Chapter 13 - Four O’Clock
At three o’clock, we returned to the hotel.
The lobby was full of flowers, relatives, photographers, and guests who had no idea what had happened overnight.
My mother walked in through a separate entrance.
Within minutes, she was smiling again.
That frightened me more than her anger.
She could compartmentalize anything.
Fraud.
Betrayal.
A dead woman’s warning.
As long as the photographs looked perfect.
Alexander and I went upstairs.
Sophie was waiting in her bridal suite.
She looked beautiful.
She also looked exhausted.
The wedding dress was ivory lace with long sleeves.
Her veil was still folded across a chair.
Lucas stood near the window.
They had already been talking.
Sophie handed me the prenuptial agreement.
“I found it in a folder Lucas’s mother gave me last month.”
My name appeared as witness to an amendment that protected several Bennett family assets.
I had never signed it.
Alexander read the document.
“This isn’t only about the wedding.”
Sophie nodded.
“The amendment says Lucas’s ownership in Bennett Manufacturing cannot become marital property.”
That made sense by itself.
The problem was that some of those shares belonged to me.
My forged signature had been used to confirm that I accepted Lucas as the lawful owner.
Lucas sat down.
“My whole life is built on paperwork she manufactured.”
Sophie looked at him.
“That is why I cannot marry you today.”
My mother’s voice came from behind us.
“Yes, you can.”
Nobody had heard her enter.
Sophie turned.
“Get out.”
My mother ignored her.
“There are three hundred people downstairs.”
“Then they can eat cake.”
“Sophie.”
“Leave.”
My mother looked at Lucas.
“Tell her.”
He said nothing.
“Lucas.”
He finally faced her.
“The wedding is postponed.”
My mother went pale.
“No.”
“It is.”
“No.”
She walked toward him.
“You will not destroy everything I built because Emily decided to become vindictive.”
I laughed once.
“You forged my name on her prenup.”
“She was marrying into this family.”
“And you needed protection.”
“From me?”
She pointed at Alexander.
“From this.”
He remained calm.
My mother’s voice sharpened.
“She married a billionaire in secret.”
“Have none of you asked why?”
The question hit differently.
Lucas looked at me.
Sophie did too.
My mother smiled.
For the first time all day, she looked confident.
“Emily has spent years pretending she is some helpless victim.”
“She is not.”
“She hid a marriage from her entire family.”
“She hid where she lived.”
“She hid his money.”
“She hid everything.”
Then she looked directly at Alexander.
“Perhaps you should tell them why.”
My stomach tightened.
Alexander’s expression did not change.
“Why what?”
“Why you investigated our family before you married her.”
I turned toward him.
The room became silent.
“What is she talking about?”
Alexander looked at my mother.
“How do you know about that?”
May you like
Her smile widened.
And suddenly the secret in the room belonged to my husband.
