Chapter 4 - THE PLAN TO DRIVE ELENA OUT

Elena stared at her sister-in-law.

“Leave where?”

Cassandra realized she had said too much.

Gabriel stepped forward.

“What did you mean?”

“Nothing.”

“You said Elena was supposed to leave.”

Cassandra turned away.

Gabriel blocked the hallway.

“Explain.”

She laughed nervously.

“You’re being dramatic.”

Elena looked down at the destroyed keepsakes.

Suddenly, the afternoon felt different.

Cassandra had arrived without warning.

She had waited until Gabriel went outside to meet the pool contractor.

She had started with insults.

Then she opened Elena’s cabinet.

Then the memory box.

Then she began destroying specific items.

Not expensive items.

Sentimental ones.

Her mother’s bracelet.

A photograph of Elena’s late father.

The handwritten vows Gabriel gave her at their wedding.

Cassandra knew exactly what would hurt.

“This was planned.”

Elena whispered.

Cassandra’s eyes flicked toward her.

Gabriel heard.

“What?”

“She knew which box to open.”

Elena looked at him.

“She knew what was inside.”

Only three people knew where Elena kept those objects.

Elena.

Gabriel.

And their housekeeper, Marta.

Marta had worked for the family for thirteen years.

Elena could not imagine her betraying them.

Then Gabriel remembered something.

Two weeks earlier, Cassandra had borrowed Marta’s access card, claiming she needed to retrieve a coat.

“How long were you inside?”

Gabriel asked.

Cassandra folded her arms.

“You sound insane.”

“Elena is right.”

“You knew where everything was.”

Cassandra tried to walk around him.

He did not touch her.

He simply stepped aside and pointed toward the front entrance.

“Leave.”

“You’ll regret this.”

“No.”

Gabriel looked at Elena.

“I regret waiting this long.”

Cassandra stormed toward the door.

Before leaving, she turned.

“This marriage will destroy you.”

Gabriel answered immediately.

“Then that’s my decision.”

Cassandra’s face twisted.

“You think she loves you?”

“She signed something three months ago that proves otherwise.”

Elena went completely still.

Gabriel looked at her.

“What did she sign?”

Cassandra smiled.

The confidence had returned.

“A postnuptial agreement.”

Gabriel stared at Elena.

“We don’t have a postnup.”

Cassandra opened the door.

“You do now.”

Then she left.

Gabriel turned toward Elena.

“Tell me you didn’t sign anything.”

Elena shook her head.

“I didn’t.”

But later that evening, Elijah Mercer emailed them a document.

POSTNUPTIAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT.

It carried Gabriel’s signature.

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It carried Elena’s signature.

And according to the document, if Elena left the marriage for any reason, she surrendered every claim connected to the Vale estate.