ANMELDENAlex arrived at nine-fifty-eight, two minutes early.His lawyer was beside him, both of them wearing dark jackets. Alex walked in calmly, taking in the building before they were shown inside. It was plain and quiet, more like an office than a police station, with a separate entrance and no public reception area.DS Farida Cole met them in the corridor and led them to the interview room without saying much.The room had cameras and an audio recorder. Before they sat down, DS Cole explained that the interview would be recorded and pointed out the visible camera.Alex gave a small nod. He was used to formal meetings, but this was different.He sat across from DS Cole and another investigator, DC Osei. His lawyer took the seat beside him, a notepad in front of him.DS Cole started the recording and stated the date, time, and names of everyone in the room."Mr. Seneca,” DS Cole said, “you’ve been told that this interview is being conducted under caution. You don’t have to answer any questi
On Wednesday Evelyn arrived at the investigators’ office at nine that morning with her lawyer and a folder she had spent the last four days preparing.The folder stayed closed for most of the interview.The lead investigator, DS Farida Cole, started with the hotel lobby meeting. She went straight to the details. The date, the location, who had been there, and what had been discussed.Evelyn confirmed the date and location. She confirmed that she had been there too, but said she had attended in an advisory role.DS Cole glanced down at her notes, then looked back at Evelyn.“Ms. Dunmore-Seneca, Angela Reeves has told us that instructions on how to approach the journalist were given during that meeting. She described what the journalist was supposed to be told, what material was to be provided, and how it was going to be spread afterward.”DS Cole placed the page on the table.“Were you there when those instructions were given?”Evelyn’s lawyer put a hand on the table, ready to step in.
The financial records came in Monday morning, just after eleven.Dr. Ajayi called Bella before she even had a chance to see the notification.“The law firm sent everything over,” he said. “The records cover eighteen months of transactions through the company they used to move the money. And the payment to Angela is there. Three separate transfers. The amounts match what she told investigators, and the dates line up too.”He paused.“But there’s more. Two other payments were made around the same time, to two different recipients. Investigators are looking into those now.”Bella was sitting at her desk. She put her pen down.“What kind of recipients?”“One looks like a PR consultancy, but it barely has a public presence. The other one hasn’t been identified yet.”Bella frowned. “So this wasn’t just about Angela?”“That’s what investigators are trying to establish.” Dr. Ajayi kept his voice calm. “The records suggest that the company may have been used for more than one operation. They’r
Dr. Ajayi called at eight-thirty Thursday morning.Bella was in the kitchen when her phone rang. Julian had handed her his toy car a few minutes earlier and asked her to keep it safe, then immediately forgot he'd given it to her. She had just put it down on the counter when she saw Dr. Ajayi's name on the screen."The company they used has been traced," Dr. Ajayi said. "It was set up fourteen months ago through a law firm that's handled your family's finances for years. The account that paid Angela is connected directly to it."Bella put the car on the counter. "How strong is the connection?""Strong enough for the investigators to take it seriously. The money can be traced from a company connected to your father to the person who coordinated the campaign against you." He paused. "They've also asked that law firm for more financial records and they've given them forty-eight hours to provide them.""And if they delay?""Then the investigators can go to court and get the records themsel
Angela's lawyer sent the message at seven-forty Wednesday morning, just twenty minutes before Priya's article was due to go live.It was sent to Dr. Ajayi, who forwarded it to Bella within minutes. The message was only three paragraphs long, but the meaning was clear. Angela was willing to tell them exactly what instructions she had received, who had directed and funded the campaign against Bella, and what communications she'd had with them.In return, she wanted consideration for her own legal situation if the matter went to court.She wasn't admitting guilt. She was making a deal.Bella read the message at the kitchen counter, and a chill ran through her. It wasn't satisfaction, and it wasn't surprise either. It was the realization that Angela was already trying to save herself."She's been watching everything that's happening," Carlos said. "She knows the investigation is getting closer, and she's probably realized that waiting until she's named publicly would leave her with fewer
Priya sent the final draft at eight-fifteen on Wednesday morning.Bella sat at the kitchen counter with Carlos across from her. They both read through their copies at the same time.The article was longer than the first one, about four thousand words. It went through how the original story about Bella had been spread, who helped push it, and how Angela had been involved in the middle of it all.The communications consultant had agreed to be named in the article. Their account was detailed. They described the meeting, the money they were offered, the material they were given to spread, and how Angela Reeves was the person they worked with.Priya had also checked their account against what happened during the first two hours after the original story was published. The timing matched.The evidence was all there, and it was hard to explain away."She used her own name," Bella said, staring at the page. She still couldn't believe Angela had been that careless."She thought she was protecte
Bella sat on the edge of her bed, her mind racing.She didn’t stay long enough to reflect. She pushed herself up almost immediately, pacing a few steps before stopping again. Her fingers drummed against her thigh, restless, as she tried to think of something, anything that could help her.She pulle
Bella remained in the study, still standing there long after the door had closed.She couldn’t believe what her father had just said. The words kept replaying in her mind. Her chest felt tight, like the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving something heavy and suffocating behind.Evelyn was
Bella sat on the edge of the bed, knees drawn up, with her arms wrapped tight around herself like she could hold the pieces together.The suite was too quiet now. No sounds but the faint hum of the city far below the windows and the echo of Lorenzo’s last words looping in her head.She stared at t
Bella’s fists clenched under the tablecloth until her nails bit into her palms. The room buzzed with a family gathering, lights glittering off crystal glasses and gold-rimmed plates, but the air felt suffocating. Alex Seneca, her father, the man who commanded boardrooms and headlines, leaned back







