Chapter 13 - The Second Betrayal
I reconstructed the previous twenty-four hours.
My purse had been beside me at the lake house.
Elena had visited once.
Daniel had visited once.
Julian had been there twice.
Martin had stopped by with legal documents.
Four people.
Four possibilities.
I hated every one of them.
Martin arrived that afternoon.
I did not mention the missing card.
Instead, I placed a copy of Chloe’s amendment in front of him.
“Tell me what you see.”
He read silently.
Then frowned.
“This language is unusually aggressive.”
“Could Richard have written it?”
Martin’s head lifted.
“You know about Richard?”
That was not the reaction I expected.
Julian noticed too.
“How do you know Richard is involved?”
Martin went pale.
Nobody moved.
Finally he sat.
“Because he contacted me six months ago.”
My voice turned cold.
“And you never told me?”
“He wanted information about the trust.”
“Did you give it to him?”
“No.”
“Then why hide the contact?”
Martin looked ashamed.
“Because he offered me money.”
Julian stood.
“How much?”
“Half a million.”
“For what?”
“To delay certain trust filings after the wedding.”
My stomach turned.
“Did you accept?”
“No.”
“Prove it.”
Martin opened his briefcase.
He handed us printed emails.
Richard’s messages were there.
So were Martin’s refusals.
Julian read them carefully.
“Why keep these?”
“Because I knew he would try again.”
“Did he?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
Martin looked at me.
“Yesterday.”
He played a voicemail.
Richard’s voice filled the room.
You have one last chance to choose the winning side.
Julian exhaled slowly.
Martin was not our leak.
Then Daniel entered.
“We found Mrs. Vance’s card.”
“Where?”
“Chloe’s car.”
That solved one mystery.
Not the code.
We reviewed camera footage from the week before.
At 4:32 p.m. on Tuesday, Chloe stood in the service hallway pretending to use her phone.
In the reflection of a framed mirror, Elena entered the security code.
Chloe had filmed her fingers.
No insider.
No second betrayer.
Just patience.
Julian watched the footage twice.
Then he said, “We end this now.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Why not?”
“Because Richard is still outside the trap.”
Julian understood.
If Chloe fell alone, Richard would disappear.
So my son made the most painful decision yet.
He called Chloe.
May you like
And told her he was ready to sign.
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