Chapter 9 - The Wedding License
The morning before the wedding, Michael tried one last time to get Caroline's signature.
He came to her apartment at eight with coffee, pastries, and a small leather portfolio.
Caroline almost admired the consistency.
"What's that?"
Michael smiled.
"Nothing evil."
"Comforting."
He laughed.
"Insurance forms."
She opened the portfolio.
Page one was life insurance.
Page two was beneficiary designation.
Page three was financial power of attorney.
Page four authorized consolidation of specified marital assets.
Caroline looked up.
"Insurance?"
"We're adults."
"Today?"
"We should have done it weeks ago."
"Who prepared these?"
"Ross."
"Of course."
Michael's jaw tightened.
"Can we not do this?"
"Do what?"
"Treat everybody I know like a criminal."
Caroline stared at him.
Five days earlier she had recorded him saying If Caroline finds out what happened to Thomas, this is over.
She wanted to scream.
Instead she turned another page.
"Where's Halcyon?"
Michael's expression hardened.
"Forget Halcyon."
"I'd love to."
"Then sign."
"No."
He stared at her.
Caroline closed the folder.
"Martin reviews it."
"The wedding is tomorrow."
"And?"
"We need this completed."
"We don't need anything."
Michael stood.
"You are unbelievable."
"I know."
"You've spent months saying you wanted a partnership."
"I do."
"This is what partnership looks like."
"No. This is paperwork you won't explain."
Michael stepped toward her.
His voice lowered.
"Do you enjoy humiliating me?"
Caroline almost laughed at the foreshadowing.
"Michael, go home."
"What?"
"Go home."
"We're getting married tomorrow."
"Then perhaps we shouldn't spend today fighting."
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then reached for the portfolio.
Caroline held it.
"Leave it."
"No."
"You wanted me to sign it."
"It's not final."
She smiled faintly.
"Everything becomes unfinished when I want a copy."
Michael's hand tightened.
So did hers.
For one second they held the folder between them.
Then Michael let go.
"Fine."
He walked toward the door.
At the threshold he turned.
"I hope someday you understand how hard you've made this."
Caroline looked at him.
"So do I."
After he left, Lena entered from the service hallway.
She had watched through the hidden camera.
"Power of attorney," Lena said.
Caroline nodded.
"They really want control."
Martin arrived an hour later with the wedding license.
He placed it on the kitchen table.
"The officiant signs tomorrow. You and Michael sign. Then it comes to me."
"And you don't file it."
"Correct."
"Legally?"
"You're not married until the filing requirements are completed."
Caroline exhaled.
"What if Michael asks?"
"He probably won't."
Lena looked at her phone.
"We have another development."
She showed Caroline a bank alert.
Halcyon Residential Holdings had obtained conditional approval for a twelve-million-dollar line of credit.
Collateral listed:
Future interest in Unit 18A.
"And they can do that?" Caroline asked.
"They can lie," Martin said.
"Loan hasn't funded."
Lena scrolled.
"Closing scheduled Monday."
Two days after the wedding.
Caroline felt sick.
"They're borrowing against my apartment before they own it."
"Yes."
"Who is the lender?"
Lena hesitated.
"Bellweather Private Bank."
Caroline looked at Martin.
The name from Evelyn's files.
"What else?"
Lena showed a second document.
"Someone attempted to access Reed Preservation Trust records yesterday."
"Who?"
"Michael Harper."
Caroline's breath caught.
"He knows about the trust."
"He knows enough to request information."
"How?"
"Authorization letter."
Lena enlarged the screen.
Caroline's signature appeared at the bottom.
Forgery number two.
This one claimed Michael was her designated financial representative.
Caroline sat down.
Her anger was no longer loud.
It had become pure.
"What do you need for the wedding?"
Lena studied her.
"Proof of intent. Ideally an explicit discussion of what happens after the ceremony."
Caroline nodded.
"I can get it."
"No improvising."
"I won't."
"Caroline."
"I said I won't."
Lena softened.
"Tomorrow is about evidence. Not revenge."
May you like
Caroline looked toward Evelyn's framed note.
"Maybe it's both."
