The Barefoot Girl Saw the Loose Bolt on the Billionaire's Brace—and Saved His Life

The Second Trap

Victor carried me into the great hall, his guards dragging Derek through a side door. The maids whispered, and my mother—her face pale with fear—rushed toward me, but Victor waved her back.

"She stays with me," he said, his voice firm. "No one touches her."

He set me down on a leather chair, then knelt before me, his brace creaking. "Clara, you said the men in black cars. How many?"

"Three," I whispered. "They parked behind the olive grove. Derek talked to them on his phone last night, near the fountain."

Victor's jaw tightened. He pulled out his own phone, tapped a few buttons, and spoke to someone on the other end. "Secure the perimeter. No one leaves. And check the garage for any black sedans."

Then he looked at me again, his eyes searching. "Clara, why were you watching Derek?"

I hesitated. My mother had told me never to speak of what I saw. But Victor's voice was kind, and his eyes were honest. "I saw him drop the shiny part," I said. "And I saw him smile when you walked to the stairs. It was a bad smile."

Victor's phone buzzed. He read the message, and his face darkened. "They found the black cars," he said. "And they found something else—a computer in Derek's room, with a schedule of your mother's shifts."

My heart stopped. "My mother?"

Victor looked at me, and for the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. "Clara, did your mother ever talk to Derek?"

I shook my head. "No. She avoids him. She says he's dangerous."

Victor stood, his brace clicking. "Then why does his computer have her photo, her schedule, and a transfer order for a large sum of money to an offshore account?"

The room spun. My mother was crying now, held by two guards. I ran to her, but Victor stopped me with a gentle hand.

"It's a frame," he said, his voice low. "Derek knew you'd be near the platform. He planned to make it look like your mother was part of it, so I'd turn against both of you."

I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face. "But why? Why would he do that?"

Victor's eyes went cold. "Because I changed my will last week. I left everything to a foundation—not to him. He wanted to make sure I died before the papers were signed."

He knelt again, taking my hands. "Clara, you didn't just save my life. You saved your mother's future. But we're not done yet. Derek had help—someone inside this house."

I looked around the hall, at the maids, the guards, the butler. Someone was watching, I could feel it. A shadow moved behind the curtain, and then it was gone.

Victor saw it too. He pressed a button on his phone. "Lock down the house," he said. "No one leaves until we find the traitor."

But the traitor was already moving, and the next trap was already set.