Chapter 11 - THE WOMAN HE HATED WAS ALSO A VICTIM
Daniel requested a private meeting with Victoria.
The police officer watching her looked surprised.
“You understand she is still under investigation?”
“I do.”
“And you still want to see her?”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
An hour later, Victoria entered the interview room.
She looked different.
No confidence.
No arrogance.
Just exhaustion.
She sat across from him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Finally, Daniel placed the recording device on the table.
Victoria’s face changed.
“You found it.”
“Yes.”
She looked away.
“So now you know.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“Tell me everything.”
Victoria laughed quietly.
“You still think I’m the villain.”
“You tried to destroy my family.”
“I know.”
“You almost hurt my mother.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I know.”
Daniel wanted to hate her.
He tried.
But seeing her sitting there…
Broken.
Afraid.
It complicated everything.
“Why?” he asked.
Victoria looked at him.
“Because Robert Voss owned my life.”
Daniel said nothing.
She continued.
“When I was nineteen, my father died believing everyone hated him.”
Her voice shook.
“Robert ruined him. He took everything.”
Daniel listened.
“But then Robert came to me.”
“What did he want?”
“He showed me evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“That your father had helped my father.”
Daniel frowned.
“That makes no sense.”
“Because Robert changed the story.”
Victoria looked down.
“He told me your family destroyed mine.”
“And you believed him.”
“For years.”
Daniel was silent.
Then asked:
“When did you find out the truth?”
Victoria swallowed.
“After I married you.”
The answer surprised him.
“Then why stay?”
She looked at him.
“Because I needed proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That Robert was lying.”
Daniel stared.
“So all of this…”
Victoria nodded.
“The money. The documents. Getting close to Evelyn.”
She looked ashamed.
“I was trying to find the evidence your father left.”
Daniel stood.
“You could have told me.”
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“Would you have believed me?”
He didn’t answer.
Because he knew the truth.
Probably not.
She had built too many lies.
Too many secrets.
Then Victoria said something unexpected.
“I was wrong about your family.”
Daniel looked at her.
“I know.”
“No.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I mean I was wrong about you.”
A silence.
“I thought you were just another Whitmore.”
Daniel felt the weight of those words.
“Then why did you try to frame Clara?”
Victoria looked away.
“Because Robert knew she was loyal to your mother.”
“So you were willing to destroy an innocent person?”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
The honesty shocked him.
“I became someone I hated.”
For the first time…
Daniel saw regret.
Real regret.
Then the door suddenly opened.
A police officer rushed inside.
“Daniel.”
He turned.
“What happened?”
The officer looked serious.
“Robert Voss disappeared.”
Daniel frowned.
“When?”
“Thirty minutes ago.”
Michael entered behind him.
His face was pale.
“He knew.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Knew what?”
Michael held up his phone.
“The recording was copied.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
“Copied by who?”
Michael showed him the message.
A single sentence.
If you want the truth about your father, come alone.
May you like
Below it was an address.
An abandoned warehouse.
