Chapter 9 - The Detective's Daughter
My hands shook violently as I connected the terrifying dots of Lauren's master plan.
Olivia was not just a random actress hired off the internet to break up a marriage.
She was Detective Vance's own daughter.
Lauren had deliberately chosen a police detective's family member to be part of the conspiracy.
She knew that when I inevitably became the prime suspect, Detective Vance would fight to keep his daughter's name out of the investigation.
He was actively suppressing evidence to protect Olivia from being implicated in a massive fraud case.
I finally understood why I had been granted bail so quickly despite the mounting evidence.
Vance wanted me out on the streets so I would lead him directly to the missing money.
I left a twenty-dollar bill on the diner table and walked quickly out to the dark highway.
I stole an old pickup truck idling outside a nearby convenience store and drove straight toward the GPS coordinates.
The drive took exactly one hour through dense, winding forest roads.
The GPS led me to an isolated, luxurious cabin hidden deep within the towering pine trees.
A sleek black Mercedes was parked in the gravel driveway, completely hidden from the main road.
I parked the stolen truck half a mile away and approached the cabin silently on foot.
The lights inside the cabin were glowing warmly against the cold night sky.
I crept up to the large living room window and peered carefully through the glass.
My breath caught in my throat at the sight unfolding inside the room.
Lauren was walking perfectly fine, pouring a glass of expensive red wine near a roaring fireplace.
She was laughing effortlessly, her face glowing with absolute triumph.
Sitting on the plush leather sofa next to her was Olivia.
Olivia reached up and pulled Lauren into a deep, passionate kiss.
They were not just business partners running an insurance scam.
They were deeply in love, and they had used me to fund their perfect happily-ever-after.
I felt a dark, violent rage boil up from the very center of my soul.
I gripped the cold steel of the suppressed pistol tightly in my hand.
I walked to the heavy oak front door and checked the handle.
It was completely unlocked.
I pushed the door open silently and stepped into the warm light of the cabin hallway.
May you like
I raised the gun, fully prepared to destroy the two women who had ruined my entire life.
But before I could step into the living room, a heavy blow struck the back of my head, sending me crashing to the floor.
