Chapter 2: The Rabbit
Marcus saw it too.
His reaction was immediate.
"William, give me the toy.""
William turned slowly.
"What?""
Marcus forced a laugh that convinced nobody.
"The rabbit. Give it to me.""
Charlotte clutched it tighter.
"No!""
William's eyes narrowed.
"Why do you want my daughter's rabbit?""
"I don't. I'm saying the child is upset. There could be something sharp inside.""
Emma looked at the soft, battered toy.
"Something sharp?""
Marcus ignored her.
Isabella stepped closer.
"William, please.""
He shifted Charlotte higher against his chest.
"Stay where you are.""
Something flickered across Isabella's face.
Panic.
William noticed.
For the first time, Emma thought he was seeing his fiancée clearly.
"Charlotte," William said gently, "did Mommy give you that rabbit?""
Charlotte nodded.
"When?""
"Before she went away.""
William closed his eyes.
His first wife, Claire, had died when Charlotte was barely two.
Emma knew only what newspapers had reported: sudden illness, private funeral, grieving billionaire withdrawing from public appearances for months.
William touched the rabbit's torn ear.
"Did Mommy put letters inside him?""
Charlotte nodded again.
"She said keep Bunny safe.""
Isabella interrupted.
"She's three years old. She doesn't know what she's saying.""
Charlotte's face crumpled.
"I do!""
William's head snapped toward Isabella.
"Don't speak to her.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"William, think rationally.""
"I am.""
"No, you're reacting emotionally.""
"My daughter was locked behind a portrait.""
"It was a misunderstanding.""
Emma stared at him.
"A misunderstanding with a hidden door?""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"You are an employee, Ms. Hayes. This is a family matter.""
Emma looked at Charlotte's dirty face.
"Then perhaps the family should have protected her.""
Silence.
Marcus's eyes became cold.
"You should return to the gala.""
"I'm not going anywhere.""
William glanced at Emma.
"Neither is she.""
Marcus looked surprised.
William lowered Charlotte onto a velvet bench but kept himself between her and the others.
"Charlotte, tell Daddy exactly what Isabella asked you.""
Charlotte rubbed Bunny's ear.
"She asked where Mommy's secret papers were.""
"What else?""
"She said Mommy hid things.""
Isabella folded her arms.
"This is ridiculous.""
Charlotte continued.
"She asked where Mommy kept letters for Daddy.""
William stared at Isabella.
"You questioned my daughter about Claire?""
"I was trying to understand what she remembered.""
"Why?""
"Because Charlotte has nightmares.""
"About letters?""
Isabella said nothing.
William looked at Marcus.
"And what does this have to do with you?""
"Nothing.""
Too fast.
Emma saw William notice that too.
Charlotte pulled at the rabbit's damaged seam.
"Mr. Marcus asked too.""
Marcus went rigid.
William's voice became dangerously quiet.
"He questioned you?""
Charlotte nodded.
"At Grandma's house.""
"About what?""
"The blue box.""
Marcus's face lost its color.
Isabella whispered, "Charlotte, stop.""
William turned.
"I warned you.""
Isabella raised both hands.
"I'm trying to protect you.""
"From what?""
"From Claire.""
William stared at her.
The words seemed almost absurd.
"My wife is dead.""
"Exactly.""
That answer landed differently.
Emma watched William's expression shift.
Not grief.
Suspicion.
"What did Claire write?""
Isabella swallowed.
"I don't know.""
"Then why are you terrified of me reading it?""
"I'm not.""
William looked toward Marcus.
"And you?""
Marcus straightened his jacket.
"I have spent eighteen years protecting this family.""
"That wasn't my question.""
"Claire was unwell.""
William's eyes sharpened.
"Don't.""
"You know she was.""
"I said don't.""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Those final months were complicated. She became suspicious of people. She wrote things that weren't necessarily true.""
Emma glanced at Isabella.
There it was.
The first mistake.
Marcus had just admitted he knew the letters existed.
William heard it too.
"You've read them.""
Marcus's mouth opened.
Then closed.
Isabella stepped toward Charlotte.
"Give me the rabbit.""
William blocked her.
"Back up.""
"William, those papers could destroy everything your father built.""
Charlotte began crying again.
William looked at Isabella.
"You locked my daughter inside a wall because you were looking for documents?""
"I didn't lock her anywhere.""
"She said you did.""
"She's confused.""
"I'm not confused!""
Charlotte jumped from the bench.
She backed away from Isabella, squeezing Bunny desperately.
"Mommy said bad people wanted Daddy's company!""
William froze.
Marcus moved.
"Charlotte—"
"Don't.""
William's command stopped him.
Emma noticed voices beyond the gallery doors now.
Guests.
The confrontation was becoming loud enough to attract attention.
Isabella noticed too.
Her composure cracked.
"William, close those doors.""
"No.""
"Please.""
"No.""
"If anyone sees this—"
"My daughter has been hidden inside a wall and you're worried about the guests?""
Isabella's eyes filled with furious tears.
"You have no idea what Claire did.""
William stared at her.
"Then tell me.""
"She was going to ruin us.""
"Us?""
Isabella realized what she'd said.
William stepped closer.
"You didn't even know me when Claire died.""
Marcus looked away.
Emma felt cold spread through her chest.
William noticed.
His gaze moved between them.
"How could Claire have ruined you?""
Isabella's lips parted.
No answer came.
Charlotte suddenly cried out.
Everyone turned.
The damaged seam in Bunny's stomach had caught against the carved edge of the bench.
Charlotte pulled.
Fabric ripped.
A bundle of folded paper slid halfway out.
Isabella moved first.
"Give me that!""
Marcus moved at almost the same instant.
William shoved the bench between them and Charlotte.
"Nobody touches it!""
Charlotte pulled Bunny toward herself.
The seam tore completely.
Dozens of handwritten pages spilled across the marble floor.
Some were folded.
Some were sealed.
Several had dates written across the top.
One landed beside William's shoe.
He stared down.
Emma saw the handwriting.
FOR WILLIAM.
William slowly bent and picked it up.
Another page had landed face-up near Marcus.
Marcus looked at it and whispered, "Jesus.""
William turned.
"What?""
Marcus stepped on the page.
William's expression hardened.
"Move your foot.""
"William—"
"Move.""
Marcus didn't.
Emma crossed the room, grabbed the exposed corner and pulled the letter free.
Marcus tried to stop her, but William stepped between them.
Emma handed him the page.
William read the first lines.
His face emptied.
Charlotte hugged the torn rabbit.
"Daddy?""
William didn't answer.
He read farther.
Then he looked at Marcus.
"Claire knew.""
Marcus shook his head.
"Whatever she wrote—"
"She knew.""
Isabella backed toward the doorway.
William unfolded the page completely.
Emma saw his hand begin to tremble.
At the bottom was Claire Sterling's signature.
Above it, one sentence had been underlined twice.
William read it aloud.
"If anything happens to me, do not trust Marcus Vale.""
Nobody spoke.
May you like
Then William looked at the date.
It had been written eleven days before Claire died.
