Chapter 3 - The Ghost of Helena Vance
The Vance penthouse downtown was a minimalist masterpiece of glass, steel, and white marble, overlooking the glittering skyline of the city. It was a place Ethan rarely used, preferring the sprawling history of the family estate. To Sophie, it felt like a luxurious fortress—isolated, cold, and entirely secure.
By midnight, Leo was fast asleep in a temporary crib that Marcus had managed to source from an upscale 24-hour concierge service. Sophie stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the guest bedroom, watching the tiny red lights of airplanes crossing the night sky. She had changed into a pair of oversized sweatpants and a t-shirt that Ethan’s housekeeper had left in the guest suite closets.
A soft knock on the door broke her trance.
"Come in," she said quietly.
Ethan entered carrying two mugs. The scent of chamomile tea drifted into the room. He handed one to her, his fingers brushing against hers. Sophie felt a strange, electric jolt at the contact, a feeling she immediately tried to suppress. He was her employer. He was a grieving billionaire. And she was just the nanny who had been caught in the crossfire of his family's madness.
"Thank you," she said, taking a sip.
Ethan walked over to the crib, looking down at his sleeping son. A soft, rare smile touched his lips. "He sleeps so soundly when you're around. With Helena... he cried constantly. She didn't have the patience for it. The postpartum depression hit her hard, and she... she detached herself very early on."
It was the first time Ethan had ever spoken so candidly about his late wife. Sophie remained quiet, sensing that any interruption would break the spell.
"Victoria used that detachment to her advantage," Ethan continued, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "She practically raised Helena. She controlled her. When Helena married me, Victoria thought she was getting a backdoor pass into the Vance Board of Directors. But I kept her out. I knew what she was."
"Is that why she hates me?" Sophie asked softly. "Because I'm the one taking care of Leo instead of her?"
"Partially," Ethan said, turning around to face her. He leaned against the railing of the balcony doors, crossing his arms. "But there’s more to it, Sophie. The day Helena died... she didn't just go for a drive because of the storm. She was running away. And she was running away with a set of encrypted files from my personal server."
Sophie gasped, nearly spilling her tea. "Files? What kind of files?"
"Files that detailed a massive embezzlement scheme within the Vance charity foundations—foundations that Victoria manages," Ethan revealed, his eyes locking onto hers with absolute transparency. "Helena found out her sister was using the charity to launder money. She panicked, took the data, and left. She died before she could bring it to the authorities. And Victoria believes... Victoria thinks Helena gave the backup drive to you before she got into that car."
The room seemed to spin. Sophie shook her head vigorously. "No! No, that's impossible! The day Helena died, I was with Leo in the nursery. She came in, kissed his forehead, and left. She didn't give me anything! She barely even spoke to me!"
"I believe you," Ethan said, stepping closer, his presence commanding and protective. "But Victoria doesn't. She thinks you’re playing a long game. She thinks you’re holding onto that drive to blackmail her, or that you're waiting for the right moment to destroy her. That's why she staged that horrific scene tonight. It wasn't just to humiliate you. It was an interrogation technique. She wanted to break you until you confessed where the drive was."
Sophie felt a cold dread settle deep into her bones. She wasn't just a nanny caught in a domestic dispute. She was a liability in a multi-million dollar corporate crime web.
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"What are we going to do?" Sophie whispered, feeling tears threaten to spill again. "She won't stop, will she?"
"No," Ethan said, his face hardening into an expression of absolute resolve. "She won't. Which is why we have to find that drive before she does. Because if Victoria finds it first, she will make sure both of us—and anyone associated with it—disappear forever."
