Chapter 5 - The Truth Dominic Had Buried
Dominic didn't try to defend himself.
That was what scared me most.
He stood across from me in silence.
I could see the answer in his face before he spoke.
“I didn't kill your father.”
I swallowed.
“But you knew.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me everything.”
He sat down.
“I introduced your father to the investigation.”
I listened.
“Your father came to me because he knew Bellmont was moving money through the port. I gave him documents.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted Bellmont exposed.”
“And then?”
“Your father found something bigger.”
“What?”
“A list.”
“What list?”
“The people receiving the money.”
I stared.
“Who?”
“Politicians. Contractors. Bankers.”
He paused.
“And Derek's father.”
My throat tightened.
“Then why was my father killed?”
“Because someone inside the investigation betrayed him.”
“Who?”
Dominic looked at me.
“An investigator named Paul Reed.”
“Tessa's father?”
“Yes.”
I remembered Tessa.
The gala.
The documents.
Everything connected.
Paul Reed had been blamed for corruption years ago.
He had disappeared.
Dominic continued.
“He sold information about your father's investigation.”
“And Derek knew?”
“We believe his father did.”
“Derek?”
“He knew enough.”
I closed my eyes.
“This still doesn't explain what Derek said.”
“No.”
Dominic's voice was quiet.
“I made one mistake.”
“What?”
“After your father was threatened, he asked me to move evidence to a safe location.”
“And?”
“I trusted the wrong man.”
“Paul.”
“Yes.”
“Your father was followed.”
“Yes.”
“Then you didn't kill him.”
“No.”
“But you helped create the situation.”
Dominic's eyes met mine.
“Yes.”
The honesty stunned me.
I turned away.
For years, I had believed my father's death was something random.
Now I knew it wasn't.
And I knew Dominic carried some part of the guilt.
But guilt wasn't murder.
It wasn't betrayal.
It was a burden.
The difference mattered.
That night, I told Dominic to leave.
He didn't argue.
“You need space.”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“I'll give it to you.”
At the door, he stopped.
“There is one thing you need to know.”
I looked at him.
“Your father asked me to protect you.”
He swallowed.
“I failed him once.”
His eyes darkened.
“I won't fail again.”
Then he left.
Two days later, Derek's custody hearing began.
The courtroom was packed.
Reporters waited outside.
Derek arrived with three lawyers.
Vanessa came separately.
I entered with Natalie.
I was six months pregnant and exhausted.
Derek looked at me across the room.
No emotion.
No shame.
Just calculation.
His attorney described me as unstable.
They submitted edited recordings.
Arguments taken out of context.
Medical records selectively interpreted.
Messages where I said things like, “I can't do this anymore.”
They made despair look like instability.
I sat quietly.
Then Natalie stood.
She introduced the bank records.
The forged signatures.
The secret companies.
The hotel receipts.
The life insurance policy.
The messages with Vanessa.
Then she called Vanessa as a witness.
Derek's face changed.
“Vanessa,” his attorney said, “did Mr. Bennett ever tell you that his marriage was ending?”
“Yes.”
“Did he tell you his wife was emotionally unstable?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ask you to take over responsibility for the child?”
“Yes.”
Derek's attorney smiled.
“Did you believe him?”
“At first.”
“And now?”
Vanessa looked directly at Derek.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I discovered he had been lying to both of us.”
The courtroom became silent.
She handed over the USB.
Messages appeared on the screen.
Derek promising Vanessa my marriage would end.
Derek discussing my inheritance.
Derek instructing her to keep records of every emotional outburst.
Derek writing:
She'll make herself look unstable. Just let her.
My heart broke.
Not because I didn't know who he was.
Because I had loved that man once.
Then the judge asked:
“Mr. Bennett, would you like to respond?”
Derek stood.
He looked at me.
Then he smiled.
“I made mistakes.”
I expected him to deny everything.
Instead, he said something much worse.
“I was trying to protect my unborn child from a dangerous woman.”
My stomach dropped.
He was still trying.
The judge asked:
“From whom?”
Derek pointed at me.
“Her.”
Then the courtroom doors opened.
Everyone turned.
Dominic walked in.
No entourage.
No dramatic entrance.
Just a black suit and a folder in his hand.
Derek went pale.
Dominic approached Natalie.
She took the folder.
Then she walked toward the judge.
“Your Honor, we have newly discovered evidence.”
The judge frowned.
“What evidence?”
Natalie opened the folder.
“An audio recording.”
Derek's face changed.
“No.”
The courtroom went still.
The audio played.
Derek's voice.
Clear.
Cold.
“If Khloe doesn't cooperate, we take the baby after birth.”
Another voice asked:
“What about the wife?”
Derek answered:
“She'll break.”
The recording continued.
“If something happens to her medically, Vanessa can take the child.”
I covered my mouth.
Then came the line that destroyed him.
“Her father made the same mistake. He trusted people.”
The judge stopped the recording.
“Where did this come from?”
Dominic answered.
“Derek's private office.”
Derek stared at him.
“You broke into my office.”
“No.”
Dominic looked at him.
“You forgot your office had cameras.”
The room erupted.
Derek's lawyers began whispering.
The judge ordered a recess.
Outside the courtroom, Derek was taken aside by investigators.
I stood in the hallway.
Dominic approached.
“You okay?”
“No.”
He nodded.
“You don't have to be.”
I looked at him.
“Why did you come?”
“To keep my promise.”
“To my father?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
Then I touched my stomach.
My daughter kicked again.
May you like
For the first time since all this started, I felt something stronger than fear.
Hope.
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