{"id":357,"date":"2026-09-22T15:22:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T15:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/?p=357"},"modified":"2026-09-22T15:22:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T15:22:47","slug":"part-2-i-pretended-to-fly-to-canada-after-suspecting-the-housekeeper-was-doing-something-terrible-to-my-daughters-whenever-i-was-away-002","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/?p=357","title":{"rendered":"PART 2: I pretended to fly to Canada after suspecting the housekeeper was doing something terrible to my daughters whenever I was away. 002"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
\n

Part 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the security room, I stood straight up out of my chair.<\/p>\n

My pulse thundered so violently I could hear it in my ears.<\/p>\n

On the monitor, Chloe still had her hand wrapped around Sofia\u2019s wrist.<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s hand remained on Chloe\u2019s forearm.<\/p>\n

For one frozen second, nobody moved.<\/p>\n

Then Chloe slowly released my daughter.<\/p>\n

Her face changed.<\/p>\n

Not into remorse.<\/p>\n

Into fury.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your hand off me,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

Marisol obeyed, but she did not step away from the girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said do not touch her,\u201d Marisol repeated.<\/p>\n

Chloe stared at her.<\/p>\n

Then she smiled.<\/p>\n

It was the kind of smile that made the temperature in the security room seem to drop ten degrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve gotten very brave lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol said nothing.<\/p>\n

Chloe walked slowly around her, studying her as though she were deciding what to do with an insect she had found crawling across her dinner plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what Alexander thinks of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s expression remained guarded.<\/p>\n

Chloe continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe thinks you\u2019re stealing from us.\u201d<\/p>\n

My stomach twisted.<\/p>\n

Beside me, Hector glanced in my direction.<\/p>\n

Onscreen, Marisol\u2019s face finally changed.<\/p>\n

Not guilt.<\/p>\n

Shock.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe earrings,\u201d Chloe said. \u201cThe money. The perfume. Alexander knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

For several seconds, Marisol simply stared at her.<\/p>\n

Then something happened that I did not expect.<\/p>\n

She laughed.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a happy laugh.<\/p>\n

It was soft and bitter.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that is what you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Marisol looked toward the hallway, making sure the girls were still behind her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re setting me up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need to set you up. People like you eventually expose themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

People like you.<\/p>\n

The words made my skin crawl.<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou put those things in my room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cCareful.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Marisol wasn\u2019t careful.<\/p>\n

Not anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been trying to make Mr. Vance fire me for months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe stepped closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yet you\u2019re still here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the girls need me.\u201d<\/p>\n

That answer seemed to enrage Chloe more than anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t need you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol glanced back at Valeria and Sofia.<\/p>\n

Both children were staring at the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re afraid of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

Then Chloe slapped Marisol across the face.<\/p>\n

The sound cracked through the living room speakers.<\/p>\n

I lunged toward the security-room door.<\/p>\n

Hector caught my arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Vance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out of my way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter was grabbed, and that woman just struck an employee in my house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hector didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Instead, he pointed toward the monitor.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked.<\/p>\n

Marisol had not struck Chloe back.<\/p>\n

She hadn\u2019t even raised her hand.<\/p>\n

She simply touched the side of her cheek and said, very quietly, \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe leaned closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you going to do? Tell Alexander?\u201d<\/p>\n

A cold smile spread across her face again.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease do. He\u2019ll believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol looked at her for several seconds.<\/p>\n

Then she said something that made every hair on my arms rise.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot after what I found.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe froze.<\/p>\n

So did I.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol lowered her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found the medication.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s entire face changed.<\/p>\n

Not dramatically.<\/p>\n

Just enough.<\/p>\n

But once I saw it, I knew.<\/p>\n

Fear.<\/p>\n

Real fear.<\/p>\n

Hector\u2019s grip loosened on my arm.<\/p>\n

I slowly sat back down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat medication?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

Onscreen, Chloe glanced toward the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cGirls,\u201d she snapped, \u201cgo upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

Marisol turned toward them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d she said gently. \u201cGo to the library.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria looked at her.<\/p>\n

There was an understanding between them that broke my heart.<\/p>\n

My nine-year-old daughter nodded.<\/p>\n

She took Sofia by the hand.<\/p>\n

Together, they disappeared down the hallway.<\/p>\n

The moment they were gone, Chloe grabbed Marisol by the arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol pulled herself free.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bottle hidden behind the cleaning supplies in the upstairs linen closet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat bottle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know exactly what bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen maybe we should ask Mr. Vance why his daughter keeps falling asleep in the afternoons.\u201d<\/p>\n

My breath stopped.<\/p>\n

Sofia.<\/p>\n

For nearly two months, she had been unusually tired.<\/p>\n

I had noticed.<\/p>\n

Of course I had noticed.<\/p>\n

But Chloe told me it was grief.<\/p>\n

A delayed reaction to losing her mother.<\/p>\n

The pediatrician had found nothing alarming in her basic examinations.<\/p>\n

And I, like an idiot, had accepted that answer because I wanted it to be true.<\/p>\n

Onscreen, Chloe\u2019s voice dropped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI took a photograph of the label.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe went pale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomewhere safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe stepped toward her.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol stood her ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? So it can disappear like the bottle?\u201d<\/p>\n

A silence followed.<\/p>\n

Then Chloe suddenly turned and walked toward the staircase.<\/p>\n

Marisol followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe ignored her.<\/p>\n

She climbed the stairs rapidly.<\/p>\n

Hector switched cameras.<\/p>\n

Camera twelve.<\/p>\n

Upstairs hallway.<\/p>\n

Chloe appeared at the top of the stairs and hurried toward the linen closet.<\/p>\n

She opened it.<\/p>\n

Knelt.<\/p>\n

Pushed several bottles aside.<\/p>\n

Her movements became frantic.<\/p>\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

She stood.<\/p>\n

Marisol remained ten feet away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s gone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Chloe spun around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t touch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time, Chloe seemed genuinely confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you didn\u2019t take it, who did?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol hesitated.<\/p>\n

And that hesitation was enough.<\/p>\n

Chloe saw it.<\/p>\n

Her face hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cValeria.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart dropped.<\/p>\n

Marisol said nothing.<\/p>\n

Chloe rushed past her.<\/p>\n

I was already moving.<\/p>\n

\u201cHector.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCall the gatehouse. Nobody leaves this property.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlready done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCall the police.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at me.<\/p>\n

I stopped.<\/p>\n

Something in his expression bothered me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen call them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hector didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

Instead, he looked toward the monitor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, there is something else you need to see first.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe security system archived footage from the previous thirty days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me footage automatically deletes after seventy-two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does from the normal interface.\u201d<\/p>\n

My eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe normal interface?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hector swallowed.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cThree weeks ago, Miss Valeria came to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room seemed to tilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe asked if cameras recorded sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked back toward the monitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe asked me to save anything involving Miss Chloe.\u201d<\/p>\n

My anger shifted.<\/p>\n

Not disappearing.<\/p>\n

Changing direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did that without telling me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe begged me not to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s nine years old!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you come to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hector\u2019s eyes filled with something I rarely saw in men who had spent years in private security.<\/p>\n

Shame.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause she told me you wouldn\u2019t believe her.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sentence hit harder than a punch.<\/p>\n

My own daughter believed I would choose Chloe over her.<\/p>\n

And the worst part was that I couldn\u2019t immediately prove she was wrong.<\/p>\n

Hector pulled up another screen.<\/p>\n

A folder appeared.<\/p>\n

CHLOE_ARCHIVE.<\/p>\n

Twenty-eight video files.<\/p>\n

My stomach turned.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlay them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlay them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He opened the first.<\/p>\n

Three weeks earlier.<\/p>\n

Kitchen.<\/p>\n

Chloe stood beside Sofia.<\/p>\n

Sofia was crying.<\/p>\n

Chloe held a small glass of juice.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrink it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDrink it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt tastes funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe crouched until they were face-to-face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father doesn\u2019t like difficult children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofia sniffled.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy loves me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe brushed hair away from Sofia\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut fathers get tired. Especially when little girls complain all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofia stared at the juice.<\/p>\n

Chloe pushed it closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrink.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video ended.<\/p>\n

My hands had begun shaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second clip showed Chloe entering my bedroom.<\/p>\n

She opened a drawer in her vanity.<\/p>\n

Removed a pair of diamond earrings.<\/p>\n

Then walked out.<\/p>\n

Camera eighteen picked her up in the downstairs hallway.<\/p>\n

Camera twenty showed her entering the staff corridor.<\/p>\n

Hector changed angles.<\/p>\n

A minute later, Chloe emerged from Marisol\u2019s room.<\/p>\n

The earrings were no longer in her hand.<\/p>\n

My vision blurred red.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third video.<\/p>\n

Chloe with Valeria.<\/p>\n

They were in the breakfast room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think you\u2019re clever,\u201d Chloe said.<\/p>\n

Valeria said nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been spying on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe bent down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why did you ask Hector about the cameras?\u201d<\/p>\n

My blood went cold.<\/p>\n

Valeria looked terrified.<\/p>\n

Chloe smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou thought I didn\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wanted evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe gripped Valeria\u2019s chin.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou listen to me very carefully. Your father is marrying me. When that happens, I become your family whether you like it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria jerked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not my mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she leaned forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut your mother isn\u2019t coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

I heard something behind me.<\/p>\n

A low sound.<\/p>\n

It took me a moment to realize it came from my own throat.<\/p>\n

Hector stopped the video.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

My voice sounded unfamiliar.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep going.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fourth recording began.<\/p>\n

Chloe stood inside my home office.<\/p>\n

She was speaking on her phone.<\/p>\n

At first, the conversation seemed ordinary.<\/p>\n

Then she said:<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Alexander still hasn\u2019t changed the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

I froze.<\/p>\n

Hector looked at me.<\/p>\n

Chloe paced slowly beside my desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe girls inherit their mother\u2019s shares at twenty-five, but Alexander controls everything until then.\u201d<\/p>\n

A pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, marrying him isn\u2019t enough. The guardianship language is the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

My blood turned to ice.<\/p>\n

Chloe continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf something happens to him before they\u2019re eighteen, custody goes to his sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

My sister Caroline.<\/p>\n

Chloe walked toward the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we need Caroline out of the picture too.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t breathe.<\/p>\n

The voice on the other end was too faint for the camera microphones to identify.<\/p>\n

Chloe listened.<\/p>\n

Then laughed quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. You\u2019re being dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop. Nothing has to happen to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

She lowered her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if Alexander changes the documents voluntarily.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video ended.<\/p>\n

Her scream nearly stopped my heart.<\/p>\n

I hit the door again.<\/p>\n

The frame cracked.<\/p>\n

Third time.<\/p>\n

It burst open.<\/p>\n

Chloe stood beside my desk.<\/p>\n

Valeria was backed against the window.<\/p>\n

One hand behind her back.<\/p>\n

Chloe turned toward me.<\/p>\n

For perhaps two seconds, no one said anything.<\/p>\n

The expression on Chloe\u2019s face was unforgettable.<\/p>\n

Not fear.<\/p>\n

Calculation.<\/p>\n

She recovered almost instantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexander!\u201d<\/p>\n

I crossed the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

She attempted a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were going to Toronto.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMove away from my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

The smile disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexander, something is wrong with Valeria. She stole medication and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMove.\u201d<\/p>\n

She did.<\/p>\n

Slowly.<\/p>\n

Valeria ran toward me.<\/p>\n

I dropped to my knees.<\/p>\n

She crashed into my chest.<\/p>\n

Her entire body was trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew you\u2019d come back,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

That nearly destroyed me.<\/p>\n

I held her tightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe folded her arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is ridiculous. Marisol has manipulated these children against me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Valeria.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached behind her back.<\/p>\n

A small amber prescription bottle.<\/p>\n

The label had been partially peeled off.<\/p>\n

I took it carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria wiped tears from her face.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cI saw Chloe put it in Sofia\u2019s juice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe laughed sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, for God\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at her.<\/p>\n

She stopped laughing.<\/p>\n

Valeria continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took it because Marisol told me we needed proof.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe stepped forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexander\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said stay where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time in our entire relationship, Chloe obeyed me without argument.<\/p>\n

Hector appeared in the doorway.<\/p>\n

Behind him stood Marisol.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolice are on their way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s face drained of color.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou called the police?\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stared at me for several seconds.<\/p>\n

Then something astonishing happened.<\/p>\n

She began to cry.<\/p>\n

Not the controlled tears I had seen at charity dinners or during sentimental movies.<\/p>\n

Deep, desperate sobs.<\/p>\n

She covered her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexander, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt nothing.<\/p>\n

She lowered her hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. You don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou terrorized my daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to protect this family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou drugged Sofia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never hurt her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottle is in my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat isn\u2019t what you think it is!\u201d<\/p>\n

Her voice cracked.<\/p>\n

I stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen tell me what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Chloe stared at me.<\/p>\n

Her breathing slowed.<\/p>\n

Then she looked at Marisol.<\/p>\n

And suddenly, unexpectedly, she smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s body stiffened.<\/p>\n

Chloe nodded slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s clever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Chloe kept looking at Marisol.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery clever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChloe.\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I put that bottle in the closet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cameras show you giving Sofia something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMelatonin.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at her.<\/p>\n

She pointed toward the bottle in my hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that isn\u2019t melatonin.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked down.<\/p>\n

The label had been mostly destroyed.<\/p>\n

Only fragments remained.<\/p>\n

Chloe continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk Marisol where she got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol stepped forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t listen to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you\u2019d say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n

Chloe looked almost relieved now.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve spent forty-five minutes watching cameras, Alexander. Wonderful. Keep watching.\u201d<\/p>\n

A faint siren could be heard in the distance.<\/p>\n

Chloe nodded toward the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo back three months.\u201d<\/p>\n

My skin prickled.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore Marisol supposedly discovered I was evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Marisol shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s trying to confuse you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe raised her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo back to the night of June eighteenth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol went completely still.<\/p>\n

It was subtle.<\/p>\n

But I saw it.<\/p>\n

So did Hector.<\/p>\n

My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened June eighteenth?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarisol?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes met mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Vance\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time since I had known her, Marisol looked afraid of me.<\/p>\n

Not nervous.<\/p>\n

Afraid.<\/p>\n

Chloe smiled again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, now you want me quiet?\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned to Hector.<\/p>\n

\u201cJune eighteenth. Find the footage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol stepped forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Vance, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I going to see?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears appeared in her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething I should have told you.\u201d<\/p>\n

My chest tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she could answer, Valeria whispered from behind me.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned.<\/p>\n

She was staring at Marisol.<\/p>\n

And the expression on her face terrified me.<\/p>\n

\u201cValeria?\u201d<\/p>\n

She swallowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarisol told me never to tell you about that night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence fell across the room.<\/p>\n

Even Chloe stopped smiling.<\/p>\n

I crouched in front of my daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria\u2019s eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up because I heard someone downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what did you see?\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria looked toward Marisol.<\/p>\n

Marisol closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cTell me,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

My daughter whispered, \u201cI saw Marisol in Mommy\u2019s old room.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

My late wife\u2019s bedroom had remained untouched since her death.<\/p>\n

Nobody entered without permission.<\/p>\n

Not even me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was she doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Valeria began crying.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was opening Mommy\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

I slowly stood.<\/p>\n

Marisol looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

I almost laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cApparently I have no idea what anything is anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sirens grew louder outside.<\/p>\n

Chloe stepped toward the doorway.<\/p>\n

Hector blocked her.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay.\u201d<\/p>\n

She raised both hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned to Marisol.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy were you opening my wife\u2019s safe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s face seemed to age ten years in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your wife told me to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every sound in the room disappeared.<\/p>\n

I stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife has been dead for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol looked at Valeria.<\/p>\n

Then Sofia appeared in the hallway behind Hector, clutching the stuffed rabbit she had apparently retrieved from the shelf downstairs.<\/p>\n

Her eyes were huge.<\/p>\n

Marisol seemed to make a decision.<\/p>\n

She reached into the pocket of her uniform.<\/p>\n

Hector immediately moved forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Slowly, she withdrew a small brass key.<\/p>\n

I recognized it instantly.<\/p>\n

My wife\u2019s safe key.<\/p>\n

I hadn\u2019t seen it since the week she died.<\/p>\n

Marisol placed it on the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Vance gave me this two days before the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

My lungs forgot how to work.<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

That caught my attention.<\/p>\n

For the first time, Chloe genuinely seemed not to know what Marisol was talking about.<\/p>\n

Marisol continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour wife made me promise that if anything ever happened to her, I would protect the girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

My voice came out barely above a whisper.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtect them from what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol looked directly at Chloe.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot from her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen from who?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol turned back to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom whoever killed your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody moved.<\/p>\n

I felt Valeria\u2019s hand grip mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife died in a car accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe police investigated it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer brakes failed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol reached into her pocket again.<\/p>\n

This time, she removed a folded piece of paper.<\/p>\n

Old.<\/p>\n

Creased.<\/p>\n

She placed it beside the key.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Vance knew something was wrong with her car before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at the paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA note she wrote to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

My hand shook as I picked it up.<\/p>\n

I recognized the handwriting immediately.<\/p>\n

Isabella.<\/p>\n

My wife.<\/p>\n

There were only two sentences.<\/p>\n

If anything happens to me, do not trust the official story.<\/p>\n

And do not let Alexander marry her.<\/p>\n

I read the second sentence again.<\/p>\n

Do not let Alexander marry her.<\/p>\n

I slowly raised my eyes.<\/p>\n

Chloe had stopped breathing.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

I looked at Marisol.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarry who?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

Chloe stepped forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat note could mean anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

I stared at her.<\/p>\n

She shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexander, think. Isabella died almost two years before you met me.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was true.<\/p>\n

I turned to Marisol.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s expression was unreadable.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Vance\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was my wife talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol opened her mouth.<\/p>\n

Before she could answer, Hector\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n

He looked at the screen.<\/p>\n

His expression immediately changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

He answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHector.\u201d<\/p>\n

A pause.<\/p>\n

Then his eyes moved toward Chloe.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you certain?\u201d<\/p>\n

He listened.<\/p>\n

\u201cSend it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He ended the call.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n

Hector looked at Chloe.<\/p>\n

Then at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, when you asked me to pull Miss Chloe\u2019s phone records, I also ran the primary numbers against archived security records.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne number appears constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cHector, don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

He ignored her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same number called Miss Chloe twenty-three times this month.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hector swallowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat number also called Mrs. Vance twelve times during the week before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n

My entire body went cold.<\/p>\n

Chloe backed away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhose number?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hector\u2019s phone buzzed.<\/p>\n

He opened the message.<\/p>\n

Then he stared at the screen.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

I had never seen him look frightened before.<\/p>\n

\u201cHector.\u201d<\/p>\n

He slowly handed me the phone.<\/p>\n

The report contained a name.<\/p>\n

I read it.<\/p>\n

Once.<\/p>\n

Twice.<\/p>\n

Then a third time because my mind refused to accept the letters arranged in front of me.<\/p>\n

The number did not belong to a stranger.<\/p>\n

It did not belong to some criminal.<\/p>\n

It did not belong to one of Chloe\u2019s friends.<\/p>\n

It belonged to a man I had trusted since I was twenty-three years old.<\/p>\n

A man who had stood beside me at my wedding.<\/p>\n

A man who had carried Valeria out of the hospital the day she was born.<\/p>\n

A man who had identified Isabella\u2019s body after the crash because I had been too shattered to do it myself.<\/p>\n

My older brother.<\/p>\n

Daniel Vance.<\/p>\n

I looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is Chloe speaking to my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody answered.<\/p>\n

Chloe\u2019s lips trembled.<\/p>\n

I stepped toward her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did my wife call Daniel twelve times before she died?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe began shaking her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexander\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you calling him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears ran down her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked toward the hallway, where the distant sound of police cars entering the property could now be heard.<\/p>\n

And then she said the one sentence that made everything we had watched that morning seem almost insignificant.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaniel isn\u2019t your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe wiped her face.<\/p>\n

Marisol suddenly whispered, \u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe looked at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marisol\u2019s silence answered the question.<\/p>\n

I stepped backward.<\/p>\n

My daughters stood behind me.<\/p>\n

My dead wife\u2019s note lay open on the desk.<\/p>\n

The mysterious bottle remained in my hand.<\/p>\n

Outside, police officers were entering my home.<\/p>\n

And the people around me\u2014my fianc\u00e9e, my housekeeper, even my own daughter\u2014were carrying pieces of a life I apparently knew nothing about.<\/p>\n

I looked at Chloe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes locked onto mine.<\/p>\n

And what she said next almost brought me to my knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s Valeria\u2019s biological father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026If you want to know what happened next, please type \u201cYES\u201d and<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 2 In the security room, I stood straight up out of my chair. My pulse thundered so violently I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":359,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357\/revisions\/359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailybites.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}