Chapter 8
Celeste listened to the audio once.
Then again.
Her face lost color.
“He told me it was there.”
Valentina stood across from her.
Celeste's hands trembled.
“You heard him.”
“I heard him say it didn't matter.”
“He told me Owen would hit the shelf.”
Valentina did not comfort her.
Celeste had pushed the child.
Being deceived did not make her innocent.
But it changed Victor’s role.
Celeste looked toward the floor.
“If I knew it was gone…”
Valentina waited.
Celeste swallowed.
“I wouldn't have done it.”
“Would you have pushed him if the shelf was there?”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Valentina nodded once.
At least that answer was honest.
The unknown male voice became the next question.
Nolan compared it against staff recordings.
No match.
Donor recordings.
No match.
Then one of Victor’s former security men recognized it.
Graham Voss.
A private risk consultant Victor had used for years.
Graham no longer worked directly for the Morello family.
But his firm had recently been hired to prepare a confidential governance review of the conservatory.
By whom?
Victor.
Valentina brought Graham into an attorney-supervised meeting.
He arrived confident.
Then he saw the audio transcript.
His breathing changed.
“I advised Victor on reputational exposure.”
“Did that include my son?”
“No.”
“Were you at the koi garden before he was pushed?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Graham looked toward his counsel.
No answer.
Valentina leaned back.
She did not threaten him.
That unsettled him.
Finally:
“Victor wanted to know how donors would respond if you had a violent episode.”
Valentina’s fingertips stopped moving.
“An episode?”
“He was building an incapacity argument.”
“And Owen?”
Graham looked down.
“I thought the child would be pulled out immediately.”
“Did you know the shelf was removed?”
A long pause.
“Yes.”
Celeste, listening from the adjacent room through counsel, stood so quickly her chair fell backward.
Valentina’s gaze hardened.
Graham continued.
“Victor said the water had to look deep enough to cause panic.”
“It was deep.”
“I told him that.”
“And?”
Graham’s voice dropped.
“He said panic was the point.”
Valentina understood now.
Victor had not merely accepted risk.
He had increased it.
Then Graham gave her the final piece.
Victor had asked for two different contingency plans.
May you like
One if Owen was rescued immediately.
And another if he wasn't.
