Chapter 2
Victor laughed.
It came too quickly.
“You're trusting a security screen over me?”
Valentina stood across from him.
Water continued dripping from the hem of her pantsuit.
She did not blink.
“I’m trusting neither.”
Victor’s smile weakened.
“That’s why I’m checking.”
Celeste pushed herself upright.
“You're turning one stupid moment into a conspiracy.”
Valentina's eyes moved toward her.
Celeste continued, louder now.
“He was never going to drown.”
Owen flinched on the bench.
Valentina saw it.
Her voice became softer.
“Explain that.”
Celeste opened her mouth.
Victor cut in.
“She means staff were nearby.”
“No.”
Valentina turned back toward Celeste.
“I asked her.”
Celeste's nostrils flared.
For years, she had been protected by Victor’s habit of answering before she had to.
This time Valentina waited.
Celeste finally said:
“There’s a maintenance shelf under that section.”
Nolan looked up.
“What shelf?”
Celeste's confidence faltered.
“The submerged ledge. For gardeners.”
Nolan shook his head.
“That was removed this morning.”
Nobody spoke.
Celeste looked toward Victor.
This time there was no subtlety.
“What?”
Victor remained still.
Valentina watched him.
Celeste stepped toward Nolan.
“No. It was there yesterday.”
“It was taken out before the reception.”
“Who ordered that?”
Nolan scrolled through the maintenance log.
Valentina never looked away from Victor.
He rubbed one thumb slowly across his old family ring.
Nolan’s face changed.
“Mr. Victor Morello.”
Celeste stared at her uncle.
“You said it was still there.”
Victor’s eyes hardened.
“Be quiet.”
That command changed everything.
Until that second, Victor and Celeste had been standing together.
Now Celeste took one step away from him.
Valentina saw fear replace arrogance for the first time.
Not fear of her.
Fear of Victor.
Nolan cleared his throat.
“There’s more.”
Valentina turned.
“The rescue pole beside the koi garden was moved to the west greenhouse this morning.”
“By whose order?”
Nolan did not need to answer.
Victor’s hand stopped moving over his ring.
Valentina understood.
The camera had been disabled.
The submerged shelf removed.
The nearest rescue equipment relocated.
Three safety measures changed before Owen was pushed.
Celeste whispered:
“You told me he'd land on the ledge.”
Victor’s head snapped toward her.
Valentina’s voice became almost inaudible.
“You knew she was going to push him.”
Victor said nothing.
That silence answered more than denial could have.
But then Nolan looked at the maintenance screen again.
“Valentina…”
“What?”
“The changes weren't requested this morning.”
He swallowed.
“They were scheduled eleven days ago.”
May you like
Whatever happened to Owen had been planned before the reception even existed in its current form.
