Chapter 8 - Elodie’s Marriage Was Collateral

Elodie’s new husband, Marcus Bell, owned part of a logistics company.

I had assumed their marriage was completely separate from Arden family finances.

It was not.

Graham had persuaded Marcus to guarantee a commercial loan six months before the wedding.

Elodie did not know.

Marcus believed the exposure was limited.

It wasn’t.

If Graham defaulted, Marcus’s company could face a claim worth nearly $2 million.

Elodie arrived at my condo shaking.

“He told Marcus it was temporary.”

I nodded.

“That word again.”

“Marcus signed because Dad said Adrian was backing it.”

“Did Adrian?”

“Not personally.”

Of course not.

The Arden men were excellent at risking other people’s money.

Elodie began crying.

“I thought my wedding was mine.”

I understood.

Genevieve had turned it into a financial stage.

Graham had used Marcus.

Adrian had planned a transfer afterward.

Bianca had been seated publicly as part of a family restructuring.

And I had been expected to donate a condominium.

Even Elodie’s happiest day had become an instrument.

She looked at me.

“Why did they do this?”

“Because everyone kept letting them.”

That answer hurt both of us.

Elodie had spent years avoiding conflict too.

We were more alike than I realized.

Then Marcus discovered a document in his corporate files.

A side letter from Graham.

If the loan entered default, certain “family-held real property” could be used to offset liability.

One listed property was my Toronto condominium.

Again.

My property appeared in a document I had never seen.

My signature was not present.

But the implication was clear.

Graham had represented my condominium as potentially available family collateral.

Elodie looked sick.

“Can he do that?”

“No.”

Marisol said.

“But lenders may have believed him.”

That meant Graham’s lies had reached outside the family.

Now we had banks.

Corporate guarantees.

Third parties.

The scandal Genevieve feared was no longer containable.

Then Marcus found one more thing.

An email from Adrian.

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Dad, don’t worry about the Toronto unit.

After Elodie’s wedding, Isla won’t fight us anymore.