As the police car pulled away down the long gated driveway of the Dallas mansion, Frank turned back inside the foyer[cite: 1]. Marcus stepped up beside him, holding a electronic tablet.
Marcus: "Mr. Vance, while the officers were cuffing her, my team checked her private desk upstairs in the master suite."
Frank: "Did you find what I asked for?"
Marcus: "It's worse than we thought, sir. She had a hidden wall safe behind the vanity mirror."
Frank followed Marcus up the grand staircase to the lavish master bedroom suite[cite: 1]. The vanity mirror was swung open, revealing an open steel safe containing stacks of bank documents, legal letters, and small glass vials.
Frank: "What are those vials?"
Marcus: "We ran the label names through our medical database. It's liquid arsenic and synthetic sedatives, sir."
Frank felt a cold chill run down his spine as he looked at the clear liquid in the glass containers.
Frank: "She wasn't just abusing Lily... she was trying to slowly poison us."
Marcus: "Look at these bank papers, Mr. Vance. Victoria opened five offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands under her maiden name over the last six months."
Frank: "She was siphoning funds from the family estate trust."
Marcus: "She transferred nearly three million dollars last Tuesday alone. She was planning to clear out the accounts, harm the child to cause a distraction, and flee the country before the end of the month."[cite: 1]
Frank took a slow, deep breath, gripping the edge of the mahogany desk until his knuckles turned white.
Frank: "She married me for the Vance family inheritance, and when she realized I kept strict controls on the trust fund, she decided to destroy us from the inside."
Marcus: "The police forensics unit is on their way back to seize these vials as evidence. This isn't just child abuse anymore, sir. This is attempted murder and grand larceny."
Frank: "Hand all of this directly to the district attorney. I want her buried under every legal charge Texas has to offer."
Marcus: "Understood, Mr. Vance."
Frank walked down the hallway to Lily's nursery. The room was softly lit, decorated with pastel murals and soft plush toys. Martha was sitting in a rocking chair, gently dabbing a cool cloth over Lily's small arm.
Lily: "Daddy?"
Frank's face softened instantly. He walked into the room, kneeling beside the rocking chair and taking his daughter's tiny hand.
Frank: "Hey, my sweet girl. How is your arm feeling?"
Lily: "It doesn't burn as much now... Martha put the cold water on it."[cite: 1]
Frank: "Good. The bad lady is gone forever, Lily[cite: 1]. She is never, ever coming back to this house."
Lily: "Is she in time-out?"
Frank: "Yes, sweetheart. A very, very long time-out."
Lily smiled softly, reaching out her small arms to wrap them around Frank's neck[cite: 1]. Frank closed his eyes, holding her tight against his chest, swearing to himself that he would protect her with his life.