Chapter 7 - Daniel's Secret Investigation
Victoria was at family court when the clerk opened.
Arthur came.
So did Evelyn.
That shocked everyone.
Charles’s attorney objected immediately.
Victoria did not care.
The petition painted her as unstable.
Aggressive.
Overworked.
A grieving widow with “poor impulse control.”
The gala video still showed only the slap.
No Lily.
No Evelyn’s hand.
No context.
Victoria felt sick.
Not frightened.
Sick.
Someone had taken the worst second of her life and made it the whole story.
Then Arthur submitted the full footage.
Silence.
Evelyn cornering Lily.
Blocking her.
Grabbing her shoulder.
Pushing her.
Taking her sleeve after Victoria arrived.
The judge watched twice.
Charles’s attorney stopped smiling.
Evelyn testified.
“I provoked the incident.”
Victoria looked at her.
Evelyn continued.
“I frightened the child. I touched her after her mother told me not to.”
The judge asked, “Did Ms. Harrington strike you?”
“Yes.”
“Was that appropriate?”
“No.”
“Did it make you fear for the child’s safety?”
Evelyn looked at Victoria.
“No.”
The petition collapsed before noon.
But Charles never appeared.
Of course.
He used lawyers as distance.
Outside court, Bell from Harbor House called.
“Charles filed environmental reversion notice.”
Victoria stopped on the courthouse steps.
“Without trustee authorization?”
“Yes.”
“Invalid.”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“He attached a trustee consent.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Whose?”
“Yours.”
Another forged signature.
Victoria laughed.
Arthur did not.
She said, “Send it.”
Email arrived.
Signature looked perfect.
Not digital.
Wet ink scan.
Her handwriting.
Victoria enlarged it.
Then remembered.
A hospital consent form.
Daniel’s final week.
She had signed dozens.
Some blank at the bottom while nurses explained treatment.
Her chest tightened.
Charles had access to Daniel’s old medical files.
He had lifted her signature.
Arthur said, “We can defeat it.”
“Yes.”
“But the filing freezes site activity.”
“That’s what he wants.”
“Time.”
“To move evidence.”
Victoria looked at him.
Arthur went still.
Warehouse Three had yielded document boxes.
But Daniel warned not to dig beneath it without police present.
Maybe the thirteen drums were not everything.
Victoria called the site commander.
“Seal the entire property.”
He answered:
“Already did.”
“Anyone inside?”
A pause.
“One survey vehicle entered using foundation credentials.”
Arthur frowned.
“Whose?”
The commander checked.
“Charles Baird.”
Victoria’s pulse jumped.
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
She was already moving.
May you like
CUT.
