Chapter 2 - THE FAMILY ARRIVES
Beatrice arrived first.
She wore the pearl necklace I had given her for her sixtieth birthday.
Lauren followed in a red dress with her husband, Peter.
Nathan arrived with Charles.
Aunt Vivian came last.
They entered the foyer laughing.
Beatrice carried a gift bag.
“Where is the happy couple?”
I looked toward the ceiling.
“Upstairs.”
A muffled thud echoed through the house.
Julian was still striking the bathroom door.
Beatrice’s smile disappeared.
“What is that?”
“The surprise.”
I led them upstairs.
The closer we came to the master suite, the clearer Julian’s voice became.
“Harper, this is insane.”
“Open the door right now.”
Mia was crying behind him.
Beatrice stopped in the hallway.
Her eyes moved toward me.
“You locked him in there?”
“With my employee.”
Lauren covered her mouth.
Nathan looked at his mother.
That glance told me something.
He was not shocked.
I opened the bedroom door but kept the bathroom secured.
The room still smelled of candles and champagne.
Julian’s clothes lay on the floor beside Mia’s dress.
Her phone rested on my nightstand.
The screen illuminated with a new message.
BEATRICE CALDWELL: KEEP HIM CALM.
The hallway became silent.
Beatrice stared at the phone.
I picked it up.
“You knew.”
She recovered quickly.
“I knew Mia had feelings for him.”
“That message says keep him calm.”
“I was trying to stop her from creating drama.”
Aunt Vivian laughed bitterly.
“You were never good at lying, Beatrice.”
Julian struck the door again.
“Mom?”
Beatrice moved toward it.
“Julian, don’t say anything.”
I looked at her.
“That is your first instinct?”
“To protect him?”
“He is my son.”
“And I was your daughter-in-law for ten years.”
She lowered her voice.
“Whatever happened can be handled privately.”
I turned toward the others.
“That is why I invited everyone.”
“I knew the first thing this family would do was try to change the story.”
Lauren stepped forward.
“Harper, let them out.”
“Not yet.”
Mia began sobbing.
“Please, ma’am.”
I walked to the control panel.
Then I activated the bathroom’s internal camera.
The screen on the wall displayed the jacuzzi.
Julian stood wrapped in a towel.
Mia sat inside the tub wearing my robe.
The rose petals drifted around them.
No one could call it a misunderstanding.
Charles stared at his son.
Nathan looked away.
Lauren began crying.
Beatrice’s face remained hard.
“This is cruel.”
“No.”
I turned toward her.
“This is evidence.”
I had already called a private security officer and my attorney.
I had also backed up the camera recording.
Julian noticed the camera feed.
His face turned white.
“Harper, turn that off.”
“You said work came first.”
His jaw tightened.
“Open the door.”
“I will.”
“But first, I want your family to hear what you told Mia.”
I replayed the audio from minutes earlier.
Harper won’t be home for hours.
To the last anniversary you’ll ever spend married to her.
Lauren stared at her brother.
Charles whispered one word.
“Disgraceful.”
Beatrice spun toward him.
“Do not pretend you have never made mistakes.”
Charles looked at her.
“This is not my mistake.”
The bathroom door shook again.
Julian shouted.
“You have no right to imprison us.”
My attorney, Rachel Sloan, appeared in the doorway behind us.
“She has every right to secure her private property while documenting suspected theft.”
Julian went quiet.
Rachel held up Mia’s phone.
“Especially when the employee inside appears to have been transferring confidential files from Harper’s business account.”
My breath stopped.
May you like
I had believed the affair was the betrayal.
It was only the entrance.
