Chapter 2 - The Camera Was Waiting for Him
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Dominic did not explode.
That was what frightened Celeste.
He became quiet.
“Take Lily upstairs.”
His daughter’s nanny, Hannah Reed, immediately approached.
Dominic kissed Lily’s forehead.
“You’re okay, sweetheart.”
Lily reached for his cufflink.
He smiled once.
Then Hannah carried her away.
Dominic turned back toward the nursery.
“Preserve everything.”
His security chief nodded.
No files deleted.
No cameras reset.
No phones touched without consent or legal authority.
Dominic called his attorney before doing anything else.
Celeste laughed.
“Look at you.”
He ignored her.
“What?”
“Trying so hard to behave.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You expected me not to.”
Her smile vanished.
That was answer enough.
The ballroom guests were told there had been a serious incident and that investigators might need their contact information.
Nobody was detained.
Most left quickly.
A few stayed.
Especially the people closest to the Valero family.
Among them was Grant Mercer.
Sixty-eight.
Silver-haired.
Impeccably dressed.
Grant had been Dominic’s late father’s attorney, closest adviser, and trustee of several Valero family holdings for nearly thirty years.
He approached Dominic.
“What happened?”
Dominic watched him carefully.
“Celeste tried to feed Lily dog food.”
Grant’s expression changed.
“My God.”
“She says somebody told her to.”
Grant looked toward Celeste.
“She’s trying to save herself.”
“Maybe.”
Grant lowered his voice.
“Do not make decisions tonight while you’re angry.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“That advice sounds familiar.”
“I gave it to your father too.”
Across the room, technicians disconnected the nursery camera.
Its memory storage was almost empty.
Only one clip remained.
Forty-three seconds.
It began with Dominic entering.
Not Celeste preparing the dog food.
Not her speaking to Lily beforehand.
Just Dominic walking in.
Dominic grabbing her wrist.
Dominic dumping the bowl over her.
Exactly the part that made him look violent.
His attorney, Rachel Bennett, stared at the screen.
“This was edited.”
Grant leaned closer.
“Or the camera activated late.”
Dominic looked at him.
“How did you know it was motion-activated?”
Grant paused.
Only half a second.
But Dominic saw it.
“I assumed.”
Rachel said nothing.
Then security brought Dominic another discovery.
Celeste’s evening bag had been left open near the nursery.
Inside was a second phone.
A cheap prepaid device.
One message remained on the screen.
NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES, KEEP THE CAMERA ON HIM.
No sender name.
Only a number.
Dominic stared at it.
Then another message appeared.
LIVE:
DID HE TOUCH YOU?
Celeste lunged for the phone.
Dominic stepped between them.
Rachel photographed the screen.
Celeste shouted—
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with!”
Dominic turned slowly.
“No.”
His voice was calm.
“But you do.”
Then the burner phone rang.
Everyone froze.
Celeste went pale.
Dominic looked at the number.
Blocked.
Rachel answered on speaker.
Nobody spoke.
A distorted voice whispered—
“Did Valero take the bait?”
Then the call ended.
May you like
👉 Someone outside the nursery had been waiting for Dominic to lose control—and they had just confirmed that the entire scene was planned.
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