PART 3 — The Truth Beneath the Gold
Daniel signaled for security.
"Nobody leaves."
The ballroom doors locked.
Victoria's expression hardened.
"You can't seriously believe a maid over your own wife."
Daniel didn't answer.
Instead, he handed the cufflinks to the hotel's head of security.
"Check them."
Victoria stepped forward.
"That's unnecessary."
"It won't take long," Daniel replied.
Within minutes, the hotel's emergency medical team arrived with portable forensic equipment used for VIP security screenings.
One technician examined the cufflinks under magnification.
His face changed instantly.
"Sir..."
"There's a concealed spring-loaded needle."
Gasps echoed across the ballroom.
The technician carefully collected a microscopic sample.
A rapid chemical test revealed traces of an extremely toxic substance.
The room fell silent.
Daniel stared at Victoria.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Why?"
Victoria laughed.
Not nervously.
Coldly.
"You built everything."
"I only stood beside you."
"I was tired of waiting."
She looked around the ballroom.
"Do you know what it's like to smile for cameras while someone else controls your future?"
Her confession stunned every guest.
She hadn't expected the poison to be discovered.
But once it was...
She no longer cared.
She admitted hiring two men to design the weapon and disguise the murder as natural causes.
Judge Hayes quietly called federal investigators.
The two accomplices were arrested before they could leave the hotel.
Victoria stood motionless as officers placed her in handcuffs.
She looked directly at Emily.
"You ruined everything."
Emily answered softly.
May you like
"No."
"You did."
