Chapter 10 - The Rehearsal Dinner Trap)
The rehearsal dinner took place at the Southampton estate the night before the wedding.
Everything looked beautiful.
That was the strange part.
Lanterns glowed beneath trees.
White linen tables stretched across the lawn.
The ocean breeze carried music from a small jazz ensemble.
Vanessa laughed with friends.
Julian toasted investors.
Charles Brenner hugged Evelyn as if he had never sold her family’s secrets.
Graham Voss was nowhere on the guest list.
Yet Evelyn knew he was watching somehow.
She wore a small recording device beneath her dress.
Federal agents were positioned beyond the property.
Richard remained close.
The evening passed without incident until eleven twenty.
Most guests had left.
Vanessa had gone upstairs with her bridesmaids.
Julian found Evelyn alone near the terrace.
“Tomorrow’s the day.”
“So I hear.”
He smiled.
“You brought the paperwork?”
“Richard has it.”
“I’d like to review it.”
“No.”
“Evelyn.”
“You’ll see it tomorrow.”
His jaw tightened.
“Vanessa thinks you’re finally accepting us.”
“I accept that she chose you.”
“That’s not the same.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“Why do you hate me?”
“I don’t.”
“You investigated me.”
“I investigate everyone who wants access to my company.”
“I want access to Vanessa.”
“You already married her.”
Julian froze.
There it was.
The secret she was not supposed to know.
He recovered quickly.
“She told you.”
“No.”
His eyes hardened.
“You dug that up too.”
“It was public record.”
“You invaded our privacy.”
Evelyn laughed softly.
“You submitted a marriage license to the state of Nevada.”
He looked toward the house.
“Does Vanessa know you know?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“So she knows what kind of mother she has.”
Evelyn held his gaze.
“What kind is that?”
“A lonely woman who confuses possession with love.”
“You practiced that one.”
His face changed.
She continued.
“You know a great deal about my relationship with Vanessa.”
“She tells me things.”
“Things from twenty years ago?”
“She remembers.”
“Some of your details are better than hers.”
He stared.
Evelyn smiled.
“That worries you.”
“No.”
“It should.”
Julian stepped close enough that she could smell whiskey.
“Tomorrow, sign the agreement.”
“Or?”
“You lose your daughter.”
Evelyn’s pulse accelerated.
She kept her voice calm.
“Is that what happened to Claire Donnelly?”
Julian’s expression emptied.
No charm.
No anger.
Nothing.
“Who?”
“Sarah Ellison?”
Still nothing.
“Marcus.”
His eyes flickered.
Evelyn knew.
She had him.
But then Julian smiled.
“You’ve been busy.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
“You know that name.”
“Maybe I know you’re trying to scare me.”
“Are you scared?”
He leaned toward her.
“You should be.”
Richard appeared at the terrace door.
“Everything okay?”
Julian stepped back.
“Perfect.”
He walked away.
Richard waited until he disappeared.
“That was reckless.”
“He confirmed it.”
“He confirmed nothing legally useful.”
“He recognized Claire and Sarah.”
“You can’t prove that from a facial expression.”
“I don’t need to prove it. I needed to know.”
Richard exhaled.
Then his phone vibrated.
He read the message.
“Agents intercepted a call.”
“Marcus?”
“Charles.”
“To Graham?”
“Unknown recipient.”
“What did he say?”
Richard looked at her.
“Tomorrow proceeds. Mother unstable but compliant.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Unstable.”
“Don’t enjoy that.”
“I don’t.”
She looked toward the upstairs windows.
Vanessa’s silhouette appeared behind a curtain.
“She thinks tomorrow is her beginning.”
Richard’s expression softened.
“Maybe it can be.”
“After this?”
“If she survives the truth.”
Evelyn said nothing.
A scream came from inside the house.
Both turned.
Evelyn ran.
They found Vanessa in the upstairs hallway.
A bridesmaid held her.
On the floor lay a broken perfume bottle.
Vanessa was staring at an envelope.
“What happened?” Evelyn asked.
Vanessa looked up.
For once, there was no anger.
Only fear.
“This was under my door.”
Evelyn took the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
A young woman.
Sarah Mercer.
On the back, handwritten words.
ASK YOUR HUSBAND WHAT HAPPENED TO HER.
Vanessa looked at Julian, who had just reached the hallway.
“What is this?”
Julian stared at the photograph.
Then at Evelyn.
For one terrible second, Evelyn thought everything was over.
Instead, Julian shook his head.
“I have no idea.”
Vanessa looked between them.
“Mom?”
Evelyn said nothing.
Julian pointed at her.
“She did this.”
Vanessa’s face twisted.
“What?”
“She planted it.”
“Julian,” Evelyn said.
“You’ve been investigating me. You wanted to destroy the wedding. So you bring some random woman’s picture into the house?”
Vanessa turned toward Evelyn.
“Tell me he’s lying.”
Evelyn could not.
Because she had investigated him.
Because she knew Sarah.
Because every truth now looked exactly like the lie Marcus wanted Vanessa to believe.
Vanessa began crying.
“Get out.”
“Vanessa.”
“GET OUT!”
Evelyn stepped back.
Julian wrapped his arms around Vanessa.
As Evelyn walked away, she looked once over her shoulder.
Julian was comforting her daughter.
But his eyes were on Evelyn.
And he was smiling.
Outside, Richard caught up.
“We didn’t send that photograph.”
“I know.”
“Federal team didn’t either.”
“I know.”
Richard stopped.
“Then who did?”
Evelyn looked back at the illuminated house.
Someone else knew about Sarah.
Someone close enough to enter the estate.
And that person wanted Vanessa suspicious before the wedding.
May you like
For the first time, Evelyn wondered whether Graham Voss was still controlling the operation.
Or whether someone was trying to destroy it from inside.
