Chapter 17 - The Old FriendVictor Shaw had not worked for Carter Development in two years.

But his consulting company still handled occasional vendor work.

That was the connection.

The fake veterinary form used document software licensed to Victor's company.

Nia had contacted him six months earlier.

Darius demanded to know why.

Victor agreed to meet only with lawyers present.

They sat across from each other in Grace's conference room.

Victor looked older than Darius remembered.

"You helped her frame Rex."

Victor sighed.

"She told me the dog was aggressive."

"You created a fake veterinary report."

"I created a document she said she needed for insurance."

"You knew it was fake."

Victor looked down.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she paid me."

Darius laughed bitterly.

"That's it?"

"No."

Victor looked at him.

"I hated you."

Grace shifted slightly.

Darius said nothing.

Victor continued.

"You blamed me for the company debt after Leah died."

"You tried to pledge her family's assets."

"To save the company."

"They weren't yours."

"They weren't yours either."

Darius's jaw tightened.

Victor raised a hand.

"I'm not defending it."

"Sounds like you are."

"I'm explaining why when your new wife called and said you were still controlling everyone around you, I believed her."

Darius sat back.

Nia had understood old resentments.

Not created them.

Used them.

Victor continued.

"She said Rex was Leah's dog and you refused to remove him because you were obsessed with your dead wife."

Darius's expression changed.

"She said that?"

"Yes."

"Did she mention Ava?"

"She said the dog frightened her."

"So you forged a report."

Victor nodded.

"I'm sorry."

Darius stared at the man who had once stood beside him at his wedding to Leah.

"Sorry is a word people use when the consequence belongs to somebody else."

Victor accepted that.

Then Grace asked, "Did Nia discuss Leah's trust?"

Victor hesitated.

Darius noticed.

"Answer."

"She asked why Leah had made it so restrictive."

"When?"

"About eight months ago."

"Before she requested the trust documents."

"Yes."

Darius leaned forward.

"What did you tell her?"

Victor looked ashamed.

"I told her there was probably a death contingency."

Grace's face hardened.

"Why would you know that?"

"Leah argued with me about it years ago."

The room went quiet.

Victor had planted the idea.

Maybe accidentally.

Maybe not.

Nia then obtained the trust.

Read the clause.

Found the money.

Found the problem.

And started planning.

As Victor stood to leave, Darius said, "You didn't push Ava."

Victor stopped.

"No."

"But you helped the person who did."

Victor lowered his head.

"I know."

Darius watched him go.

There would be legal consequences for the forged report.

But the deeper consequence was harder to measure.

Nia had built her scheme from the weaknesses already present around Darius.

Victor's resentment.

Malik's obedience.

Emily's hesitation.

Darius's impulsiveness.

Tasha's loyalty.

Caleb's greed.

Every person had given her something.

The difference was Rex.

Rex had given her nothing.

No compromise.

No rationalization.

No fear of losing status.

Only resistance.

That night Darius stood beside the pool.

Emily approached.

"You're doing that a lot."

"What?"

"Staring at the water like it's going to explain something."

"It hasn't yet."

Emily joined him.

After a moment Darius said, "Leah built safeguards because she knew people."

"Yes."

"I thought money protected us."

Emily gave him a look.

"Money bought you a larger place for danger to hide."

Darius smiled despite himself.

Then Emily's expression became serious.

"The hearing is next week."

Nia's emergency protective-order petition had not disappeared with her arrest.

Her attorneys were still arguing that Darius's instability made him unfit and that Nia had acted only to protect Ava from a dangerous dog.

It sounded absurd now.

But family courts did not decide cases based on outrage.

They decided from evidence.

And Nia had one thing she could still use.

Darius's past.

His drinking.

His anger.

His worst year.

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A year he had spent trying to forget.

Now he would have to describe it under oath.