Chapter 3 - The Fires Blamed on a ChildThree small fires had occurred inside the mansion during the previous year.
One damaged foundation records in the library. Another burned files in Ethan’s study. The third scorched a storage cabinet containing jewelry appraisals and donation receipts.
Olivia blamed Noah.
She told Ethan the boy had become fascinated with flames after his mother’s death. A child therapist’s report warned that grief could produce destructive behavior.
Ethan locked away the matches and required Noah to attend counseling.
Noah repeatedly denied starting the fires, but each denial sounded more desperate than the last.
Investigators later discovered that the therapist’s report had been edited. The original mentioned Noah’s fear of fire, not an attraction to it.
Smart-home records also showed Olivia disabling smoke sensors minutes before each incident.
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The fires were controlled and quickly extinguished because she wanted damaged records, not a destroyed mansion.
By making Noah appear dangerous, Olivia gained both a scapegoat and a reason nobody should believe him.
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