Chapter 6 - THE BRIDE’S REAL NAME
Vanessa’s wedding gown was stained with blood and dust.
The elegant bride from the ballroom had disappeared.
The woman standing behind Olivia looked disciplined.
Prepared.
Familiar with the weapon in her hand.
Adrian raised his gun.
Vanessa pressed the barrel harder against Olivia’s neck.
“You were always terrible at choosing between people,” she said.
“Put the weapon down.”
Adrian did not move.
Olivia looked at him.
“Do not give her anything.”
Vanessa struck her.
Emma stepped forward.
“Julian said he had Olivia.”
Vanessa smiled.
“Julian says many things when he needs people to move where he wants.”
“Are you working together?”
“We were.”
The answer surprised Adrian.
Vanessa glanced toward the laptop.
“Theodore’s video told you about Atlas.”
“How much did you hear?”
“Enough,” Emma said.
Vanessa’s eyes moved to her.
Then recognition appeared.
“You are Evelyn’s daughter.”
Emma tightened her grip on the drive.
“You knew my mother?”
“She ruined my family.”
Adrian frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Vanessa’s real surname was not Sterling.
It was Mercer.
She was Julian’s younger half-sister.
Samuel Mercer had fathered her during an affair and placed her with another family after his wife threatened divorce.
Julian found her when she was nineteen.
He paid for her education.
He introduced her to the social world surrounding Cross Meridian.
Five years earlier, he arranged her first meeting with Adrian.
Every conversation.
Every accidental encounter.
Every shared interest.
All of it had been constructed.
“You were planted in my life,” Adrian said.
Vanessa’s face remained cold.
“You were not difficult to study.”
“You were lonely.”
“You wanted someone who admired your strength without challenging it.”
“So I became her.”
Olivia laughed despite the gun at her throat.
“You could not even seduce him honestly.”
Vanessa struck her again.
Adrian lowered his weapon slightly.
“Let her go.”
“Give me the drive.”
Emma watched Vanessa’s hand.
The gun trembled whenever Julian’s name was mentioned.
“You are afraid of him,” Emma said.
Vanessa looked at her.
“I am not afraid of anyone.”
“You poisoned Celeste because she wanted out.”
“You kidnapped Olivia because Julian told you to.”
“You planned to marry Adrian and sign his empire over to your brother.”
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
Emma continued.
“But Julian did not tell you Theodore named Olivia as the Atlas heir.”
“He allowed you to believe marrying Adrian would make you powerful.”
“He was using you too.”
Vanessa’s eyes flicked toward Olivia.
That was enough.
Olivia slammed her heel onto Vanessa’s foot.
The gun shifted.
Adrian fired.
His bullet struck Vanessa’s shoulder.
She fell backward.
Marcus grabbed Olivia and pulled her away.
Emma kicked the pistol across the floor.
Vanessa screamed.
Then laughter came through the media-room speaker.
Julian’s face appeared on the damaged projection monitor.
He had been watching.
“Well done,” he said.
“You finally chose your sister.”
Adrian aimed his weapon at the screen.
“Where are you?”
Julian ignored him.
“Vanessa, I told you not to enter that room.”
Vanessa looked up.
“You knew Olivia would escape.”
“I needed her near the drive.”
“You let him shoot me.”
Julian smiled.
“You were wearing body armor.”
Vanessa touched the torn fabric beneath her gown.
The bullet had flattened against a hidden vest.
Her injury was mostly from the impact.
Julian continued.
“Adrian, the second will becomes active at midnight.”
“If Olivia is alive, she receives Atlas.”
“If she is dead, control passes to Evelyn Reed’s legal heir.”
Everyone looked at Emma.
Julian smiled.
“That is why the waitress was invited to the wedding.”
Emma shook her head.
“I was hired by the catering company.”
May you like
“No,” Julian said.
“I hired the catering company.”
