THE HEIR'S REVENGE

Chapter 23: The Shallow Grave

Maxwell's hands shook as he set the folder on my desk. I'd never seen him like this—face pale, eyes haunted, looking like he'd discovered something that changed everything. He'd been investigating all night, following paper trails that started with Lily's trust fund and led somewhere neither of us expected.

"You need to see this," he said quietly, opening the folder to reveal death certificates, police reports, and insurance documents. "Lily's parents didn't just die in an accident. They were murdered."

The words hit me like cold water. I stared at the documents, each one telling part of a story I didn't want to believe. James and Sarah Chen, Lily's parents, had died five years ago when their car went off a cliff on Mountain Road. The investigation had ruled it an accident—brake failure on a rainy night. But Maxwell had found something everyone else missed.

"The insurance payout was three million dollars," Maxwell continued, pointing to highlighted sections. "It went into a trust for Lily, with Victoria Pierce as the administrator. She had complete control over the money until Lily turned eighteen."

"But Victoria didn't even know them," I said, though even as I spoke, I realized how naive that sounded. Victoria's web spread wider than any of us imagined.

Maxwell pulled out another document—a contract dated six months before the accident. "James Chen worked for one of Marcus's companies. Victoria personally hired him as an accountant. She became close to the family, even volunteered to babysit Lily sometimes. Then, two weeks before the accident, she convinced them to name her as Lily's guardian in their will, just in case something happened."

The calculated cruelty of it made me sick. Victoria had planned everything, gained their trust, positioned herself perfectly. Then she'd killed them. I thought about Lily, so young when it happened, probably not even remembering her parents' faces clearly. All because Victoria wanted money she could steal without anyone noticing.

"There's more," Maxwell said, his voice getting quieter. "I found the forensic accountant's report from last year. Someone noticed discrepancies in the trust payments. Victoria had been taking twenty thousand a month, claiming it was for Lily's care. But Lily was living in foster homes that cost the state nothing."

Twenty thousand a month for five years. That was over a million dollars stolen from an orphaned child. Money that should have paid for Lily's education, her future, her dreams. Instead, Victoria had used it for designer clothes, luxury vacations, and maintaining her perfect image.

My phone rang. Detective Morrison.

"We found something at the old quarry," she said, and I could hear car doors slamming in the background. "A witness finally came forward. Says Victoria Pierce paid him fifty thousand dollars five years ago to tamper with a car's brake lines."

The old quarry was twenty miles from where the accident happened. Close enough to be connected, far enough that no one had looked there during the original investigation. I grabbed my jacket, already moving toward the door. Maxwell followed, still carrying the folder of evidence.

The witness was named Robert Henley, a mechanic with a small shop near the quarry. He sat in the police station's interview room, looking like he hadn't slept in years. His hands twisted together constantly, and when he spoke, his voice cracked with guilt.

"She said it was for insurance fraud," he mumbled, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Said the owners wanted their car to be stolen, needed me to make it look real. I disabled the brake lines just enough that they'd fail after a few days of driving. I didn't know... I swear I didn't know there would be people inside."

Morrison showed him photographs—James and Sarah Chen, young and smiling, holding baby Lily between them. Robert broke down completely, sobbing into his hands. His guilt didn't bring them back, but his testimony would ensure Victoria paid for their murders.

"She came back the next week," Robert continued between sobs. "Gave me an extra twenty thousand to stay quiet. Said if I ever talked, she'd make sure I was blamed for everything. I've been terrified ever since."

I thought about Victoria's video message, her demand that I come alone. She was holding Lily's mother hostage, but now I understood the full scope of her evil. She hadn't just kidnapped or threatened—she'd murdered Lily's parents in cold blood, then stolen from their daughter for years.

Brandon arrived with more evidence from his investigation. "My contacts found the original trust documents. Victoria forged signatures, created false expense reports, even paid a doctor to say Lily needed special medical care that required extra funds. It's all here."

The conference room at the police station became a war room. Detectives, FBI agents, and prosecutors surrounded the table, each adding pieces to the puzzle. Victoria Pierce wasn't just a criminal—she was a serial predator who'd destroyed multiple families for money.

Thomas Rodriguez, my legal advisor, pulled me aside. "With this evidence, she's looking at life without parole. Multiple counts of murder, fraud, embezzlement, kidnapping conspiracy. No judge would show mercy."

But Victoria still had Lily's mother. Even facing life in prison, she held one last card, one final way to hurt the innocent child she'd already traumatized. The hour she'd given me was running out, and I had to make a choice.

"I'm still going," I told Morrison, who immediately started protesting. "She wants me to come alone? Fine. But you'll be watching, following, ready to move when I give the signal."

Morrison reluctantly agreed, knowing she couldn't legally stop me. Brandon insisted on putting a tracker in my phone, my watch, even sewing one into my jacket collar. If Victoria tried anything, they'd know exactly where I was.

The coordinates led to an abandoned medical facility on the outskirts of the city. It had closed two years ago, but someone had kept the power running. Perfect for hiding a patient who needed life support. As I drove there, I thought about everything Victoria had taken—parents from Lily, peace from Emma, dignity from Marcus, trust from Daniel. She was a poison that destroyed everything she touched.

Maxwell called as I parked outside the building. "I found one more thing. The Chen family had another insurance policy, one Victoria didn't know about. It names Lily as the sole beneficiary, worth five million dollars. It's been sitting in a protected account, gathering interest. Victoria could never touch it."

Five million dollars. Enough to ensure Lily would never want for anything, could attend any school, pursue any dream. Her parents had protected her even in death, creating a future Victoria couldn't steal. It was a small justice, but justice nonetheless.