Chapter 4: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
The doctor came out of Camilla's room with his gloves still on.
Andre stood so quickly that his chair scraped across the hospital floor.
"What's happening to my wife?""
"Mr. Mitchell, your wife's condition has changed. We're treating a sudden deterioration, and we need to continue monitoring her closely.""
Andre gripped the back of the chair.
"Is the baby alive?""
"We're assessing the pregnancy now. I don't want to give you information before we can confirm it.""
"Please don't talk to me like I'm a stranger."" Andre's voice broke.
"That's my wife in there. That's my child.""
The doctor's expression softened.
"I understand. We're doing everything we can.""
Then he turned and disappeared through the doors.
Andre stood frozen beneath the fluorescent lights. Through the narrow window, he could see nurses moving around Camilla's bed. One adjusted a monitor while another checked equipment near the head of the bed.
He wanted to rush inside.
He wanted to demand answers.
Instead, he forced himself to remain where the staff had asked him to stand.
His phone rang again.
Detective Harris.
"Mr. Mitchell, can you speak privately?""
"Not now. My wife is fighting for her life.""
"I understand, but we've discovered something important. It concerns the trust amendment and a second document we found inside Ms. Valeria's handbag.""
Andre closed his eyes.
"What second document?""
"A notarized medical authorization. It names Ms. Valeria as your wife's preferred representative if she becomes unable to make decisions for herself.""
Andre stared at the floor.
"Camilla never gave her that authority.""
"That may be true, but we need to establish whether the document is authentic. There's a signature on it that appears to belong to your wife.""
"She's pregnant. She's been seeing her obstetrician regularly. Why would she suddenly appoint Valeria?""
"I can't answer that yet.""
Andre's jaw tightened.
"Detective, somebody may have poisoned my wife, and now you're telling me the woman who was standing over her has paperwork designed to take control of her affairs.""
"We are investigating the circumstances surrounding her collapse. The documents are relevant, but we haven't established that Ms. Valeria committed a crime.""
Andre looked through the glass again.
"Then what have you established?""
"That Ms. Valeria attempted to leave before officers arrived. That she made statements we need to clarify. And that we recovered a sealed glass vial from the foyer, which has been submitted for examination.""
Andre swallowed.
"Keep her there.""
"We're working within the law, Mr. Mitchell.""
The call ended.
He lowered his phone and found Zoe sitting in the waiting area with a paper cup of water in both hands. A hospital volunteer had brought her a small stuffed rabbit, but she wasn't playing with it.
"Where's Mommy?"" she asked.
"She's with the doctors.""
"Is she still sleeping?""
Andre sat beside her.
"Yes, sweetheart.""
Zoe looked at the rabbit.
"When Mommy sleeps at home, she always moves her hand when I kiss it.""
Andre felt his throat tighten.
"Would you like to draw her a picture?""
Zoe shook her head.
"I want to tell her something.""
"What is it?""
She leaned closer.
"I heard Auntie Valeria talking to someone on the phone last night.""
Andre went still.
"What did she say?""
Zoe looked toward the corridor, as if Valeria might suddenly appear.
"She said, 'After tomorrow, everything will belong to me.''"
Andre felt a cold sensation spread through his chest.
"Did she say anything else?""
"She said Mommy didn't understand what was happening.""
Zoe's little fingers tightened around the stuffed rabbit.
"Then Mommy came downstairs and asked Auntie Valeria why she had been in your office.""
Andre stopped breathing for a moment.
His office.
The room contained the family's financial records, the documents for the trust, and a locked cabinet where he kept contracts related to his company.
"What happened then?""
"They stopped talking when they saw me.""
Andre crouched in front of her.
"Zoe, did you see Auntie Valeria take anything from my office?""
Zoe nodded slowly.
"She had a blue envelope.""
The same blue envelope.
Andre stood and called Marcus.
"I need you to tell me everything Camilla said before she came to you.""
"Andre, I'm at the hospital entrance. Give me a minute.""
Marcus appeared less than five minutes later, carrying a leather briefcase. He was a tall man in his forties with close-cropped hair and a habit of pressing his lips together whenever he was worried.
He greeted Zoe, then led Andre to a quieter section of the corridor.
"Camilla contacted me eleven days ago," Marcus said.
"She was concerned about discrepancies in the family trust.""
"What kind of discrepancies?""
"Payments authorized in your name. Changes to beneficiary information. Transfers that appeared to have been approved by you but didn't match your usual procedures.""
Andre rubbed his face.
"How much money?""
"I haven't completed the audit.""
"Marcus.""
"Approximately eight hundred thousand dollars in transfers require investigation.""
Andre stared at him.
"Eight hundred thousand?""
"Some may be legitimate business transactions. Some may be misclassified. I won't call them theft until the records support that conclusion.""
Andre took a slow breath.
"Did Camilla know who was responsible?""
"She suspected someone had access to your digital signature and private documents. She wanted to identify the source before making an accusation.""
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"She said she needed to be certain. She also told me she feared someone would destroy the evidence if the wrong person learned about the investigation.""
Andre thought about the blue envelope.
Then he remembered something that made his stomach turn.
Six months earlier, he had given Valeria temporary access to several business accounts while she helped organize a charitable foundation Camilla had established for disadvantaged children.
He had trusted her.
He had introduced her to his accountant.
He had given her the access codes himself.
"She had access to my office," he whispered.
Marcus nodded grimly.
"That could be relevant.""
Before Andre could respond, a nurse approached them.
"Mr. Mitchell? The doctor can speak with you now.""
He followed her immediately.
The doctor waited beside Camilla's bed, holding a chart.
"Your wife's condition has stabilized enough for us to discuss the initial findings," he said.
"She's still unconscious, but her vital signs have improved.""
Andre gripped the bedrail.
"And the baby?""
"We've detected fetal cardiac activity. We're continuing to monitor the pregnancy, but that's encouraging news.""
Andre's knees nearly gave way.
He bowed his head, pressing his fingers against his eyes.
"Thank you.""
"There's still a great deal we need to understand about what happened. We're conducting additional tests, and we'll work with the appropriate specialists.""
Andre moved beside Camilla.
Her face looked peaceful beneath the hospital lights, but the medical equipment surrounding her reminded him how fragile the situation remained.
He took her hand.
"The baby's still here, sweetheart," he whispered.
"We're both waiting for you.""
For the first time since the penthouse, he allowed himself to breathe.
Then he noticed a faint movement beneath Camilla's fingers.
He leaned forward.
"Camilla?""
Her eyelids fluttered.
The monitor continued its steady rhythm.
"Baby, can you hear me?""
Her lips parted slightly beneath the oxygen support.
Andre bent closer.
"Don't try to talk. Just squeeze my hand if you can hear me.""
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then her fingers pressed weakly against his palm.
Andre's eyes filled with tears.
"That's it. I'm here.""
Camilla's eyes opened a fraction. Her gaze drifted across the room before finding his face.
She looked confused.
Then frightened.
"Andre," she whispered.
"I'm here, sweetheart.""
Her breathing quickened.
Andre stroked her hand.
"You're in the hospital. The doctors are helping you. Zoe is safe.""
Camilla tried to raise her head, but the nurse gently asked her to remain still.
"Don't move yet," Andre said.
"You're safe.""
Camilla's eyes widened.
"No.""
He leaned closer.
"What is it?""
Her fingers clamped around his hand with surprising strength.
"The envelope," she whispered.
Andre's heart began pounding again.
"What envelope, baby?""
Camilla struggled to form the next words.
"The blue one.""
"I know about it. The police have a document from Valeria's bag.""
Camilla shook her head weakly.
"No. Not that one.""
Andre felt the room tilt around him.
"Where is it?""
Camilla's eyes filled with tears.
"Your office.""
Then she looked toward the door.
Her voice fell to a frightened whisper.
"Andre, she knows you have the original.""
A nurse stepped closer as Camilla's breathing became uneven.
"Mrs. Mitchell, please try to relax.""
Andre held his wife's hand.
"Who knows? Valeria?""
Camilla tried to answer.
But before she could finish, her eyes closed again, and the monitor beside her bed began sounding an alarm.
The nurse called for the doctor.
Andre stepped back as the medical team moved in.
He watched them surround Camilla, helpless once more.
May you like
And all he could think about was the one question he had failed to ask.
What was in the original blue envelope that made Valeria willing to risk everything to get it?
