Chapter 7 - The Final Betrayal
The ocean breeze suddenly felt ice-cold against my skin.
I stared at the folder sitting on the glass table. My fingers shook as I slowly reached out and pulled the yellowed documents from the sleeve.
There were high-resolution photographs of the burned summer house in the Hamptons—the house where I had almost lost my life six years ago.
Attached were two official arson investigation reports from the Suffolk County Arson Squad.
Primary cause of ignition: Accelerant (kerosene) poured manually along the hallway outside the master bedroom.
Underneath the arson report was a copy of a secret three-million-dollar supplemental life insurance policy Preston had taken out on my life two weeks before the fire—a policy that listed him as the sole beneficiary.
My heart shattered into a million pieces all over again.
All those years...
All those painful surgeries... all those nights sitting by his bed while he pretended to recover... all those moments when I blamed myself for not dragging him out faster...
He hadn't been an innocent victim trapped in a tragic accident.
He had set the house on fire on purpose to murder me for insurance money.
And I had crawled through the flames, melting the skin off my own back, to save the life of the man who was trying to kill me.
"You see?" Cassidy cackled, taking a step closer, enjoying every second of my heartbreak. "He never loved you! He tried to burn you alive for cash! And when you survived, he had to pretend to stay married to you so the insurance company wouldn't suspect arson!"
Gideon didn't wait. He picked up the phone on the table and tapped three numbers.
"Director Vance," Gideon said, his voice dropping into a register of pure, lethal fury. "Execute the federal arrest warrant for attempted capital murder on Preston Vance. Immediately."
Gideon turned his eyes onto Cassidy.
"And send a Florida State Trooper team to my Palm Beach address," Gideon added. "Ms. Vaughn is an accessory after the fact to attempted murder and extortion."
Cassidy’s laughter died instantly in her throat. "What?! No! I gave you the evidence! I'm the one who brought it to you!"
"You held evidence of an attempted murder for three weeks and used it to try and extort my CEO," Gideon said, stepping toward her with absolute, crushing authority. "You're going to prison, Cassidy."
Two armed Florida State Troopers pulled up to the driveway thirty seconds later, their red lights flashing against the palm trees.
They grabbed Cassidy by her arms, dragging her screaming toward the squad car.
"VIVIAN! PLEASE! I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET MONEY FOR THE BABY! PLEASE!" Cassidy shrieked as the car doors slammed shut.
I sat at the table, staring at the arson report in my hands, tears finally spilling over my eyelashes and dripping onto the yellowed paper.
Gideon knelt beside my chair.
He didn't try to give me a corporate speech. He didn't tell me to be strong.
He simply reached up, took both of my trembling hands in his broad, warm palms, and brought them to his lips.
"I'm sorry, Vivian," Gideon whispered softly, his grey eyes burning with deep, genuine pain for me. "I'm so sorry you had to bear this."
I looked at him through my tears. "I saved him, Gideon... I burned my skin off to save the monster who set the fire..."
"No," Gideon said firmly, looking directly into my soul. "You proved who you were that night, Vivian. You proved that your heart is made of gold and courage. He proved he was dirt."
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He reached up and gently wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
"And now," Gideon promised, "I am going to make sure he pays for every single inch of skin you lost."
