Chapter 11 - The Lawyer Who Had Been in Every Room|
I stared at Margaret.
"Victor?"
She nodded.
My mind immediately rejected the idea.
Victor Hale had been Gabriel's attorney for more than a decade.
He had defended Lily when Raymond threatened to take her.
He had challenged the altered authorization.
He had insisted that the originals needed to be authenticated.
He had even warned Gabriel against acting recklessly.
Why would Margaret suspect him?
"Are you sure?" I whispered.
Margaret looked exhausted.
"No."
That answer surprised me.
She continued.
"But Elena was concerned about him."
I leaned forward.
"Why?"
"Because documents kept disappearing after she showed them to Victor."
My stomach tightened.
Margaret looked toward the door.
"She believed someone was warning Raymond whenever she discovered something new."
I swallowed.
"Did she have proof?"
"Not enough."
Margaret opened her hands.
"She was collecting it."
I thought about Elena's notebook.
The missing documents.
The mysterious photograph.
The threats against my father.
And the fact that Victor had been involved in nearly every conversation since the engagement dinner.
I felt a chill.
"Have you told Gabriel?"
Margaret shook her head.
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
She looked at me sadly.
"Because Gabriel trusts Victor more than almost anyone."
I sat back.
I understood.
Accusing Victor without evidence could destroy the fragile cooperation helping the investigation.
But ignoring Margaret's warning could be equally dangerous.
I looked down at the brass key.
"Where exactly is the cabinet?"
Margaret gave me the number.
"Seventeen."
I nodded.
Then she caught my wrist gently.
"Natalie."
I looked up.
"Don't try to handle this by yourself."
I stared at her.
She continued.
"That's the mistake Elena made."
My throat tightened.
I promised her I wouldn't.
Then I left the room.
Gabriel was waiting near the staircase.
He looked at my face.
"What happened?"
I hesitated.
He noticed immediately.
"Natalie?"
I took a breath.
"Margaret told me where she hid Elena's notebook."
Gabriel straightened.
"Where?"
I showed him the key.
"The servants' archive."
He reached for his phone.
Then I said, "There's something else."
He looked at me.
"Margaret believes someone close to you was helping Raymond."
Gabriel's expression hardened.
"Who?"
I swallowed.
"Victor."
He stared.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked away.
"Victor Hale?"
I nodded.
Gabriel ran a hand over his face.
"He's been my attorney for thirteen years."
"I know."
"He helped me after Elena died."
I looked at him.
"That's why I didn't want to tell you without being certain."
Gabriel was quiet.
Then he asked, "What does Margaret have?"
"Suspicion."
I shook my head.
"She says documents disappeared after Elena shared them with him."
Gabriel looked toward the library.
His expression changed slowly.
Not disbelief anymore.
Calculation.
"Victor insisted on personally reviewing Elena's letter."
I nodded.
"He also took possession of the documents from the music box."
Gabriel frowned.
"They were photographed first."
I felt relieved.
"Good."
He looked down at the key.
"Let's find the notebook."
I nodded.
But Gabriel didn't move.
Instead, he took out his phone.
"Daniel."
The security chief answered.
"Yes, sir?"
"Meet me at the west staircase."
Gabriel glanced toward the library.
"And quietly verify where Victor is."
"Understood."
He ended the call.
Then he looked at me.
"Thank you for telling me."
I swallowed.
"I almost didn't."
He gave a small, tired smile.
"I'm beginning to think the people who protect my family are the ones who tell me things I don't want to hear."
We walked through the west corridor.
The servants' archive was a narrow room beneath the staircase.
Most of its shelves held old payroll records, household inventories, maintenance logs, and faded photographs.
I had entered it many times to retrieve linen orders.
But I had never noticed cabinet seventeen.
It stood at the far end of the room.
A tall wooden cabinet painted dark green.
Gabriel approached.
I handed him the key.
He unlocked the door.
Inside were three boxes.
A stack of old magazines.
And a small leather notebook wrapped in brown paper.
Gabriel stared at it.
For a moment, he seemed unable to touch it.
I stood beside him.
"Is that hers?"
He nodded slowly.
"Elena always used notebooks like this."
He carefully opened the cover.
Inside, written in blue ink, were dozens of names.
Dates.
Account numbers.
Amounts.
And notes about meetings.
Gabriel turned the pages.
His expression darkened.
"These are transfers from the foundation."
I looked at the figures.
Some were small.
Others were enormous.
Gabriel pointed to a name.
"Raymond."
Then another.
"Cassandra."
He continued turning pages.
Suddenly, he stopped.
His entire body went rigid.
I leaned closer.
There was a name underlined twice.
Victor Hale.
Beside it was a date from three years earlier.
And beneath the date, Elena had written one sentence.
"Victor told Raymond about my inspection report before I had given it to the police."
I stared.
Gabriel closed his eyes.
"God."
Daniel entered the room.
"Sir."
Gabriel looked up.
"Where's Victor?"
Daniel's expression tightened.
"He's leaving."
Gabriel immediately stood.
"Stop him."
Daniel raised his radio.
But before he could speak, footsteps sounded in the corridor.
Victor appeared in the doorway.
He looked from Gabriel to the notebook.
Then to the key in my hand.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Victor smiled faintly.
"Well."
His voice was strangely calm.
"I see you've found Elena's records."
Gabriel stared at him.
"You knew about them."
Victor nodded.
"I suspected."
Daniel stepped closer.
Victor looked at him.
"There's no need for theatrics."
Gabriel slowly lifted the notebook.
"Did you tell Raymond about Elena's inspection report?"
Victor's smile vanished.
He looked at the page.
Then he sighed.
"Gabriel."
"Answer me."
Victor adjusted his glasses.
"You need to understand the circumstances."
Gabriel's expression hardened.
"That's what people keep saying before they admit they betrayed me."
Victor looked toward me.
"Natalie, would you excuse us?"
I didn't move.
Gabriel spoke immediately.
"She stays."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"Gabriel, this concerns privileged matters."
"Then you should have thought of that before involving my wife."
Victor went silent.
Daniel stepped toward the door.
"Mr. Hale, I need you to remain here while we contact the investigators."
Victor raised his hands.
"Of course."
But his gaze never left the notebook.
Gabriel opened to the marked page.
"Elena wrote that you warned Raymond."
Victor swallowed.
"Yes."
The single word struck harder than shouting would have.
Gabriel stared.
"You admit it?"
Victor nodded.
"I told Raymond that Elena was investigating financial irregularities."
Gabriel's face changed.
"Why?"
Victor looked down.
"Because I believed the matter could be resolved privately."
I stared at him.
"You warned the person she suspected of stealing?"
Victor turned sharply.
"This is a complicated legal matter, young lady."
I felt anger rise.
"A woman died."
Victor went silent.
I continued.
"And my father was threatened."
His expression hardened.
"I had nothing to do with that."
Gabriel's voice cut through the room.
"Then tell me exactly what you did."
Victor took a long breath.
"Raymond came to me months before Elena died."
He looked at the floor.
"He said he had made serious financial mistakes."
Gabriel stared.
"What kind?"
"Unauthorized transfers."
Victor paused.
"He asked me to help arrange restitution before anyone discovered them."
Gabriel shook his head.
"And you agreed?"
"I told him he needed to return the money."
Victor looked desperate.
"I thought I could prevent a public scandal."
Gabriel stared.
"So when Elena discovered the transfers, you warned Raymond."
Victor nodded.
"Yes."
A heavy silence followed.
Then Gabriel whispered, "You gave him time."
Victor looked up.
"Gabriel—"
"You gave him time to threaten her."
Victor's expression crumpled.
"I never imagined he would hurt Elena."
Gabriel looked away.
For a moment, I thought he might collapse.
He leaned against the cabinet and closed his eyes.
Victor stepped forward.
"I'm sorry."
Gabriel looked back at him.
His voice was almost inaudible.
"Sorry doesn't bring her home."
Victor lowered his head.
Daniel quietly requested that Victor accompany him to speak with investigators.
Victor agreed.
But as he reached the doorway, he stopped.
He looked back at Gabriel.
"There's something else."
Gabriel's jaw tightened.
"What?"
Victor swallowed.
"Raymond wasn't the person who arranged for the car to be collected."
I felt my heart jump.
"Then who was?"
Victor looked toward the notebook.
"Cassandra."
Gabriel stared.
"We know that."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
His voice became heavy.
"You don't understand."
He looked at Gabriel.
"Cassandra wasn't working for Raymond when she met Elena."
I felt cold.
"Then who was she working for?"
Victor closed his eyes.
"For Elena."
May you like
The room went silent.
And suddenly, the story we thought we understood began falling apart.
