Chapter 6: The Person Behind the Plan
Nobody spoke.
Not even Vanessa.
The name of my father changed everything.
He had been gone for five years.
Yet somehow, he was still protecting Emma.
Andrew placed the briefcase on the table.
"I received instructions from your father's attorney shortly before his passing.""
I stared at him.
"My father hired you?""
"Not directly.""
He removed a folder.
"The request was placed in a sealed letter.""
Martin nodded slowly.
"I knew this day might come.""
Vanessa looked between them.
"You all knew?""
"No," Martin said.
"We suspected.""
Her expression turned angry.
"You suspected me?""
Nobody answered.
Because they didn't need to.
I looked at Andrew.
"What exactly did my father ask you to do?""
Andrew opened the folder.
"He asked me to verify any documents involving your daughter, your marriage, and any transfer of family assets.""
"Why?""
Andrew looked at the paper in my hand.
"Because your father believed someone might attempt to separate you from Emma before gaining access to the trust.""
The words landed like a punch.
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
"That's ridiculous.""
Andrew calmly looked at her.
"Is it?""
She stepped forward.
"You're accusing me based on a guess.""
"No.""
Andrew pulled out another document.
"I'm presenting evidence.""
He placed a copy on the table.
"The boarding school application was created six weeks ago.""
I looked at Vanessa.
Six weeks.
Before the wedding.
Before the cake.
Before the public humiliation.
This wasn't an emotional mistake.
This was planned.
"I never submitted it," Vanessa said quickly.
Andrew nodded.
"Correct.""
Everyone looked at him.
"Because the school rejected the application.""
My eyebrows tightened.
"Why?""
Andrew turned the page.
"Because the signature didn't match the legal guardian.""
My chest tightened.
"The school knew it was fake?""
"They suspected.""
Vanessa's face lost all color.
"So why didn't they contact me?""
Andrew looked at me.
"Because they did.""
I froze.
"What?""
"You received an email from the school admissions office three weeks ago.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
Andrew looked at Martin.
Martin opened another folder.
"You never saw it.""
I stared.
"Why?""
Nobody answered.
Then I saw Vanessa look away.
My stomach sank.
"Vanessa.""
She didn't respond.
"Did you delete it?""
Her silence was enough.
Richard covered his face with one hand.
"My God.""
Vanessa finally exploded.
"Everyone is acting like I tried to destroy her life!""
I looked at her.
"You tried to send my six-year-old daughter away without telling me.""
"Because I was trying to save us!""
"Us?""
She stepped closer.
"Do you know what it's like being married to someone who only has room for one person in his heart?""
I stared at her.
"Emma is not competition.""
"You don't understand.""
"No.""
My voice became quieter.
"I understand now.""
The ballroom doors opened again.
This time, it was my mother.
Emma was beside her.
The second my daughter saw me, she ran forward.
"Daddy.""
I dropped to my knees.
She wrapped her arms around me.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
Then she whispered something.
Something only I could hear.
"Daddy...""
I pulled back.
"What?""
She looked toward Vanessa.
"She wasn't mad because I touched the cake.""
My body went still.
"What do you mean?""
Emma held onto my sleeve.
"Before the wedding, I heard her talking.""
Vanessa's face changed.
"Emma, don't.""
I looked up.
"What did you hear, sweetheart?""
Emma swallowed.
"She said after you married her, everything would finally belong to her.""
The room went silent.
Vanessa shook her head.
"She's confused.""
But Emma continued.
"Then she said...""
The little girl looked down.
"She said she only needed me gone.""
A wave of anger moved through me.
But before I could speak, Andrew's phone rang.
He checked the caller ID.
His expression changed.
"That's impossible.""
"What?""
He looked at me.
"The person who sent your father the warning about Vanessa just contacted me.""
I stood up slowly.
"Who was it?""
Andrew stared at the screen.
Then he answered.
A few seconds passed.
His face became serious.
He handed me the phone.
A voice came through.
A voice I hadn't heard in years.
"Derek?""
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that voice.
May you like
It belonged to Emma's mother.
The woman everyone believed was dead. :::
