Chapter 6 - The Second WomanDetective Ortiz began investigating Vanessa’s life beyond Alexander.
That was exactly why people believed it.
She told police that after leaving the hospital, a black SUV followed her.
Two masked men forced her vehicle off the road.
They kidnapped her.
Blindfolded her.
Threatened her.
Demanded that she withdraw her accusations against Claire.
One attacker allegedly said:
“Mr. Holloway wants this finished.”
Vanessa claimed she escaped from a warehouse after cutting her restraints against a broken pipe.
She wandered for hours before reaching help.
Her wrists were bruised.
Her dress was torn.
Blood covered one sleeve.
Television networks began calling her a survivor before detectives finished the interview.
Claire watched the coverage from her hospital bed.
“It’s fake.”
Alexander stood beside the window.
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I’m learning not to underestimate her.”
The blood on Vanessa’s clothing turned out to be hers.
The bruises were real.
The cuts were real.
She had made sure of that.
But Detective Ortiz noticed inconsistencies.
Vanessa couldn’t identify the warehouse.
She couldn’t explain how she crossed more than forty miles without anyone seeing her.
Security cameras at several intersections showed no black SUV following her car.
And the blood inside the abandoned vehicle came from a shallow cut on Vanessa’s palm.
Still, none of that cleared Alexander publicly.
The board of Holloway Dynamics called an emergency meeting.
Shareholders were nervous.
Three major partners postponed negotiations.
Alexander’s mother urged him to temporarily step down.
He refused.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“This isn’t about guilt,” Eleanor Holloway said over the phone. “It’s about stability.”
“My wife was assaulted.”
“And I care about Claire.”
“Then stop asking me to protect a stock price while somebody is trying to destroy her.”
Eleanor went silent.
Alexander ended the call.
Claire watched him.
“Your mother hates conflict.”
“She hates losing control.”
“She doesn’t believe me.”
Alexander turned.
“She will.”
Claire wished she shared his certainty.
Vanessa gave her first televised interview two days later.
She wore cream.
Minimal makeup.
No jewelry.
Bandages covered both wrists.
Her voice trembled perfectly.
She never directly accused Alexander of ordering her kidnapping.
Instead, she repeatedly said she wanted to “believe the best.”
The interviewer asked about Claire.
Vanessa paused.
Then cried.
“I don’t want to hurt a pregnant woman.”
Claire nearly threw the remote through the television.
Alexander took it from her.
“Your blood pressure.”
“She kicked me!”
“I’m aware.”
“And she’s pretending to protect me.”
“Claire.”
“This woman makes me want to commit crimes.”
Alexander almost smiled.
Claire glared at him.
“Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Only because I’m glad you’re angry.”
“Why?”
“Because yesterday you were scared.”
Claire’s anger disappeared.
Alexander sat beside her.
“We will beat this.”
“How?”
He held up his phone.
“The hidden camera.”
Claire stared.
“Forensics recovered part of the video.”
Her heart jumped.
“How much?”
“Seven minutes.”
“Does it show the attack?”
Alexander’s silence answered.
The recovered portion stopped thirty seconds before the kick.
Claire closed her eyes.
“Of course.”
“But it shows Vanessa placing the jammer.”
That mattered.
It proved planning.
It contradicted Vanessa’s claim that she had entered only to check on Claire.
Police prepared a warrant.
Before they could execute it, someone leaked the existence of the video.
Vanessa’s legal team responded immediately.
They claimed Vanessa carried the jammer because she feared being secretly recorded by obsessed fans.
Absurd.
Yet legally possible.
Then Vanessa turned the leak into another weapon.
She sued St. Augustine for illegally recording her.
Suddenly, the hospital became defensive.
Its lawyers refused to release anything publicly.
Alexander’s team fought them.
Vanessa’s team fought them harder.
Meanwhile, Claire finally went home.
Alexander transformed the penthouse into a fortress.
Private nurses.
Security outside every elevator.
No unscreened deliveries.
No visitors without approval.
Claire hated it.
She stood by the nursery window one evening looking at the half-finished crib.
“I feel like a prisoner.”
Alexander wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Temporary.”
“You’ve said that for four days.”
“I know.”
“Our daughter is going to think we live in a military bunker.”
“She’s a Holloway. She’ll assume this is normal.”
Claire laughed softly.
Then she felt the baby kick.
Alexander placed his hand against her belly.
“There.”
His entire face changed.
Claire loved that.
For a few seconds, Vanessa didn’t exist.
Then the apartment intercom rang.
Security had intercepted a package.
No sender.
Addressed to Claire.
Police opened it.
Inside was a baby blanket.
White cotton.
Hand embroidered.
And a photograph.
Claire holding her newborn daughter.
Except the photograph was fake.
Digitally manipulated.
Across the image, written in red ink, were five words.
You won’t bring her home.
Alexander’s face became stone.
Detective Ortiz ordered the building locked down.
The package contained no usable fingerprints.
But the postage stamp came from Connecticut.
The same town where Vanessa had reappeared.
For the first time, Ortiz said what everyone had been thinking.
“This isn’t reputation warfare anymore.”
Claire looked at her.
“What is it?”
May you like
Ortiz answered quietly.
“Someone is preparing for your baby.”
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