Chapter 3 - THE DENIAL OF BLOODThe heavy oak doors of the main house shut, locking out the chilly morning air. Inside the warmth of the kitchen, Daniel sat me down in my favorite armchair. He had fetched a warm towel and was gently wiping the stray silver hairs from my neck and collar. His hands were still shaking.
"I'm so sorry, Mom," he kept repeating, his voice thick with guilt. "I should have been here. I should have seen what she was doing to you."
"You were working, sweetheart," I said softly, reaching up to pat his hand. "You have a company to run. You shouldn't have to worry about an old woman."
"Don't say that," he insisted, kneeling beside me. "You're my mother. You built this family. But... Vanessa... she’s never behaved like this before. She’s always been so sweet when I’m around. Why would she do this?"
There it was. The seed of doubt. The manipulative spell Vanessa had cast over him for six months was powerful. Even after witnessing her cruelty, Daniel’s brain was looking for excuses, searching for a logical reason why the woman he loved would act like a villain.
"She told me I was a burden, Daniel," I said, letting a heavy sigh escape my lips. "She said that once you two are married, there won't be room for me in this house. She wanted me to sign over the deed to the property last week. When I refused, she told me she would make my life a living hell."
Daniel’s face darkened. "She asked for the deed? She told me you offered to give it to us as a wedding present!"
"I would never give away the house your father built with his own hands," I said, looking out the window. "But Vanessa is very persuasive. She told me that if I didn't comply, she would tell you I was losing my mind. She said you'd believe her because... because of the baby."
Daniel went rigid. "She told you about the baby?"
"Yes," I murmured. "She said she was pregnant. Is it true, Daniel? Am I going to be a grandmother?"
Daniel looked down, a complex mixture of joy and dread washing over his face. "Yes. She took a test last week. It was positive. That’s... that’s the only reason I haven't called the police, Mom. She’s carrying my child. I can't just throw her to the wolves, even after what she did."
I felt a cold prickle of anger, but I kept my face serene. Vanessa was clever. She had used the ultimate shield. A tech mogul like Daniel, who had lost his father early, valued family legacy above all else. He would endure almost anything to protect his future child.
"I understand," I said, squeezing his hand. "A child is a blessing. But Daniel... a mother’s love is built on truth. If she is lying about one thing, she may be lying about another."
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking up.
"Nothing, dear," I lied smoothly. "I'm just tired. My head hurts."
"Let's get you cleaned up," Daniel said, standing. "I'll call a proper stylist to come to the house and fix your hair. And I'm going to have a serious talk with Vanessa. She needs to understand that if she hurts you again, there will be no wedding. Baby or no baby."
As Daniel left the room to make the call, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I opened the security app. The cameras in the garden had captured everything—the sneer on Vanessa's face, the glint of the scissors, the laughter of Chloe, and the absolute cruelty of their words.
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I didn't show it to Daniel. Not yet. If I showed him now, Vanessa would claim she was hormonal, stressed, or that I had provoked her before the recording started. I needed to let her dig her own grave a little deeper. I wanted her to feel secure enough to make her next move, because I knew her greed wouldn't let her stop at my hair. She wanted the house. She wanted the million-dollar trust.
And I was going to let her think she was going to get it.
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