Chapter 10: The Last Thing She Tried
Vanessa made her move on a Wednesday.
Daniel was in a meeting when his phone lit up with a message from James: *She's filed.
Contesting the annulment.
Her solicitor is citing emotional distress and claiming the marriage was entered in good faith.
She's also sent a copy of the Marsh emails to a financial journalist.*
Daniel stepped out of the meeting and called James from the corridor.
"The journalist?" he said.
"Contacted me twenty minutes ago for comment.
I told him we had proactively filed a full disclosure with the relevant authority nine days ago and that we welcomed any scrutiny of the complete record." James's voice was steady.
"He went quiet for a while.
Then he said he'd need to look at the full record before proceeding."
"Will he publish?"
"Not if he's careful.
The story he was handed has a significant hole in it — your prior disclosure.
A responsible journalist won't run a corruption story when the subject already reported the issue to authorities." A pause.
"A less responsible one might.
But we can manage that."
"And the annulment contest?"
"Emotional distress is a weak argument given what we have.
The prior pattern, the testimony, the phone call, the letter about the trust — her own solicitor is working with very little." James paused again.
"There's something else.
The first man she did this to — the one who called me back.
He's agreed to provide a formal statement.
He has documentation from his own case, including communications between Vanessa and Diane Lowe that predate his marriage by six months."
Daniel leaned against the corridor wall.
"That establishes the pattern."
"Clearly and specifically.
Her solicitor doesn't know about it yet."
"When will they?"
"When we file it.
I'd like to do that tomorrow, if you're in agreement."
"Do it," Daniel said.
He went back into the meeting.
He sat down.
He answered three questions about a development timeline and approved a contractor schedule.
His hands were steady on the table.
At four o'clock, James called again.
"Her solicitor has withdrawn the contest," he said.
"As of an hour ago."
Daniel was in his car.
He stopped with his key in the ignition.
"She dropped it?"
"When we filed the pattern evidence this morning, her solicitor apparently had a frank conversation with her about the viability of her position.
She has agreed to the annulment.
She is not entitled to any claim on the estate, the house, or the trust." A pause.
"She's asked for one thing."
"What?"
"That you not pursue criminal charges for the conduct toward Ethan."
Daniel was quiet for a long moment.
"James," he said.
"What are my options?"
"Realistically, a prosecution for what happened to Ethan would be difficult.
The incidents were not witnessed by independent parties.
Claire's testimony is strong but a defense would challenge it.
The greater risk is that Ethan would be drawn into proceedings — questioned, examined — at an age when that process itself causes harm."
"So the cost of pursuing it falls on him."
"Potentially, yes."
Daniel looked through the windshield at the car park.
A woman was loading groceries into a boot two spaces over.
A completely ordinary Wednesday afternoon.
"Tell her this," he said.
"I won't pursue criminal charges on one condition.
She has no contact with Ethan.
Ever.
Not a letter, not a message through someone else, not an appearance at any place she knows he'll be.
If that condition is broken, I revisit every option available to me."
"I'll communicate that."
"And James — the Lowe woman.
Diane Lowe."
"Yes."
"Is there anything that can be done?"
"I've already been in contact with two other families.
We are building a case.
It will take time.
But yes." His voice was measured and certain.
"Something can be done."
"Good," Daniel said.
"Keep going."
He ended the call.
May you like
He sat in the car park for another minute.
Then he started the engine and drove home.
