Chapter 3 - A Silver Watch and a Hidden Child
The name echoed off the high, painted ceiling.
Leo.
Victoria gasped, her manicured hands flying to her mouth.
Raymond backed away until his shoulders hit the heavy velvet drapes.
Dominic stood perfectly still, but the air around him felt like a loaded weapon.
"Who is Leo?" Dominic asked.
Victoria was sobbing now, heavy, gasping tears that ruined her expensive mascara.
"He's... he's my nephew, Dominic. My sister's boy. He's sick, he needs specialized care."
Dominic looked at Raymond.
"Is that true?"
Raymond wouldn't meet his eyes. He stared at the floor.
"Raymond," Dominic said, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "If you lie to me right now, Marco will throw you out of that window."
Raymond swallowed hard.
"He's my son," Raymond whispered. "Victoria and I... we had a boy six years ago."
The guests erupted into shocked whispers.
I felt my stomach drop.
Victoria had been parading around this mansion for months, playing the elegant, childless socialite, complaining about how children ruined dinner parties.
And all this time, she had a six-year-old son hidden away.
"You hid a child from me," Dominic said. The anger in his voice was suddenly replaced by a profound, chilling disgust. "And you tried to forge a document to steal my father's money to pay off your husband's gambling debts."
"I was desperate!" Victoria screamed. "You have hundreds of millions, Dominic! You wouldn't have even noticed the money was gone!"
"I would have noticed the betrayal," Dominic said.
He turned to his security head. "Marco. Call the police. I want them both arrested for fraud and attempted extortion."
"Wait!" Raymond shouted, reaching into his pocket.
Marco immediately drew his weapon.
"Hold it!" Marco barked.
But Raymond didn't pull out a gun.
His trembling hand emerged holding a heavy, antique silver pocket watch.
He tossed it onto the banquet table. It slid across the polished wood, stopping inches from Dominic's hand.
I recognized that watch.
I dusted Dominic's study every Tuesday. That watch belonged on the mahogany stand on his desk. It had belonged to his late brother, Vincent, who died seven years ago.
"Where did you get that?" Dominic demanded, his face going pale.
"Victoria gave it to me," Raymond spat, pointing a shaking finger at his wife. "Ask her where she got it, Dominic. Ask her!"
Victoria lunged toward the table, trying to grab the watch, but Dominic caught her wrist in a vice grip.
"Where did you get my brother's watch, Victoria?"
She was weeping hysterically. "He gave it to me! Before he died!"
Dominic froze.
"Vincent gave this to you?"
"Yes!" she cried. "We... we were close, Dominic. Before I met you."
Margaret Whitmore, who had been sitting quietly beside me, suddenly stood up.
Despite her bad knees, she stood tall, her judicial authority radiating through the room.
"She's lying again, Dominic," Margaret said firmly.
Dominic looked at the elderly woman. "How do you know?"
Margaret pointed to the silver watch.
"Because I was the one who handed that watch to your father at Vincent's funeral," Margaret said. "And I know exactly what is engraved on the inside of the casing."
Dominic didn't hesitate. He popped the silver casing open.
He stared at the inscription.
His eyes widened in absolute shock.
May you like
He looked up at Victoria, his voice trembling with a fury I had never seen before.
"Why does my brother's watch say 'To Victoria, for our son'?"
