CHAPTER 7: Chapter 8 - The Second Lie

Leon was arrested before midnight. He walked out between two officers, still trying to look like a wronged old man, but the house no longer belonged to his performance. Guests avoided his eyes. Staff watched from doorways. Maya did not hide behind Isabella this time. She stood beside her, small and shaking, but upright.
The next morning brought reporters, lawyers, and relatives who had not called in years. They all wanted the same thing: access to Maya, statements from Isabella, a share of the disaster before it became history.
Sophia placed temporary protection around the child while the court reviewed Olivia's documents. The letter named Isabella as emergency guardian. Leon had buried the document, but he had not destroyed it because the sapphire key also opened a bank vault tied to family shares. Greed had preserved the truth.
Isabella spent the day answering questions. She admitted she had stayed quiet too long, but each time she tried to leave with Maya before, Leon threatened to accuse her of kidnapping, theft, or worse.
Maya sat nearby with the tablet on her lap.
"I thought if the red light saw it," she said, "someone would come."
Sophia knelt in front of her. "Someone did. You helped them find you."