He had told me they had not spoken in four years.
“What was she doing here?”
Megan shook her head.
“She left before the ceremony ended.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Did Ryan invite her?”
“Not that I knew.”
My phone vibrated again.
This time, the message came from an unknown number.
It contained only six words.
RYAN LIED TO BOTH OF US.
A second message followed.
DON’T TRUST YOUR BROTHER EITHER.
I read it twice.
Then I looked at Daniel.
“What?” he asked.
I turned the phone so he could see.
His face remained still for half a second too long.
“Who sent that?”
“I don’t know.”
But I did.
The profile picture attached to the number showed the same brunette from the wedding.
Claire.
Daniel reached for my phone.
I pulled it away.
“Why would she tell me not to trust you?”
“I have no idea.”
“Daniel.”
He looked toward the hallway.
“Not here.”
My stomach tightened.
“You knew she was at the wedding.”
“I suspected.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Dad asked me to keep more than one secret.”
The room suddenly felt too small.
“What secret?”
He lowered his voice.
“Claire contacted me six months ago. She said Ryan was planning to marry you for your company.”
I stared at him.
“You knew?”
“I didn’t believe her.”
“Why not?”
“Because she wanted money.”
“How much?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
I stepped away from him.
“You knew there was a warning, and you let me marry him?”
“I had no proof.”
“You could have told me.”
“You were in love with him. You had already stopped speaking to anyone who questioned him.”
“That doesn’t mean you stay silent.”
“I was wrong.”
His apology did nothing to calm me.
“Did Dad know?”
“No. Claire contacted me after he died.”
My eyes filled with tears.
I hated that Ryan had done this.
But in that moment, I hated Daniel’s silence too.
“You should have trusted me with my own life.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“By deciding what I was allowed to know?”
He didn’t answer.
I walked out of the office alone.
Claire sent another message before I reached the parking lot.
RYAN AND LINDA THINK THE FORGERY IS THEIR BIGGEST SECRET.
IT ISN’T.
I stopped under the bright afternoon sun.
My hands were cold.
I typed one question.
WHAT ELSE DID THEY DO?
The reply appeared seconds later.
ASK RYAN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FATHER’S LAST CONTRACT.
My father’s final contract had vanished two weeks after his funeral.
It was worth nearly four million dollars.
Ryan had helped me search for it.
He had held me while I cried.
Now Claire was telling me he might have known exactly where it went.
I turned toward Daniel.
“Did Claire say anything about Dad’s contract?”
His expression gave me the answer before he spoke.
“Yes.”
Rage rose through me.
“And you still said nothing?”
“She couldn’t prove it.”
“Stop saying that.”
I opened my car door.
“Emma, where are you going?”
“To meet Claire.”
“That could be dangerous.”
“So was marrying Ryan.”
Daniel moved in front of the door.
“I’m coming with you.”
“No.”
“You don’t know what Claire wants.”
“And right now, I don’t know what you want either.”
The pain on his face was real.
But I was too angry to soften.
I drove away alone.
Claire had chosen a coffee shop near downtown Nashville.
When I entered, she was sitting in the back corner wearing dark glasses.
She removed them as I approached.
There was a bruise near her temple.
“Did Ryan do that?” I asked.
She touched it instinctively.
“Not Ryan.”
“Then who?”
“Linda.”
I sat across from her.
“Start talking.”
Claire pushed a flash drive across the table.
“This contains recordings, bank statements, and copies of messages between Ryan, Linda, and Patricia.”
“Why do you have them?”
“Because Ryan asked me to help him steal your company.”
I didn’t touch the drive.
“Why would he trust you?”
“Because he thought I still loved him.”
“Do you?”
“No.”
Her answer came too quickly.
I noticed.
So did she.
Claire looked down.
“I loved who I thought he was. Just like you did.”
“What happened to my father’s contract?”
She swallowed.
“Ryan sold the client information to a competing firm. Linda arranged the payment.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“That contract was confidential.”
“They knew. Ryan accessed your father’s laptop while you were at the hospital.”
“My father was dying.”
“I know.”
“And Ryan was stealing from him?”
“Yes.”
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I kept my voice low.
“Why wait until now?”
“Because I was part of it.”
The confession hung between us.
“I introduced Ryan to the buyer. I believed your father had cheated Ryan out of a partnership.”
“My father never promised him a partnership.”
“I know that now.”
“How much were you paid?”
“Twenty thousand.”
“And now you want forgiveness?”
“No. I want Linda stopped.”
“What changed?”
Claire slid her phone across the table.
A message from Linda filled the screen.
FINISH THE WEDDING JOB OR I’LL MAKE SURE YOUR SON LEARNS WHAT YOU DID.
I looked up sharply.
“You have a son?”
“He’s seven.”
“What wedding job?”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“They wanted me to switch the folders before you signed.”
“Did you?”
“No. I refused. That’s why Linda hit me.”
“Then who switched them?”
“Patricia.”
I finally picked up the flash drive.
“Why should I trust anything on this?”
“You shouldn’t. Verify all of it.”
“Does Ryan know you contacted me?”
“No.”
A shadow passed over Claire’s face.
Then she stared through the window behind me.
Her color disappeared.
“What?”
She reached for her bag.
“We need to leave.”
I turned around.
Ryan’s car had just pulled into the parking lot.
