Chapter 3 - THE PRICE OF A WEDDING
That evening, Elena searched Daniel’s home office while he attended a rehearsal dinner meeting.
She hated herself for doing it.
Trust had once been the strongest part of their marriage. Now she was opening drawers with shaking hands, searching through the private documents of the man who slept beside her.
The first drawer contained business contracts.
The second contained insurance papers.
Inside the third, beneath a stack of wedding invoices, she found a red folder.
The expenses listed inside were staggering.
Imported flowers: eighty-five thousand dollars.
Custom lighting installation: sixty-two thousand.
Designer tableware: forty thousand.
Private security, orchestra, luxury transportation, and guest accommodations brought the total beyond half a million dollars.
Written across the final page was a note in Celeste’s handwriting.
Use Elena’s account temporarily. Replace after the Westbridge sale.
Elena read the sentence three times.
The Westbridge sale referred to a real estate deal Daniel had promised would restore the Mercer family’s shrinking fortune. Publicly, the Mercers appeared wealthy. Privately, they were drowning in debt.
Several businesses had failed.
The estate was heavily mortgaged.
And Brianna’s spectacular wedding had become more than a celebration. It was a performance designed to convince investors that the Mercer family remained powerful.
Elena heard a door close downstairs.
Daniel had returned early.
She replaced the folder and stepped away from the desk, but there was no time to leave.
Daniel entered the office.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I was looking for the truth.”
His eyes shifted toward the desk.
Elena took out her phone and displayed the transfer record.
“Victor Hale owns Northbridge.”
Daniel’s expression changed for only an instant, but it was enough.
“You knew,” Elena said.
He closed the office door.
“Lower your voice.”
“You stole from me.”
“I borrowed money.”
“You forged my signature.”
“The Westbridge sale will close next month. You’ll get everything back.”
“That doesn’t make it legal.”
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Do you understand what happens if Brianna’s wedding collapses? Investors will assume we’re finished.”
“You are finished.”
His jaw tightened.
“No. We’re surviving.”
Elena moved toward the door.
Daniel blocked her path.
“Where are you going?”
May you like
“To the police.”
For the first time in their marriage, Elena saw fear in his eyes.
