CHAPTER 4 – THE FINAL NAME
CHAPTER 4 – THE FINAL NAME
The bank was surrounded by police.
No one was allowed to leave.
The chairman stood beside his granddaughter, refusing to let go of her hand.
"You're safe now," he whispered.
But the little girl looked toward the handcuffed man.
"He wasn't lying."
Everyone turned.
"What do you mean?" the detective asked.
The little girl pointed toward the old security monitor inside the vault.
"My mommy said..."
"...there were three people."
The detective immediately replayed the recording.
Near the very end...
Almost hidden beneath the static...
Amelia's voice returned.
"If Richard betrays me..."
"Don't trust Victoria..."
"She wants everything."
The room fell silent.
"Victoria?" the chairman whispered.
His face lost all color.
"My wife..."
The detective slowly looked up.
"Your wife?"
The chairman nodded.
"My second wife."
"She married me six months after Amelia died."
At that exact moment—
The bank's front doors opened.
An elegant woman dressed in white walked inside, surrounded by attorneys.
She smiled warmly.
"There you are."
She looked directly at the little girl.
"So this is the child."
The little girl instinctively stepped behind her grandfather.
The detective raised a hand.
"Ma'am, we're conducting an investigation."
Victoria laughed softly.
"Of course."
"I'm only here to support my husband."
The chairman stared at her.
"Did you know?"
She tilted her head.
"Know what?"
He held up Amelia's recording.
"It mentioned your name."
For the first time...
Victoria's smile disappeared.
Only for a second.
But everyone noticed.
The detective quietly asked,
"Where were you fifteen years ago?"
She answered without hesitation.
"Abroad."
The detective slid a passport onto the table.
"It says you entered the country three days before Amelia's accident."
Victoria's breathing became uneven.
One of the attorneys stepped forward.
"My client has nothing more to say."
Then—
The little girl walked toward Victoria.
Everyone watched in silence.
She looked up into the woman's eyes.
"You smell the same."
Victoria frowned.
"What?"
"The flowers."
"The flowers from the car."
The chairman's heart skipped a beat.
"What flowers?"
The little girl closed her eyes.
"I remember."
"I was little."
"But I remember."
"There were white flowers."
"And the lady with the pretty necklace hugged Mommy."
"Then Mommy started crying."
Victoria's hand slowly rose to her own neck.
She was still wearing the exact same emerald necklace.
The little girl pointed at it.
"That necklace."
"My mommy said..."
"...'Don't let Victoria drive us.'"
The detective immediately turned to the forensic team.
"Search every file connected to Amelia's accident."
Minutes later, a young officer came running back.
"Sir!"
"We found something."
He held up an old evidence bag.
Inside was a single broken emerald.
It matched the missing stone from Victoria's necklace perfectly.
The detective looked at Victoria.
"You were inside Amelia's car."
Victoria finally stopped pretending.
She smiled.
A cold...
Empty smile.
"You've all figured it out."
She slowly removed her gloves.
"I spent fifteen years believing that child died."
She looked directly at the little girl.
"I won't make the same mistake twice."
Before anyone could react—
She pulled a small pistol from her handbag.
The entire bank froze.
The little girl looked up at her grandfather.
"Grandpa..."
Victoria aimed the weapon straight at the child.
"Move..."
May you like
"...or she dies."
TO BE CONTINUED...
