Chapter 2: The Little Girl Who Knew the Truth
Nathan didn't move.
For several seconds, the rooftop terrace seemed to stop breathing.
Lily was still pointing at Victoria.
Her little hand trembled so violently that Nathan had to hold her wrist.
“What did you just say, sweetheart?””
Lily buried her face against his shoulder.
“She pushed me.””
Victoria immediately shook her head.
“No. No, darling. You're confused.””
Lily started crying harder.
“She pushed me, Daddy!””
Nathan looked at his daughter, then at his fiancée.
“Victoria…”
The bride stepped backward.
“Nathan, she's frightened. She's been through something terrible. She doesn't know what she's saying.””
Lily lifted her head.
“I know!””
Victoria forced a gentle smile.
“Sweetheart, remember? We were playing near the flowers, and you slipped.””
“No!””
“You lost your balance.””
“No!””
Victoria's expression tightened.
“Lily, darling, please calm down.””
The little girl recoiled.
Nathan noticed.
He had seen Lily frightened before. She was afraid of thunderstorms, barking dogs, and the automatic hand dryers in public restrooms.
But he had never seen her recoil from someone she knew.
Especially Victoria.
Nathan's voice dropped.
“Victoria, stop talking.””
Victoria stared at him.
“Excuse me?””
“I said stop.””
A murmur passed through the guests.
Jada stood several feet away, one hand pressed against her burning cheek.
She wanted to leave.
She wanted to find a quiet place, wash the blood from her arm, and call someone who would believe her.
But Lily was still crying.
And Jada couldn't bring herself to walk away.
Nathan turned toward her.
“You said you saw Victoria near the parapet?””
“Yes.””
“Explain exactly what happened.””
Jada swallowed.
She could still taste the metallic sting of the blood on her split lip.
“I was coming from the service entrance. I had a tray of champagne. Lily was standing near the flowers, looking at something beyond the terrace.””
Nathan listened without interrupting.
“Victoria walked behind her. I saw her place both hands on Lily's shoulders. Then Lily leaned forward, and Victoria pushed.””
Victoria let out an angry laugh.
“That is absurd!””
Jada continued.
“Lily grabbed the stone ledge. I dropped the tray and ran. When I reached them, Victoria had already stepped away.””
Victoria's face hardened.
“You expect these people to believe you over me?””
Jada looked at her.
“I don't care who they believe. I care that your little girl almost died.””
“She is not my little girl,” Victoria snapped.
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Nathan looked at her.
“What?””
Victoria blinked.
“I mean—of course, I love Lily. You know that.””
But Jada had heard the distinction.
So had Nathan.
He looked down at his daughter.
“Lily, sweetheart, did Victoria push you?””
Lily nodded.
“Why?””
The girl began twisting the ribbon around her wrist.
“She said I had to go away.””
Nathan's face changed.
“Go away where?””
Lily looked toward Victoria.
Victoria's fingers curled around the bouquet.
“She said you were going to be her daddy now,” Lily whispered.
“And she didn't want me at the wedding.””
Nathan's lips parted.
“Lily…”
“She told me I was ruining everything.””
Victoria shook her head.
“That's not true!””
Lily continued, her voice breaking.
“She said if I told you, you wouldn't believe me.””
Jada felt something tighten in her chest.
She crouched slightly so she could meet Lily's eyes.
“It's okay, sweetheart. You're safe now.””
Nathan turned toward Victoria.
“Did you say those things to her?””
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
“I can't believe you're asking me that.””
“Answer me.””
“She misunderstood!””
“Did you tell my daughter to go away?””
Victoria pressed a hand against her chest.
“Nathan, today is our wedding day. I have spent months trying to build a family with you. And now you're standing here interrogating me because of something a frightened child said?””
Lily buried her face in Nathan's shoulder again.
Jada watched Victoria carefully.
The woman was good.
Very good.
She could change her expression in seconds, turning anger into sorrow and cruelty into wounded innocence.
But Jada had worked in luxury hotels long enough to understand something.
People who were used to getting everything they wanted rarely knew what to do when someone refused.
Victoria was losing control.
And that made her dangerous.
Nathan turned toward the security guards.
“Call the hotel manager. Nobody leaves until we understand what happened.””
Victoria's eyes widened.
“Nathan, you can't be serious.””
“I am.””
“You're humiliating me in front of our guests!””
“My daughter nearly went over a rooftop.””
“And I'm standing here being accused of attempted murder!””
Nathan looked at her sharply.
“Then you should have no problem explaining yourself.””
One of the security guards approached.
“Mr. Sterling, should we contact the police?””
“Yes,” Nathan answered.
Victoria immediately grabbed his arm.
“No!””
The word came out too quickly.
Everyone looked at her.
She released him.
“I mean, why involve the police? Lily is safe. Nobody died. We can handle this privately.””
Jada let out a bitter laugh.
Victoria turned on her.
“You think this is funny?””
“No. I think you're terrified.””
Victoria stepped closer.
“You little nobody. Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?””
Jada didn't move.
“Someone who pushed a child off a rooftop.””
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
“Careful.””
“Or what?””
For a moment, the two women stared at each other.
Then Victoria smiled.
It was a cold, private smile.
“You have no idea what you've just done.””
Jada felt a chill move down her spine.
Before she could answer, Nathan's phone began vibrating.
He glanced at the screen.
“It's the hotel director.””
He answered.
“Marcus, I need you on the rooftop immediately. We have an emergency.””
A man's voice crackled through the speaker.
“Mr. Sterling, I'm already coming. But there's something you need to know.””
Nathan frowned.
“What?””
“The terrace security system has a problem.””
“What kind of problem?””
A pause.
Then Marcus spoke quietly.
“The camera covering the parapet was manually disconnected approximately fifteen minutes before the incident.””
Nathan slowly looked up.
“By whom?””
Marcus hesitated.
“We're checking the access records.””
Victoria's bouquet slipped slightly in her hand.
Jada noticed.
Nathan noticed too.
“Marcus,” he said, “find out who disconnected it.””
“I will.””
“And don't let anyone touch the system.””
“Understood.””
Nathan ended the call.
For the first time since the incident, his anger seemed to have been replaced by something else.
Suspicion.
He looked at Victoria.
“Why would someone disconnect that camera?””
Victoria gave a nervous laugh.
“How should I know? Hotels have technical problems all the time.””
Nathan didn't answer.
Jada looked at the parapet.
The camera housing was mounted high on a nearby pillar.
Its small black lens faced directly toward the spot where Lily had fallen.
She had worked at the Sterling Hotel for eleven months.
She knew those cameras were checked every morning.
They didn't simply stop working without someone noticing.
And if someone had deliberately disabled it, that meant the person knew exactly what was going to happen.
Or had planned for it.
A hotel employee approached Nathan and whispered something.
Nathan's expression darkened.
“What do you mean the access card was used?””
The employee swallowed.
“The system shows that the camera was disabled using an employee access card.””
Nathan looked toward Jada.
Then toward Victoria.
“Whose card?””
The employee hesitated.
“Ms. Sterling's.””
Victoria's face drained of color.
“That is impossible!””
Nathan stared at her.
“Your access card was used to disable the camera.””
“I lost it this afternoon!””
“When?””
Victoria blinked.
“Before the ceremony.””
“Did you report it?””
“No. I thought I'd misplaced it.””
Nathan's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Where did you last see it?””
Victoria's eyes flickered toward Jada.
Then she pointed.
“Her!””
Jada frowned.
“What?””
“She stole it!””
The guests began whispering again.
Victoria moved closer to Nathan.
“She must have taken it while I was getting ready. She's been following me around all day!””
Jada stared at her in disbelief.
“I've never touched your access card.””
“Search her!””
Nathan didn't respond immediately.
Victoria raised her voice.
“Search her bag! If she's innocent, she has nothing to hide!””
One of the guards stepped forward.
Jada's hands tightened.
Her small black handbag was hanging over the back of a nearby service chair.
The guard retrieved it.
He opened the zipper.
Inside were her phone, a wallet, a folded photograph, and a small bottle of hand lotion.
Nothing else.
Then the guard reached into the inner pocket.
He pulled out a white plastic card.
A gold emblem was printed across its surface.
Victoria's access card.
The terrace erupted.
Nathan looked at Jada.
“Explain that.””
Jada stared at the card.
Her stomach dropped.
“I've never seen that before.””
Victoria let out a triumphant breath.
“There! You see?””
Jada shook her head.
“Someone put it there.””
Nathan's expression hardened.
“Who?””
Jada looked around.
The guests. The guards. The hotel staff.
Then her eyes landed on the woman standing behind Victoria.
A young bridesmaid named Caroline.
Caroline had been watching them from the beginning.
And when Jada's eyes met hers, the young woman suddenly looked away.
Jada remembered something.
Twenty minutes earlier, while she had been arranging champagne glasses near the bridal table, Caroline had bumped into her.
She had apologized.
And her hand had briefly touched Jada's handbag.
Jada looked at Nathan.
“Please. Check the cameras near the service corridor. Someone planted that card.””
Victoria laughed.
“Now you're inventing conspiracies?””
Jada pointed toward Caroline.
“Ask her.””
Every head turned.
Caroline's face went pale.
Nathan stepped toward her.
“Caroline. Did you touch Jada's bag?””
The bridesmaid opened her mouth.
No sound came out.
Victoria grabbed her wrist.
“Don't answer that.””
Nathan stared at his fiancée.
“Why are you telling her not to answer?””
Victoria released Caroline.
“I am not.””
Nathan looked back at the bridesmaid.
“Caroline, I asked you a question.””
Caroline began trembling.
Then she whispered five words.
“I didn't put it there.””
Jada exhaled.
But Caroline wasn't finished.
She looked directly at Victoria.
“Victoria told me to…”
Victoria lunged toward her.
May you like
“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!””
And suddenly, the wedding guests understood that the bride might have much more to hide than anyone had imagined.
