Chapter 18 - THE TESTIMONY
Serena sat behind thick glass in a county detention room.
Without makeup, silk, or a room full of people to impress, she looked smaller. Not harmless. Just stripped of her stage.
Lily sat across from her with Detective Quinn listening through the wall.
“You saved me on the ice,” Serena said.
“I saved a person from drowning.”
“You still think that makes you better.”
“No. I think choices make us different.”
Serena leaned forward. “My father controlled everything. My schools. My friends. My money. He told me Amelia was destroying our family.”
“So you helped him.”
“I deleted messages. I lied about where I was. I convinced Victor the foundation records were confused.”
“And Ethan?” Lily asked.
For the first time, Serena looked away.
“I needed evidence Victor’s home was unsafe. The bruises were supposed to be minor.”
Lily’s hands tightened under the table. “He was a baby.”
“I know.”
“No. You knew he was useful. That isn’t the same thing.”
Serena began to cry, but Lily did not move.
The confession lasted three hours. Serena described the forged trust, the false diagnosis, the bribes, and the order August gave Damien to force Amelia’s car off the bridge.
She also admitted striking Lily and injuring Ethan.
Her testimony completed the case.
When Lily left the room, Victor was waiting in the corridor.
“The prosecutor says your statement will matter most,” he said.
Lily looked through the glass at Serena. “Then I’ll tell the truth.”
Victor nodded. “There’s something else.”
He held out an envelope.
Inside were legal papers naming Lily as Ethan’s emergency guardian if anything happened to Victor.
She stared at him.
“I can’t sign this.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m your employee.”
May you like
Victor shook his head.
“Not anymore.”
