“We are devastated by her disappearance.”
Behind him stood Roderick and Gertrude.
Perfectly dressed.
Perfectly grieving.
Perfectly lying.
Lucas had even announced the creation of a charity foundation in my name.
A foundation that would supposedly “honor my life.”
I almost laughed.
“He thinks I’m dead.”
Mr. Vance nodded.
“Exactly.”
He opened the black folder.
“Which gives us one advantage.”
Inside were bank transfers, forged documents, passport records, offshore accounts, and photographs recovered from Lucas’s phone.
And there was more.
Valery had recovered evidence from the yacht before authorities seized it.
Mr. Vance looked at me.
“Your inheritance is still protected.”
I slowly sat up.
“Then let’s make sure Lucas finds out I’m alive.”
Three days later, I walked into the ballroom.
Hundreds of journalists were there.
International cameras.
Business reporters.
Television crews.
Lucas stood at the podium.
“My beloved wife will always remain—”
He stopped.
The room went silent.
I walked through the doors.
Lucas stared at me.
His face turned completely white.
Gertrude dropped her champagne glass.
Roderick stepped backward.
Marcus whispered something.
I kept walking.
Then I stood directly in front of the podium.
“Did you miss me?”
Nobody moved.
Lucas couldn’t speak.
I looked at the cameras.
“My husband just told the world that I died at sea.”
I held up the communicator.
“He forgot one thing.”
I pressed PLAY.
His own voice filled the ballroom.
“Tonight. One little push. The ocean will handle everything else.”
Gasps erupted throughout the room.
Then came the recording about my inheritance.
My parents.
The forged documents.
The women they had targeted.
The offshore accounts.
The entire ballroom exploded into chaos.
