Julian walked down the grand winding staircase of the mansion, his jaw set tight as he fought to keep his composure. The house was filled with caterers carrying trays of high-end food and florists arranging expensive white roses. Everyone was smiling and working hard to make the day perfect for the wealthy family. Julian walked straight into the large kitchen at the back of the house. He found Clara standing near the stainless steel counter, gently holding a bag of crushed ice wrapped in a cloth against Lily's red, swollen forearm.
Julian: How is she doing, Clara?
Clara: The burn is bad, Julian. It is going to leave a terrible scar.
Lily: Julian, is Dad going to be mad at me?
Julian: No, baby girl. Dad is not mad at you. You did nothing wrong.
Lily: Victoria told me if I stayed in the house today, she would hurt me worse.
Julian felt a cold shiver go down his spine. The burn was not just a sudden burst of anger. Victoria had deliberately tried to terrorize the nine-year-old child so she would hide away during the wedding ceremony. Victoria wanted all the attention on herself and did not want any reminders of Richard's past family life ruining her big photo opportunities. Julian knelt down next to his sister's chair and kissed her forehead gently, smelling the soft baby shampoo she always used.
Julian: Lily, I want you to tell me the truth. Has she ever touched you before?
Lily: She pinched me last week... and she threw away Mom's picture from my room.
Clara: It is true, Master Julian. I found the framed picture in the outdoor trash bin.
Julian: Why didn't you tell me or Dad sooner?
Clara: She threatened to call the police and say I was stealing her jewelry!
Julian squeezed his eyes shut, processing the terrible reality of what had been happening in their house while he was away at work. Victoria had been systematic in her cruelty, isolating the staff and scaring the young girl into total silence. She knew that Richard was busy running his billion-dollar firm and rarely spent quiet hours at home during the week. She had used his absence to establish a reign of fear over everyone who could not defend themselves easily.
Julian: Clara, I need you to listen to me very carefully right now.
Clara: Anything, Julian. I will do whatever you ask.
Julian: Take Lily upstairs to my private quarters and lock the door from the inside.
Lily: Don't leave me, Julian! Please!
Julian: I am not leaving you, sweetheart. I am going to end this right now.
Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone. He tapped a contact he had saved weeks ago—a private investigator he had hired to look into Victoria's past background when she first moved into the mansion. Julian had always felt something suspicious about how quickly she had seduced his grieving father. He put the phone to his ear and walked out into the quiet hallway near the study, away from the bustling kitchen staff.
Private Investigator: Speak fast, Julian. I am sitting in my car outside the gate.
Julian: Did you find the official legal records from her previous marriage in Florida?
Private Investigator: I got everything. The divorce lawyer sent over the sealed court documents five minutes ago.
Julian: Does it show the same pattern of behavior?
Private Investigator: Worse. She took her ex-husband for three million dollars and had two restraining orders filed against her by his family.
Julian listened closely as the investigator detailed Victoria's long history of fake identities, financial fraud, and secret settlements. She was not a wealthy socialite as she claimed to be. She was a professional scammer who targeted rich widowers, drove wedges between them and their children, and then walked away with massive divorce settlements or inheritance funds. And today, she was planning to seal her trap by signing a marriage certificate with Richard.