Chapter 7: What Renata Knew
Renata Sousa had worked for Marcus Thorne for six years.
She arrived at the hospital at seven the next morning, summoned by a message that said only: *Come to room 412.
Bring nothing.* She was thirty-one, efficient, and had always prided herself on her discretion.
She knocked on the door and stepped in expecting a briefing.
She found Marcus seated beside Khloe's bed.
Daniel Reeves stood near the window.
A woman she didn't recognize sat in the corner with a notepad.
"Sit down, Renata," Marcus said.
She sat.
"How long have you been sharing my schedule with Isabella Rossi?"
Renata's hands went to her lap.
"I don't know what —"
"Don't." His voice was quiet.
"I've already pulled the message history from the company server.
Fourteen months of calendar information, travel details, event confirmations.
All sent from your personal email to an account registered to a shell company that traces back to Isabella's family office." He looked at her steadily.
"I'm not asking if you did it.
I'm asking how long."
Renata stared at the floor.
"Fourteen months," she said.
Khloe closed her eyes briefly.
"Why?" Marcus asked.
"She approached me at a company event.
She said —" Renata stopped.
"She said she was concerned about you.
That Khloe was isolating you from people who cared about you.
That she just wanted to make sure you were protected." She looked up.
"She was very convincing."
"She paid you," Daniel said.
"Yes."
"How much?"
Renata named the figure.
It was not a large amount.
Not for what she had given away.
The woman in the corner wrote something on her notepad.
"Who is she?" Renata asked.
"Detective Cara Walsh," Daniel said.
"She's been here since six this morning."
Renata looked at the detective.
Then back at Marcus.
"Am I under arrest?"
"That depends on what you do next," Detective Walsh said from the corner.
She didn't look up from her notepad.
"Right now, you're a witness.
Whether that changes is partly up to you."
Renata pressed her hands together.
"What do you need?"
"Everything," Daniel said.
"Every message.
Every instruction she gave you.
Every time she asked for something beyond the calendar.
Every name she mentioned."
"She asked about the baby once," Renata said.
Her voice dropped.
"About the due date.
The hospital Khloe had chosen.
The suite booking." She looked at Khloe.
"I told her.
I didn't think —" She stopped.
"I told her."
The room was very quiet.
"She chose that hospital," Khloe said.
"She chose that suite.
She knew exactly where the cameras were and where they weren't because I told Renata which suite we'd booked."
Renata's face had gone pale.
"I'm sorry.
I didn't know she was going to —"
"No," Khloe said.
"You didn't know.
But you made it possible."
Renata nodded.
She didn't argue.
"I'll give you everything," she said.
"Every message.
Every transfer record.
All of it."
Detective Walsh stood.
"I'll need that today."
"You'll have it within the hour."
Walsh looked at Daniel, then at Marcus.
"This changes the charge profile significantly.
What she did last night wasn't impulsive.
The premeditation element is now well supported." She closed her notepad.
"I'll be in touch."
She left.
Marcus looked at Renata for a long moment.
"You're terminated," he said.
"HR will process the paperwork today.
Security will escort you out of the building when you return to collect your things."
Renata stood.
She didn't protest.
She walked to the door.
She paused with her hand on the frame.
"For what it's worth," she said without turning around, "I never thought she'd actually hurt anyone."
No one answered.
The door closed behind her.
Khloe looked at the ceiling.
The monitor beeped steadily.
"She knew which suite," she said.
"She knew the layout.
She knew the cameras."
"Yes," Marcus said.
"This was never about losing control in the moment." Khloe turned to look at him.
"She came there to end the pregnancy."
May you like
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"Then we make sure," he said, "that every person who needs to understand that — understands it."
