Chapter 70 Building the Case
The sun rises fully. Six AM. Light streaming through the nursery windows.
Zephyra hasn't moved. Still sitting in the rocking chair. Twins sleeping in her arms.
The decision tears her apart. Meet Gerald. Learn the truth. Risk everything.
Or tell Kairo. Lose the chance. Let Gerald release the video anyway.
She looks at Adrian. Isabella. Their perfect, innocent faces.
What kind of mother walks into a trap? Leaves her babies potentially orphaned?
But what kind of daughter lets her mother's memory be destroyed? Lets lies win?
Seven AM. Kairo wakes. Finds her still in the nursery.
"Zee? You okay?" He's instantly alert. Something's wrong.
She opens her mouth. Closes it. Can't speak.
He kneels beside the chair. Studies her face. "What happened?"
She should tell him. Right now. Show him everything.
But the words won't come. Fear choking her.
"Zee, you're scaring me." His hand on her arm. Gentle. Worried.
The twins stir. Adrian whimpers. Hungry again.
The moment breaks. She stands mechanically. Starts the morning routine.
\---
Eight AM. Kairo takes a call in the hallway. Security update.
Zephyra is alone. Her phone on the dresser. That video. That impossible choice.
She picks it up. Reads the message again.
"Tomorrow afternoon. Come alone."
Today. The meeting is today. Hours away.
She could go. Tell Kairo she's visiting her lawyer. Simple lie.
Drive to the address. Face Gerald. Learn what Verona did.
But she opens the video instead. Watches again.
Verona's voice. "She doesn't suspect?"
Gerald's smile. "Elisa believes everything."
What were they planning? What did they do to her mother?
\---
Nine AM. Kairo returns. Sits beside her. Watching the twins.
"There is something you need to tell me," he says calmly. Not asking. Knowing.
She freezes. "What?"
"You have been terrified since early this morning. You haven't slept. Won't look at me. Something happened."
Her hands shake. He sees everything. Always has.
"I..." She starts. Stops. "Gerald sent something."
"Show me." Firm. Gentle. No judgment.
She shows him the video. Hands trembling.
He watches. Face darkening. Understanding immediately.
Watches it twice. Then sits back. Processing.
"This isn't blackmail material," he says slowly. "This is evidence."
"Of what?" She asks. But she knows.
"Conspiracy. Possibly murder."
Her mother's death. Sudden. Unexpected. Ruled natural causes at forty-two.
But what if it wasn't? What if Gerald and Verona planned it?
\---
"We take this to police," Kairo decides. "Right now."
"But Gerald said—"
"Gerald is manipulating you," he interrupts firmly. "This video proves criminal activity. We're exposing it."
He's right. She knows he's right.
Relief floods through her. The decision made. The burden shared.
"I almost went," she admits. "Almost walked into his trap."
"But you didn't." He pulls her close. "You're stronger than he thinks."
\---
Ten AM. Police station. Emergency meeting with the detective.
Private room. Video shown. Detective watches. Rewinds. Watches again.
"This could be evidence of premeditated murder," he says carefully. "If your mother's death was connected."
"Can you investigate?" Zephyra asks.
"We can pull old records. Interview witnesses. Re-examine circumstances." He's making notes. "Who is Verona? Where is she now?"
"My mother's sister," Zephyra declares.
Her throat constricted. "She is still alive. resides in Connecticut. Since Gerald was sent to prison, we haven't spoken.
" The investigator hesitates. "Does she know we have this video?"
Zephyra gives a headshake. "It has been years since we last had a conversation. After Gerard was arrested,she stopped communicating with him.
Stated that she was unable to participate. Was unable to testify. I assumed she was afraid of him.
The detective asks, "And now?"
"Now I understand," Zephyra responds angrily. "She was protecting herself from being exposed as his accomplice.
" The detective's face becomes stern. "Let's bring her in.”
\---
By afternoon, Kairo has hired private investigators. Elite team. Deep background specialists.
"Dig into Verona's life," he instructs.
They work fast. Thorough. Professional.
First discovery: Regular payments. Gerald's accounts to Verona. Spanning decades.
Starting before he even met Elisa. Monthly transfers. Significant amounts.
"Why would he pay her for twenty-five years?" Zephyra stares at the records.
The investigator pulls up more documents. "Extensive correspondence. Emails. Letters. Years of communication."
Planning. Scheming. Conspiring. All documented.
Then the bombshell.
Documentation showing Verona arranged Gerald's introduction to Elisa.
Charity event. Twenty-five years ago. Where they supposedly met by chance.
"Your mother thought it was fate," the investigator explains.
He shows the evidence. Verona picked the event. Ensured Gerald attended. Positioned Elisa directly in his path.
Orchestrated. Deliberate. Calculated.
"But why?" Zephyra whispers. "Why would our own sister do that?”
"That is why we need to find out” .The investigators said grimly.
Police work fast. Locating Verona. Building the approach.
She's living under her maiden name. Quiet life. Pensacola, not Connecticut—she lied about her location years ago.
No husband. No children. Alone.
Detectives arrive at her door that evening. She opens it. Sees the badges.
Her face goes white. She knows. Immediately. She knows.
"Verona ?" the lead detective says. "We need you to come with us. We have questions about Elisa Hart's death."
"I don't know anything," she says quickly. Too quickly. "That was thirteen years ago. I wasn't involved."
"We have evidence that says otherwise," the detective says. "You can come voluntarily, or we can arrest you. Your choice."
She looks past them. Calculating. Considering running.
"Don't," the detective warns. "We have officers surrounding the property."
Her shoulders slump. Defeated. "Let me get my coat."
\---
Interrogation room. Hours later. Zephyra watches through one-way glass.
Verona sits perfectly composed. Hands folded. Face neutral.
"I don't know what Gerald told you," Verona says calmly. "But he's a liar. Always has been."
"We have video," the detective says. Shows her the footage.
Verona watches. Her face doesn't change. But her hands clench.
"That's out of context," she says. "Edited. Manipulated."
"We have financial records," the detective continues. "Twenty-five years of payments from Gerald to you."
"He owed me money," Verona says. "Business dealings."
"We have emails," the detective presses. "Documentation that you arranged his meeting with Elisa."
"I introduced them," Verona admits. "Friends introduce friends. That's not a crime."
The detective leans forward. "Then why did you cut off all contact after his arrest? Why disappear? Why lie about where you live?"
Verona's composure cracks. Just slightly. "I was scared. Of him. Of being associated."
"Scared?" the detective asks. "Or guilty?"
"I didn't do anything wrong," Verona insists. But her voice wavers.
The detective plays the video again.
"She doesn't suspect?"
"Elisa believes everything I tell her."
"And when do we—"
Verona's face twists. Emotion breaking through.
"You don't understand!" she bursts out. "I loved Elisa! Everything I did was for her!"
The room goes silent. She realizes what she said. Too late.
The detective presses. "Then why did you give her to a monster?"
Verona's face crumbles. Years of guilt. All collapsing.
"Because she made a poor decision!" Verona yells. "She was supposed to love me!"
As Zephyra stares in fear through the glass and the detective signals for recording equipment, Verona breaks down in tears, revealing a heartbreaking truth: Verona's obsessive love devastated everyone she claimed to care about, and now the entire scheme is about to come to light.