The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when Clara located Marcus Jones, a former security guard from the construction site of Eleanor’s accident. Initially reluctant to talk, Marcus finally agreed to meet Eleanor at Rafael’s office.
- «I wasn’t supposed to be working that day,» Marcus explained nervously. «I switched shifts with another guard. That’s why he came to me afterwards.»
- «‘He’?» Eleanor prompted.
- «Your husband. Two days after your accident, he asked me to delete certain records from the security server.» Marcus couldn’t meet Eleanor’s eyes. «He said it showed you having a private moment, upset and crying, and he wanted to protect your dignity. Offered me five thousand dollars in cash.»
- «Did you delete them?» Rafael asked.
Marcus nodded.
- «But I’m not a complete idiot. I made a copy. Insurance, you know? Never thought I’d need it.»
The footage, saved on an old flash drive Marcus had hidden away, was grainy but clear enough. It showed Victor at the construction site on the morning of Eleanor’s accident, inspecting the temporary platform. The timestamp was 6:42 AM, nearly three hours before Eleanor’s scheduled inspection. Even more damning was a second clip from later that morning. Victor was speaking to the site foreman, gesturing towards the platform, then handing him an envelope. The foreman nodded, pocketed the envelope, and walked away. No work was done on the platform.
Eleanor watched the footage in horrified silence. While it wasn’t definitive proof that Victor had intentionally caused her accident, it clearly showed that he knew the platform was unsafe and did nothing to prevent her from using it.
- «This is moving into potential criminal territory,» Rafael said quietly. «Negligence at a minimum, attempted manslaughter at the most.»
Eleanor felt a strange calm as the last pieces clicked into place.
- «We need copies of everything. Secure copies that Victor can’t access or destroy.»
As they were building their strategy, Eleanor learned from Diane that Victor was planning the annual company gala—traditionally held at a hotel—at their home this year.
- «He says it’s to make it easier for you to attend,» Diane explained, the doubt clear in her voice.
Eleanor immediately understood the opportunity this presented.
- «When is it exactly?»
- «Six weeks from Saturday.»
Victor was deeply involved in the planning. Through careful observation and strategic questions, Eleanor discovered the true purpose of hosting the gala at their home. Victor planned to announce Olivia as his new business partner and publicly introduce her as the mother of his child, effectively launching his new future right in front of Eleanor.
- «That’s breathtakingly cruel,» Martina said when Eleanor shared the discovery. «To humiliate you in your own home, in front of your colleagues and friends.»
Eleanor’s smile was tight.
- «Actually, it’s perfect. He’s setting the exact stage I need.»
With the gala just three weeks away, Eleanor moved into high gear, coordinating with her growing team of allies. Rafael prepared the legal filings, Clara gathered the last pieces of corroborating evidence, and Martina intensified Eleanor’s physical therapy, focusing on the endurance she would need for what was to come.
- «We have to be methodical,» Eleanor insisted during a strategy session at Rafael’s office. «Victor is expecting me to either break down or act impulsively. He’s counting on an emotional reaction he can use to support his narrative about my mental state.»
Rafael nodded in approval.
- «The evidence we’ve gathered is damning, but how we present it will be critical.»
Eleanor reconnected with her twin sister, Elise, from whom she had become distant in recent years—a separation she now recognized as part of Victor’s systematic isolation tactics.
- «He always said you were too busy with your cybersecurity projects to visit,» Eleanor explained during their emotional reunion.
Elise’s face hardened.
- «I tried to visit you dozens of times after your accident. Victor always said you were too tired or in too much pain to see anyone.» She squeezed Eleanor’s hand. «I knew something was wrong when my birthday gifts to you went unanswered. We’ve never missed each other’s birthdays.»
With her background in digital security, Elise proved to be an invaluable asset. She helped Eleanor access Victor’s password-protected files, uncovering a treasure trove of incriminating information: emails discussing the offshore accounts where he had hidden millions in company profits; text threads with Olivia dating back to before Eleanor’s accident; messages with doctors where he instructed them to emphasize Eleanor’s limitations rather than her potential for recovery; research on drugs known to impair cognitive function and cause confusion; and the detailed floor plans for the penthouse being prepared for Olivia—paid for with funds from their charitable foundation.
- «He was stealing from our foundation,» Eleanor said, stunned. The Miller Foundation for Accessible Design was her passion project, funding the installation of ramps, elevators, and other modifications to make public spaces accessible to all.
- «According to these records, he’s diverted over two million dollars in the last year alone,» Elise confirmed, scrolling through the financials. «The money was supposedly for accessibility projects that were never completed.»
The depth of Victor’s betrayal seemed bottomless. Beyond the affair and the medical manipulation, he had perverted Eleanor’s life’s work, using funds meant to help people with disabilities to bankroll his new life with Olivia.
Eleanor insisted on absolute secrecy as they prepared. She continued to take the placebo pills Martina had prepared in place of her real medication, allowing Victor to believe she remained foggy and dependent. She feigned excitement about the upcoming gala, even offering suggestions for the menu and decor.
- «I want everything to be perfect,» she told Victor with carefully calibrated enthusiasm. «It’s been so long since I’ve been part of a company event.»
Victor’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
- «That’s the spirit, Eleanor. It’s important for everyone to see us together, a united front.» The irony was not lost on Eleanor.
Two weeks before the gala, Eleanor met with Camila Vega, an investigative journalist known for her exposés on corporate corruption. Rafael had insisted on the connection, arguing that media exposure would provide an added layer of protection.
- «Once this is public, it will be much harder for Victor to retaliate or twist the narrative,» Rafael had explained.
Camila was immediately drawn to Eleanor’s story.
- «This goes beyond personal betrayal,» she noted, reviewing the evidence. «Foundation fraud, construction site safety violations, potential medical malpractice… this is systemic corruption with real victims.»
- «I want to be very clear,» Eleanor stressed. «This isn’t about revenge. It’s about accountability, and making sure Victor can’t do this to anyone else.»
Camila studied Eleanor carefully.
- «Your composure is remarkable, given what you’ve been through.»
Eleanor’s smile was grim.
- «I’ve had a lot of time to think while sitting in this wheelchair.»
As the gala approached, Eleanor worked with Elise to ensure their technical preparations were flawless. Hidden cameras were strategically placed throughout the main floor of their home. The presentation system Victor planned to use for his announcement was discreetly modified to allow Eleanor to seize control when the time was right.
- «He won’t be able to shut it down remotely,» Elise assured her. «Once you trigger the sequence, it will run to completion, no matter what anyone does.»
Victor remained oblivious, interpreting Eleanor’s increased energy as excitement about re-entering the social scene. If he noticed that she was taking longer trips around the house in her wheelchair, or occasionally standing to reach for something on a shelf, he didn’t comment, perhaps assuming his gaslighting had been so effective that she wouldn’t dare hope for any significant improvement.
The night before the gala, Victor was unusually attentive, bringing Eleanor a cup of her favorite tea as she prepared for bed.
- «Big day tomorrow,» he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. «You excited to see everyone?»
Eleanor accepted the tea, noting the familiar, faint bitterness that indicated he had mixed her medication directly into the drink—something he had started doing recently when he suspected she might be skipping doses.
- «Very excited,» she replied, pretending to sip while actually letting the liquid drain into a potted plant beside her bed, a trick she had perfected over weeks. «It feels like the start of something new.»
Victor’s smile widened.
- «It is. A new chapter.»
If he noticed the double meaning, he gave no sign. As he turned to leave, Eleanor called out to him softly.
- «Victor? Do you remember what you said to me the day you proposed? About why you loved me?»
He paused, thrown by the sentimental question.
- «I said a lot of things that day.»
- «You said you loved my mind. That I was the smartest person you’d ever met.» Eleanor’s smile was soft. «I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.»
