Chapter 3: The Woman in the Photograph
Danielle stared at Daniel.
For several seconds, she couldn't find her voice.
“What did you just say?””
Daniel closed his briefcase.
“I said the woman in those photographs isn't Marcus's mistress.””
“Then who is she?””
“Her name is Victoria.””
Danielle waited.
Daniel sighed.
“Victoria was Marcus's fiancée before he met you.””
Danielle blinked.
“That's impossible. Marcus told me he'd never been engaged.””
“He lied.””
Daniel pulled out a photograph.
It showed a younger Marcus standing beside a beautiful brunette woman in a white dress. They were smiling outside a church.
Danielle recognized the building.
It was the same church where she and Marcus had married.
She looked closer.
The photograph was dated seven years earlier.
“Why was she at our wedding venue?””
“Because they were supposed to get married there.””
Danielle's hands trembled.
“What happened?””
Daniel leaned back in his chair.
“Victoria disappeared two weeks before the wedding. Marcus never recovered from it.””
“Then he met me.””
“Exactly.””
Danielle dropped the photograph.
“You're telling me he married me because she left him?””
“I'm telling you that you were never the whole story.””
She stared at him.
“Why are you doing this?””
Daniel walked toward the kitchen.
“Because I want you to understand what kind of man Marcus really is.””
Danielle followed him.
“And what kind of man are you?””
Daniel stopped.
“What?””
“You've been meeting me secretly. You've been asking me for money. Now you're bringing photographs into my house and telling me my husband is planning a divorce. Why should I believe anything you say?””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“Because I have proof.””
He opened his briefcase and removed a document.
It was a bank transfer confirmation.
Danielle recognized the account number.
It belonged to her.
Her personal savings account.
A transfer of $80,000 had been made to an unfamiliar company three weeks earlier.
She looked up.
“I didn't authorize this.””
Daniel said nothing.
“Daniel, I didn't authorize this!””
He shrugged.
“You signed the paperwork.””
“What paperwork?””
“The investment documents.””
Danielle shook her head.
“I never signed anything.””
Daniel took out another page.
Her signature was at the bottom.
But the signature looked strange.
The final letter was too long, and the first initial had been written differently.
“This isn't my signature.””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Don't make this difficult.””
“Did you forge my signature?””
He stepped closer.
“Listen to me. That money was moved to protect us.””
“Protect us from what?””
“Marcus.””
Danielle laughed bitterly.
“Stop saying his name like he's the villain here!””
Daniel's face turned red.
“You think he's innocent? He has been recording you.””
Danielle froze.
“What?””
“Your husband installed cameras.””
She glanced toward the living room.
Daniel followed her gaze.
“Not just outside. Inside, too.””
Danielle looked toward the small decorative clock on the bookshelf.
It had been a wedding gift from Marcus.
She suddenly remembered how he had insisted on placing it there.
“How do you know?””
Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny memory card.
“Because I found this.””
He placed it on the counter.
Danielle stared at it.
“What is it?””
“Footage.””
“Of what?””
“Us.””
She felt sick.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Marcus has recordings of everything. Every time I came here. Every time we spoke. Every time you thought the house was empty.””
Danielle covered her mouth.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I didn't know how much he had.””
“And now?””
Daniel glanced toward the front door.
“Now I think he's trying to trap us.””
A loud knock interrupted them.
Both turned.
“Danielle! Open the door!””
It was Marcus.
Daniel's face lost its color.
Danielle whispered, “You said he was at work.””
“He was.””
“Then why is he here?””
Daniel grabbed his briefcase.
“Where's the back door?””
“You can't leave.””
“Danielle, move!””
Marcus knocked again.
“Danielle, I know you're inside!””
She looked at the door, then at Daniel.
For the first time, she realized that both men were trying to control what she believed.
And she had no idea which one was telling the truth.
She walked to the front door.
Marcus stood outside, holding his phone.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were fixed on Daniel's SUV.
“Open the door, Danielle.””
She unlocked it.
Marcus stepped inside.
He looked at his brother.
“Hello, Daniel.””
Daniel forced a smile.
“Marcus. What a surprise.””
“Is it?””
Marcus closed the door.
Then he placed his phone on the dining table.
“Danielle, I want you to answer one question.””
She swallowed.
“Okay.””
“Did Daniel tell you about Victoria?””
She glanced at the photograph.
“Yes.””
Marcus nodded.
“Did he show you the bank documents?””
“Yes.””
“Did he tell you that I was planning to divorce you?””
Danielle hesitated.
“Yes.””
Marcus looked at his brother.
“Interesting.””
Daniel folded his arms.
“Don't act innocent. You know what you've done.””
Marcus ignored him.
He opened his phone and played a video.
The screen showed the kitchen.
The date was three weeks earlier.
Danielle watched herself enter the room with Daniel.
They were laughing.
Then Daniel kissed her.
She immediately looked away.
Marcus stopped the video.
“I've seen that one,” he said quietly.
“I've seen the others, too.””
Danielle's eyes filled with tears.
“Marcus, I can explain.””
He raised one hand.
“Not yet.””
He turned toward Daniel.
“Tell her where the $80,000 went.””
Daniel's expression changed.
“It was an investment.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No. Tell her the truth.””
Daniel laughed.
“You don't have the right to question me.””
Marcus took another document from his jacket.
“Then perhaps this will help.””
He placed it on the table.
Danielle picked it up.
It was a company registration document.
The company had been created under her name.
The listed director was Danielle Brooks.
But the registered address wasn't their home.
It was a small office building in another state.
“What is this?”” she whispered.
Marcus answered.
“A company Daniel opened using your identity.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“That's not what happened.””
Marcus continued.
“He transferred money through that company, created fake invoices, and used your signature to make the transactions appear legitimate.””
Danielle looked at Daniel.
“Is that true?””
Daniel shook his head.
“Your husband is manipulating you.””
Marcus pulled out another page.
“Then explain why the company's bank account received $250,000 from a client who reported being defrauded.””
Danielle's legs almost gave way.
Daniel grabbed the documents.
“Give me that!””
Marcus stepped between them.
“Don't touch her.””
For a moment, the two brothers stood face-to-face.
Then Marcus said something that made Daniel go completely silent.
“Do you want to tell her about the missing woman?””
Danielle looked between them.
“What woman?””
Neither brother answered.
Marcus picked up his phone and opened another photograph.
It showed Victoria.
But this time, she wasn't standing beside Marcus.
She was sitting in a hospital bed.
Her face was pale.
Her wrists were covered with medical bracelets.
The photograph had been taken only four days earlier.
Danielle looked at the date.
Then she looked at Marcus.
“She's alive?””
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.””
“Where is she?””
He took a slow breath.
“In a hospital outside Chicago.””
Daniel suddenly slammed his hand onto the table.
“Enough!””
Marcus turned.
“Why? Afraid she'll tell her story?””
Daniel looked furious.
“She's confused. She's been confused for years.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No, Daniel. She remembers everything.””
Danielle looked at the photograph again.
“Marcus, why didn't you tell me?””
He looked at her for a long moment.
“Because I wanted to give you a chance to tell me the truth about my brother.””
Danielle's eyes filled.
“You knew?””
Marcus nodded.
“I knew about the affair. I knew about the money. I knew about the forged documents.””
He glanced toward the kitchen exhaust hood.
“And I knew someone would come looking for what was hidden inside that machine.””
Danielle slowly remembered the silver key in her pocket.
She pulled it out.
Marcus stared at it.
“Where did you get that?””
“Ethan found it.””
Marcus's expression changed.
“Ethan?””
“The plumber.””
Marcus stepped toward her.
“Danielle, listen to me. That key doesn't belong to me.””
Daniel suddenly lunged toward her.
“Give it to me!””
Marcus caught his arm.
The two men crashed into the dining table.
A glass shattered.
Danielle stumbled backward, clutching the key.
Then the doorbell rang.
All three froze.
Marcus looked toward the entrance.
A woman's voice came through the door.
“Marcus? It's Victoria.””
Danielle's breath caught.
Marcus slowly released his brother.
Then he looked at Danielle.
“There's something you need to know before you meet her.””
The doorbell rang again.
May you like
And from the other side, Victoria added:
“Danielle, please don't let Daniel leave. He knows what happened to my daughter.””
