Part 2
Twenty minutes later, I went downstairs alone.
Vanessa had changed into one of my silk robes.
That nearly made me laugh.
Derek pointed toward two suitcases he had pulled from the closet.
“You have until midnight.”
“Fine.”
His expression changed.
He had expected me to beg.
Vanessa smiled. “See? This can be civilized.”
I poured myself a glass of water.
“Where did you buy the dress?”
She blinked. “What?”
“The ten-thousand-dollar dress.”
“Bellerose Atelier.”
“Receipt?”
Derek slammed his palm against the counter. “Why does that matter?”
“Because you’re demanding ten thousand dollars.”
Vanessa pulled a receipt from her handbag and tossed it toward me.
I photographed it.
Then I photographed the torn seam.
Her smile faded slightly.
Derek scoffed. “Playing detective?”
“No.”
I sent both photos to Ethan.
Then I walked toward the living room camera mounted above the bookshelf.
Derek followed.
“That camera hasn’t worked in months.”
“I know.”
He grinned.
What he didn’t know was that Ethan had replaced our security system after someone tried breaking into our garage six weeks earlier. The visible camera was dead.
The hidden backup wasn’t.
At 8:14 p.m., the doorbell rang.
All five of my brothers stood outside.
Derek laughed when he saw them.
“You called your brothers? Seriously?”
Daniel entered first in a dark suit, carrying a leather folder.
Marcus followed with another.
Ethan carried a laptop.
Noah’s expression changed when he noticed Sophie watching from the stairs.
Luke looked at the bruise on her wrist and asked quietly, “Who touched her?”
Nobody answered.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “This is ridiculous.”
Daniel sat at the dining table.
“Actually, it’s about to become very serious.”
Derek’s confidence faltered.
“Why are you here, Daniel?”
“Because Claire asked me to come.”
Daniel opened the folder.
“And because three weeks ago, she retained me to prepare divorce documents.”
Silence.
Derek stared at me.
“You planned this?”
“I planned for the possibility that you were cheating.”
Vanessa stepped backward.
Derek recovered quickly. “Fine. Divorce me. You’ll get half the debt.”
Marcus almost smiled.
“That depends which debt you mean.”
He slid several documents across the table.
For months, Derek had been moving money into a private account to pay for Vanessa’s apartment, jewelry, vacations, and designer clothes.
Including the dress.
Derek went pale.
Marcus continued, “Your company loan requires disclosure of material withdrawals. These weren’t disclosed.”
“You accessed my bank records?”
“No,” Marcus replied calmly. “Claire gave us records from your joint business correspondence that she legally possessed. My compliance team will handle the rest through proper channels.”
Derek turned toward me.
“You little—”
Luke stepped between us.
“Finish that sentence carefully.”
Then Ethan turned his laptop around.
The hidden security footage started playing.
Vanessa appeared onscreen.
She walked into the kitchen wearing the silver dress.
She studied herself in the mirror.
Then she removed scissors from her handbag.
Cut the seam.
And waited.
Seconds later, Sophie entered.
Vanessa grabbed her wrist.
Even without sound, the threat in her expression was unmistakable.
The room fell silent.
Vanessa whispered, “Turn it off.”
Ethan didn’t.
The footage continued until Derek entered and Vanessa immediately began pointing at Sophie.
Noah stared at Derek with open disgust.
“You punished a child without even asking what happened.”
“She lied to me!”
“No,” I said.
My voice stayed quiet.
“That’s what you needed to believe.”
Vanessa suddenly grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.”
Daniel looked up.
“I wouldn’t.”
She froze.
He raised his phone.
“The police are already on their way.”
