Chapter 3
I stared at Julian.
"Elaine's signature?"
He nodded.
My hands went cold.
"On what?"
He opened his briefcase.
Inside were several printed documents.
Bank statements.
Business registrations.
Invoices.
And a copy of a property agreement.
I recognized the address immediately.
Our lake house.
The small property Elaine and I had purchased twenty-five years earlier.
I stared at the page.
"Why is my lake house listed here?"
Julian looked ashamed.
"V&C Luxury Events used it as supporting collateral for a private business loan."
My stomach tightened.
"That's impossible."
He nodded.
"It should have been."
I grabbed the document.
The amount was four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
I read it twice.
Then again.
A signature appeared beneath Elaine's name.
It looked similar to hers.
But I knew my wife's handwriting.
She always added a small loop beneath the final letter.
This signature didn't have it.
"That's forged."
Julian nodded.
"I believe so."
I stared at him.
"Who prepared this?"
He swallowed.
"Celeste."
My jaw tightened.
"And Vanessa?"
"She submitted the application."
I felt anger rising.
"Did the loan close?"
Julian shook his head.
"Not yet. The lender requested additional verification."
Relief washed through me.
Then Julian continued.
"But several smaller payments have already been made from accounts connected to the wedding."
I closed my eyes.
"How much?"
He hesitated.
"Approximately ninety thousand dollars."
I felt sick.
The wedding had cost us more than I ever imagined.
But I wasn't worried about the decorations anymore.
I was worried about the possibility that someone had tried to mortgage my wife's home without her knowledge.
"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked.
Julian looked down.
"Because I helped prepare some of the invoices."
My expression hardened.
He continued quickly.
"I didn't know they were false at first."
I stared at him.
"When did you find out?"
"Last week."
"And you waited until today?"
His eyes filled.
"I was afraid."
I took a breath.
"Of what?"
"Celeste threatened to accuse me of stealing company money."
I looked toward the ballroom.
She had just laughed at my wife.
Called her unworthy of an elegant wedding.
And now I was hearing that she might have forged Elaine's signature to obtain money.
I felt a cold anger settle inside me.
"Julian, you need an attorney."
He nodded.
"I know."
"And you need to preserve everything."
"I have."
He held up the flash drive.
"Original emails. Invoice files. Messages."
I looked at him.
"Don't alter anything."
He nodded.
"I won't."
Then I called my attorney, Denise Whitaker.
Denise had represented our family for nearly fifteen years.
She knew our businesses.
Our property.
Our finances.
And she knew Elaine.
When I explained what happened, her voice changed.
"Richard, do not confront anyone about the documents until we've secured copies."
I took a breath.
"Understood."
"Where are you?"
"At the wedding venue."
"Stay with Elaine. I'll send someone to collect the evidence properly."
I nodded.
Then she asked:
"Has anyone physically hurt her?"
My throat tightened.
"Vanessa pushed her into a muddy flowerbed."
There was silence.
Then Denise said:
"Document the incident. Get medical attention if she needs it. Preserve any security footage."
I looked toward the hallway.
"All right."
After ending the call, I returned to Elaine.
She had changed into a spare robe Monica provided.
Her gown lay across a chair, stained beyond recognition.
When she saw my face, she became worried.
"Richard?"
I sat beside her.
"Sweetheart, there's something I need to tell you."
She looked frightened.
"What?"
I showed her the property agreement.
She read it.
Then her face turned white.
"Our lake house?"
I nodded.
She stared at the signature.
"That's not mine."
"I know."
Her hands began trembling.
"Why would Vanessa use our property?"
I swallowed.
"We're investigating."
Tears filled her eyes.
"Richard, that house belonged to my parents."
I nodded.
"I know."
The lake house wasn't just real estate.
It was the place where Elaine's father taught Daniel to fish.
Where her mother baked peach pies every summer.
Where we scattered her parents' ashes beneath the old oak tree.
It was her family's history.
And someone had apparently tried to turn it into collateral for a business loan.
Elaine began crying.
I held her.
"We're going to protect it."
She looked at me.
"Promise?"
I nodded.
"I promise I'll do everything legally possible."
She buried her face against my shoulder.
For the first time that day, I felt afraid.
Not of losing money.
But of losing the trust that held our family together.
Then the door opened.
Daniel stood there.
His tuxedo jacket was gone.
His face looked exhausted.
"Mom?"
Elaine looked up.
For a moment, hope appeared in her eyes.
Then she remembered.
She looked away.
Daniel stepped closer.
"Mom, I'm sorry."
She didn't answer.
He looked at the muddy gown.
His expression changed.
"I didn't realize how bad it was."
I stood.
"You watched her fall."
He swallowed.
"I know."
"You watched Vanessa push her."
He looked down.
"I know."
"And you called it an accident."
His eyes filled.
"I was trying to keep everyone calm."
I stared at him.
"By lying?"
He covered his face.
"Dad..."
I took a breath.
"Daniel, sit down."
He obeyed.
Then I placed the property agreement in front of him.
His eyes moved across the page.
He frowned.
"What is this?"
I watched carefully.
"Have you ever seen it?"
He shook his head.
"No."
I pointed toward the signature.
"Your mother's name."
Daniel looked at Elaine.
She was crying.
His face turned pale.
"Mom, did you sign this?"
She shook her head.
"No."
He stared at the document.
Then whispered:
"Vanessa told me she needed access to the lake house records."
My stomach tightened.
"When?"
"About three weeks ago."
I felt sick.
"What did you give her?"
He looked ashamed.
"A copy of the property deed."
Elaine began sobbing harder.
I closed my eyes.
Daniel looked at us.
"I'm sorry."
I stared at him.
"Son, do you understand what you've done?"
He covered his face.
"I thought she wanted it for a wedding photograph location."
I shook my head.
"And you didn't ask us?"
He began crying.
"No."
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then Daniel looked at me.
"Dad, I need to tell you something."
I waited.
He swallowed.
"Vanessa has been asking questions about your estate plan."
My heart stopped.
"What questions?"
He looked toward Elaine.
Then whispered:
May you like
"She wanted to know how much I would inherit when you both died."
And suddenly, I realized the wedding might have been only the first step in something far more dangerous.
