning.
I'd refused because I wanted to read them first.
He'd been irritated.
Vanessa had smiled.
Now the memory made my skin crawl.
But the most horrifying discovery came from Daniel Reed.
Vanessa's brother.
After being located by investigators, Daniel agreed to provide testimony.
He admitted that a driver working through his former company had been paid to force my car off the road.
The plan was supposed to frighten me into signing the documents.
But the collision had been far more violent than expected.
The driver had fled before police arrived.
Daniel insisted he hadn't known about the pregnancy.
Or Vanessa's alleged plan to eliminate me.
I didn't know whether to believe him.
But his testimony helped investigators connect the accident to the attempted corporate takeover.
Then Rachel showed me a recovered email.
Sent from Vanessa's private account.
Addressed to an attorney.
The subject read:
Post-merger personal arrangements.
I opened it.
There were wedding venue inquiries.
Real estate listings.
And a draft announcement.
Vincent Moretti and Vanessa Reed are pleased to announce their engagement.
My stomach turned.
The date was three weeks after my accident.
Vanessa had planned a future with my husband while I was still alive.
But the final attachment made me stop breathing.
A photograph of a nursery.
Painted pale yellow.
With a white crib.
I recognized the room.
It was the unused guest bedroom in our mansion.
Vanessa had ordered renovations.
Without my knowledge.
May you like
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
The new Mrs. Moretti will give Vincent the family Claire never could.
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