1.The little maid’s daughter saw what the billionaire’s fiancée did at the top of the stairs

By Monday morning, Rosa and Lily were safely ensconced in a high-security penthouse suite in Manhattan, paid for by Nathaniel’s private accounts. Back at the Greenwich estate, Vivien was furious to find Rosa’s quarters empty.

"She just left?" Vivien raged, pacing the length of Nathaniel’s study while he sat behind his desk, pretending to read legal briefs. "Without notice? She took her brat and just vanished? That is completely unacceptable, Nathaniel! She had access to the entire house. She could have stolen things!"

"I had security check her room, Vivien," Nathaniel said smoothly, not looking up from his papers. "Nothing is missing. Apparently, her mother in San Antonio fell ill, and she panicked and caught a flight out. Housekeepers are replaceable. Don't waste your energy on her."

Vivien narrowed her eyes, trying to gauge if he was lying. But Nathaniel’s face was an unreadable mask of corporate indifference. She let out a controlled breath, smoothing her designer skirt. "I suppose you're right. It’s just... the timing is stressful."

"Speaking of timing," Nathaniel said, closing the folder on his desk. "Marcus finished the legal review for our expedited wedding. We can sign the marriage certificate tomorrow afternoon, right before the board meeting. We’ll hold the public ceremony later, but tomorrow, you will officially be my wife."

Vivien’s heart soared with triumphant malice. It worked. The old woman was rotting in a hospital bed, the maid had fled out of fear, and Nathaniel was walking right into her trap. "Oh, Nathaniel! That’s wonderful. I'll call the boutique to have my white dress delivered today."

"Do that," Nathaniel said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion.

The moment Vivien left the room to make her call, Nathaniel’s private phone buzzed. It was Marcus.

"Nathaniel, I found it," Marcus said, his voice tight with urgency. "The forensic audit on Vivien Cole is a nightmare. Her family doesn't just have debt; they are entirely bankrupt. But it gets worse. Three weeks ago, a shell corporation registered in the Cayman Islands deposited two million dollars into a secret account in her name. I traced the shell corporation. It’s owned by Arthur Pendelton."

Nathaniel’s jaw clenched. Arthur Pendelton was the rogue board member who had been championing the merger with Apex Holdings.

"So it’s a corporate hit," Nathaniel said, his voice dropping into a dangerous register. "Pendelton paid her to infiltrate my life, secure the voting shares, and help force the merger."

"Exactly," Marcus said. "The push on the stairs wasn't just a sudden impulse, Nathaniel. Margaret had discovered the connection. She was going to expose Vivien to you on Tuesday night. Vivien found out and tried to kill her before she could speak."

"We have the financial trail, and we have Lily's testimony," Nathaniel said, calculating the final moves of the chess game. "But we need one more thing. We need Vivien to confess on record. She’s too smart to do it under normal circumstances. We have to break her psychologically."