Chapter 5 - The ShowdownThat evening, I invited them all back for dinner.
Adrian arrived in a navy suit, already celebrating. My mother wore diamonds. Vivienne kissed Noah’s forehead, and he flinched.
“Don’t be dramatic,” she whispered.
Maya stood behind his chair like a wall.
At 8:00 p.m., Adrian slid a folder across the dining table. “Temporary asset protection agreement. Sign it, Clara. We can avoid court.”
I opened the folder. “This gives you control of my accounts, Noah’s medical decisions, and voting rights in Hart Therapeutics.”
“It protects the family,” he said.
“From whom?”
He looked at Maya. “From criminals.”
Maya laughed once, sharp and bitter.
Vivienne snapped, “Know your place.”
I set my wineglass down. “She does. That’s why she’s still standing.”
Then I tapped my phone.
The television behind them lit up.
Vivienne appeared on-screen, entering Noah’s room with the syringe and milk. Her voice filled the dining room: “Just drink this, and Aunt Viv will save you from your crazy mother.”
My mother gasped.
Adrian went white, then red. “That’s edited.”
The screen changed to another video: Adrian in my kitchen two days earlier, opening the medicine cabinet and photographing Noah’s prescriptions. Then audio played from Maya’s recorder.
Vivienne’s voice: “Ex-convict nanny. Drugged child. Rich widow hysterical. Who do you think they’ll believe?”
Maya stepped forward. “You picked me because of my record. You thought I was the perfect villain.”
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Vivienne’s mouth trembled. “Clara, I can explain.”
“No,” I said. “Detectives can listen.”
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