Chapter 5 - Vanessa Knew About Ravenwood
Vanessa finally agreed to speak.
She entered the library with an attorney on speakerphone.
Her arrogance was gone.
Sophia stood across from her.
“Why did you grab me?”
Vanessa looked away.
“Because you were near Adrian.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I thought you were trying to get his attention.”
Sophia almost laughed.
“You knew my name.”
Vanessa froze.
Adrian noticed.
“You knew who she was before tonight.”
Vanessa remained silent.
Eleanor whispered, “Tell them.”
Vanessa turned on her.
“You brought her here.”
“Yes.”
“After I told you not to.”
Sophia’s pulse quickened.
Eleanor admitted she arranged Sophia’s waitressing job.
She wanted Sophia inside the gala because Charles Sterling’s former
accountant would be attending.
A man named Martin Shaw.
He had worked on Ravenwood.
Eleanor believed Martin would talk if he saw Anna’s daughter.
Sophia stared.
“So you used me as bait.”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“You could have gotten her hurt.”
“I was desperate.”
Sophia asked Vanessa:
“What were you afraid Martin would tell me?”
Vanessa answered quietly.
“That Charles didn’t create the fund out of generosity.”
Adrian frowned.
“Then why?”
Vanessa looked directly at Sophia.
“Guilt.”
The room went silent.
Charles Sterling had approved Ravenwood payments he later discovered
were fraudulent.
Anna found the fraud.
Charles tried to stop it.
But before he could expose the people involved, someone threatened Anna
and her child.
Sophia.
Charles created the fund because Anna agreed to disappear from the
Sterling world.
Sophia stared at Adrian.
“Your father paid my mother to stay quiet.”
Vanessa whispered:
“At first.”
“At first?”
May you like
Vanessa looked toward the ballroom.
“Then he learned who was really stealing.”
