Chapter 3 - Tracing the ShadowDetective Vance conducted her preliminary review inside an empty consultation room down the hall. Mason sat across from her, his mind racing through the last forty-eight hours. The emergency cesarean, the sudden celebration, the private suite, and the endless rotation of well-wishers.

"We pulled the telemetry logs," Vance stated, sliding a printed timeline toward him. "Clara’s heart rate began decelerating at 7:14 PM. The IV bag was changed at 6:45 PM by Nurse Harris. But between 6:50 PM and 7:05 PM, Nurse Harris stepped away to fetch an extra thermal blanket. The room’s private entrance camera shows only two individuals entering during that fifteen-minute gap: you, Mr. Thorne, and Ms. Helena Vance."

"She carries no relation to you, I assume?" Mason asked, voice raspy.

"None," the detective said coolly. "What is her financial stake in your enterprise, Mason?"

Mason rubbed his temples. "When her brother Julian died two years ago, his estate passed thirty percent of Thorne Logistics into a trust managed jointly by Helena and myself. The contract stipulates that in the event of my death or total incapacitation without direct heirs, control defaults to Helena. But if Clara survived and delivered our children, the trust irrevocably transfers to a custodial fund for the twins."

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Vance leaned back. "And today, Clara delivered two healthy heirs. If Clara died before signing the formal custody acknowledgment, and you broke down under grief or negligence..."

The motive crystallized with hideous clarity. It was never about affection or family loyalty; it was a ruthless corporate predation masquerading as domestic companionship.