Chapter 3
I stood in my bridal suite wearing a silk robe, staring at the sister who had just suggested she was hiding something involving my fiancé's brother.
"What happened between you and Daniel?"
Vanessa wouldn't look at me.
Mom stood beside the vanity, trembling.
"Vanessa, answer your sister."
My sister shook her head.
"I can't."
I felt my chest tighten.
"You can."
She began crying.
"You'll hate me."
I stared at her.
"You poured paint over my wedding dress."
She flinched.
"You stole money Grandma intended for scholarships."
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"And now you're telling me Marcus's brother is involved."
I took a breath.
"Whatever happened, I need the truth."
Vanessa sat on the sofa.
For a moment, she simply cried.
Then she whispered, "Daniel and I were involved."
The room went silent.
I felt as though someone had struck me.
"What?"
She covered her face.
"Last year."
I stared.
"While you were dating Marcus?"
She nodded.
My stomach twisted.
Daniel was thirty-five.
Married.
The father of two little boys.
His wife, Alicia, was one of the kindest women I knew.
She had helped me choose flowers for the wedding.
She was downstairs right now, probably greeting guests.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Daniel is married."
She nodded.
"I know."
I closed my eyes.
"Does Alicia know?"
Vanessa shook her head.
My mother whispered, "Oh, Vanessa."
My sister began sobbing harder.
"It wasn't supposed to happen."
I felt anger rise.
"Then why did it?"
Vanessa looked up.
"He made me feel special."
I stared at her.
She continued.
"He said I was smarter than Nia."
My heart tightened.
"He said I deserved better than living in my sister's shadow."
For a moment, I felt sick.
Daniel had found exactly the insecurity Vanessa carried.
And he had used it.
But that didn't erase her responsibility.
I leaned forward.
"Did you know he was married when you started seeing him?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
I closed my eyes.
I took a breath.
"Then you made a choice."
She began crying.
"I know."
Mom sat beside her.
"Sweetheart, what have you done?"
Vanessa looked at the floor.
"Daniel convinced me to invest in a property development deal."
I frowned.
"What deal?"
"He said he was buying land outside Atlanta."
I stared at her.
"With Grandma's money?"
She nodded.
"At first, I used my own inheritance."
My heart tightened.
"All eighty thousand?"
She nodded.
I swallowed.
"Then?"
"He said he needed more."
She looked ashamed.
"I transferred money from the workshop fund."
I stared at her.
"Using Grandma's authorization?"
She nodded.
I felt sick.
"Vanessa, she was dying."
My sister began sobbing.
"I know."
I leaned back.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I asked, "Where's the investment now?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"Daniel says the project is delayed."
I stared at her.
"Have you seen any contracts?"
She hesitated.
"Some."
"Bank records?"
"No."
"Property deeds?"
She shook her head.
I felt cold.
Then I understood.
Daniel might have taken advantage of Vanessa.
He might have been using her to access the money.
And now he was threatening to expose their affair to keep her silent.
I looked at Mom.
Her face was pale.
She whispered, "We need to tell Marcus."
I nodded.
"Yes."
Vanessa suddenly stood.
"No!"
I turned.
She looked terrified.
"You can't."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because Daniel said he'd destroy everything."
My chest tightened.
"What does that mean?"
She grabbed my arm.
"He knows things."
I pulled back.
"About who?"
She looked toward the door.
Then whispered, "Marcus."
My stomach dropped.
"What things?"
Vanessa shook her head.
"He said Marcus has been hiding money from you."
I stared at her.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
Marcus had always been honest about his finances.
We had separate accounts but shared our major decisions.
He worked in commercial real estate.
I managed a design firm.
We lived comfortably.
There was no reason for him to hide money.
I looked at Vanessa.
"What evidence did Daniel show you?"
She hesitated.
"Bank statements."
I felt cold.
"Whose?"
"Marcus's."
My chest tightened.
I reached for my phone.
Then stopped.
I didn't want to accuse the man I loved based on something Daniel had told my frightened sister.
I needed facts.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Do you have copies?"
She nodded slowly.
I held out my hand.
"Show me."
She unlocked her phone.
Opened a folder.
Then turned the screen toward me.
There were screenshots of financial statements.
Several large transfers.
Some to accounts I didn't recognize.
One recipient name made my stomach tighten.
EVELYN CARTER FOUNDATION.
My grandmother's charitable foundation.
I stared.
"Why is Marcus transferring money there?"
Vanessa shook her head.
"I don't know."
I looked closer.
The transfers were dated after Grandma died.
Large amounts.
Twenty-five thousand.
Thirty thousand.
Forty thousand.
My chest tightened.
Then I realized something.
Marcus had told me he quietly donated to the foundation.
He never wanted recognition.
He said it was his way of honoring Grandma.
But the statements showed far more than I expected.
I looked at Vanessa.
"These aren't proof he's hiding anything wrong."
She frowned.
"What?"
I continued.
"He told me he supports the foundation."
Vanessa looked confused.
"But Daniel said—"
"Daniel has been lying to you."
She went silent.
I took a breath.
"And you're letting his lies control your decisions."
My sister began crying again.
For a moment, I felt sorry for her.
Then I remembered the ruined gown.
The stolen money.
Alicia downstairs with her children.
My sympathy didn't erase the harm.
I turned toward Mom.
"We need to contact Alicia."
Claire looked frightened.
"Before the ceremony?"
I nodded.
"She deserves to know."
Vanessa grabbed my hand.
"Please, Nia."
I looked at her.
"I won't humiliate her publicly."
She began crying.
"But I won't help you hide this."
Then a knock sounded.
Marcus.
"Nia?"
I turned toward the door.
"Come in."
He entered.
His expression changed when he saw our faces.
"What happened?"
I took a breath.
"Marcus, I need to tell you something."
He looked toward Vanessa.
She immediately lowered her eyes.
I continued.
"It's about Daniel."
Marcus frowned.
"My brother?"
I nodded.
He looked concerned.
"What did he do?"
I explained the financial transfers first.
The missing scholarship money.
The supposed investment.
The threats.
Marcus's expression darkened.
Then I told him about the affair.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
He simply stared at Vanessa.
"My brother?"
She began crying.
Marcus shook his head.
"Daniel is married."
"I know."
He looked sick.
"Alicia is downstairs."
Vanessa covered her face.
Marcus turned toward me.
"Nia, I'm so sorry."
I reached for his hand.
"This isn't your fault."
He shook his head.
"My brother has been getting into trouble for years."
My chest tightened.
"What kind?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Bad investments."
I stared at him.
"How bad?"
He looked away.
"Very."
My stomach tightened.
Then he said something that made me freeze.
"Three months ago, Daniel asked me to lend him two hundred thousand dollars."
I swallowed.
"What did you say?"
"No."
Relief washed through me.
Then Marcus continued.
"He got angry."
I nodded.
"He said I'd regret it."
My chest tightened.
"Did you tell anyone?"
Marcus shook his head.
"I didn't want to worry you."
I closed my eyes.
Another secret.
Not malicious.
But still a secret.
I took his hand.
"Marcus, we can't build a marriage by protecting each other from the truth."
His eyes filled with tears.
"You're right."
He squeezed my hand.
"I'm sorry."
I nodded.
Then I looked toward the clock.
The ceremony was supposed to begin in twenty minutes.
Our guests were waiting.
Our families were waiting.
And the truth about Daniel was threatening to destroy the day.
I looked at Marcus.
"Do you still want to marry me?"
He stared at me.
"Nia."
I waited.
He stepped closer.
"More than anything."
My eyes filled with tears.
"Even after all this?"
He took my face gently in his hands.
"Especially after all this."
I smiled through my tears.
Then he whispered, "But there's something I need to tell you first."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
He looked toward Vanessa.
Then back at me.
"Daniel isn't only involved in the missing foundation money."
I froze.
Marcus took a breath.
"He's been using our family's company to guarantee loans."
My heart tightened.
"How much?"
He swallowed.
"Almost three million dollars."
The room seemed to spin.
Then he added something that made my blood run cold.
"And one of those loans has your signature on it."
I stared at him.
"My signature?"
He nodded.
I couldn't breathe.
Because I had never signed a loan for Daniel.
May you like
And suddenly, the biggest threat to my wedding wasn't my jealous sister.
It was a financial scheme that might destroy the future Marcus and I were about to begin.
