The media firestorm that erupted was precisely the kind of spectacle Jessica had craved, though certainly not in the way she had envisioned. By that evening, a fleet of news vans lined our quiet street, and my phone buzzed incessantly with calls from reporters.

“You have to see this,” Ethan said, turning up the volume on the old television in Dad’s study.

Jessica’s arrest was the lead story on every channel. The image of her face, streaked with makeup and contorted in a mask of fury as she was guided into a police car, was a shocking contrast to the designer dress she wore.

“…the investigation into Harrison Industries has already uncovered a complex web of fraud,” the reporter’s voice droned.

“Turn it off,” I said, pressing my fingers to my temples. “I’ve seen enough.”

Just then, Chloe burst through the study door, her phone held aloft like a trophy. “It gets even better! The DA just called me. They executed a search warrant on her apartment and found evidence of offshore accounts, shell corporations… the works. Jessica wasn’t just embezzling from your father; she was at the center of a much larger criminal enterprise.”

“And Mark?” I asked, surprised that a part of me still cared.

“Singing like a canary to save his own skin,” Ethan answered grimly. “Turns out his loyalty has a price, and that price is a reduced sentence.”

A sharp rap on the study door made us all turn. A police detective, his expression apologetic, stepped inside. “Ms. Harrison, I’m sorry to intrude, but we need to discuss some additional materials we’ve uncovered.”

“More?” I motioned for him to take a seat. “What is it now?”

“We found documents in Ms. West’s apartment that indicate this wasn’t her first time running this type of scheme. We believe there are at least three other wealthy families she has targeted in the past, though never on this scale.”

Chloe leaned forward, her lawyer-brain instantly engaged. “Other families?”

“Yes. Her pattern is to insinuate herself into their lives, either through employment or social connections, and then systematically create situations where she can gain access to their assets,” the detective explained, opening a folder. “Does that sound familiar?”

“The secretary position…” I whispered. “It wasn’t a coincidence.”

“No, ma’am, it was not. She specifically targeted your ex-husband because his position gave her a direct line to your father’s company. The affair was just her entry point.”

A wave of nausea washed over me as three years of misplaced guilt and self-blame about the failure of my marriage instantly evaporated.

“There’s something else,” the detective continued gravely. “We found this in her personal safe. It appears to be a detailed projection for what she intended to do after she gained control of the estate.”

He handed me a document that made my blood run cold. It was a handwritten timeline, with detailed notes about arranging “accidents” that could befall me once the property was transferred into her name. There were plans to frame Ethan for financial crimes and even rough sketches of her proposed renovations, which began with the complete demolition of my father’s rose garden.

“She was going to kill me,” I stated, the words feeling foreign and shocking on my tongue.

“She would have never had the opportunity,” Ethan growled, his knuckles white as he gripped the arm of his chair.

The detective nodded. “This evidence significantly elevates the charges against her. When you combine this with the fraud, the bribery, and the conspiracy charges, she is facing a minimum of fifteen to twenty years.”

After he had gone, we sat in a heavy, stunned silence until Chloe’s phone buzzed again. “It’s my contact in the DA’s office,” she said, her eyes wide as she read the text. “Mark just finished his sworn statement. He’s confessed to everything, including providing Jessica with confidential company files long before your father’s death.”

“Did he know?” I had to ask. “About her plans for me?”

“No,” Ethan answered, his eyes scanning the horrifying document on the desk. “According to this, she kept that part of the plan to herself. She probably knew he wouldn’t have the stomach for it.”

A sudden thought crystallized in my mind. “Dad knew. He must have known how dangerous she was. That’s why he did all this.”

Chloe nodded slowly. “He suspected. That’s why he hired the private investigators in the first place, why he was so meticulous about documenting everything. He wasn’t just trying to protect his company, Maddie. He was protecting you.”

I walked to the window, gazing out at the garden, which was now illuminated by the harsh lights of the news crews. The white roses bloomed, oblivious to the destruction their former admirer had been plotting.

“We need to release an official statement,” Ethan suggested. “Control the narrative before Jessica’s lawyers can try to spin this.”

“Already on it,” Chloe said, pulling out her laptop. “A simple, direct statement. We are cooperating fully with the authorities and request privacy for the family during this difficult time. Professional, dignified… everything Jessica is not.”

“Dad would approve,” I said, a small, sad smile touching my lips.

“There’s one more thing,” Ethan said, retrieving an envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket. “I found this in Dad’s personal safe. It’s marked to be opened only after justice is served.”

My hands were shaking again as I opened it, instantly recognizing my father’s script.

My dear Maddie,

If you are reading this, it means the truth has finally been brought into the light. Do not let this ugliness harden your heart. The world still needs beauty. The garden still needs tending, and your life still needs to be lived.

I didn’t set this trap merely for the sake of justice. I did it so that you could finally be free. Free from the doubt she caused, free from the fear she represented, and free to bloom once more.

All my love,

Dad

Outside, the reporters continued their breathless broadcasts, detailing the scandal and the arrests for the world to see. But here, inside the quiet sanctuary of the study, surrounded by the undeniable proof of my father’s love and foresight, I felt a sense of calm I hadn’t known since the day I found Mark and Jessica together.

Peace.

“So,” Ethan said, finally breaking the silence. “What happens now?”

I looked from the roses outside to my brother and my best friend inside.

“Now,” I said, feeling a flicker of strength ignite within me. “We rebuild. Together.”