Chapter 3
Logan was waiting behind the Bayfront Pavilion near the loading entrance.
He wore black dress pants and a white shirt.
His tie hung loose around his neck.
He looked like a groom who had expected nerves.
Not financial fraud.
His father, Charles Bennett, stood beside him.
Charles owned several businesses across Southern California.
I had met him six times.
He was polished, confident, and always courteous to me.
That morning, he looked furious.
“Glenn.”
“Charles.”
He held up his phone.
“My attorney just told me Curtis Bell notarized something involving this property.”
I studied him.
“You know Curtis?”
“He handles financing for our dealership group.”
“Did you authorize anything involving my pavilion?”
“No.”
His answer came immediately.
Logan looked between us.
“What is happening?”
We went into my office.
I locked the door.
Then I laid out the documents.
The forged loan.
The fake trust authorization.
The corporate records for RLS Consulting.
The transfers.
Logan’s face changed with every page.
When he reached Sabrina’s name on the company filing, he sat down.
“No.”
I said nothing.
He looked at me.
“She told me RLS was Raymond’s consulting company.”
“She’s a manager.”
“She said she only helped him design a logo.”
Charles picked up the incorporation papers.
“This is eight months old.”
“Yes.”
Logan whispered, “Raymond came back six months ago.”
“Exactly.”
The room went still.
Sabrina’s story had been that Raymond found her through social media after years of regret.
If RLS existed before that reunion, then at least part of the reunion had been planned.
Logan shook his head.
“She wouldn’t do this.”
I wanted to say the same thing.
Instead, I said, “I hope there’s an explanation.”
Charles looked at me.
“You don’t believe there is.”
“No.”
He examined the forged notarization.
“This signature from Curtis looks real.”
“That’s what concerns my attorney.”
Charles immediately called his legal counsel.
While he stepped away, Logan stared at Sabrina’s name.
“Did she steal from you?”
“I know money went into a company she controls.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
His eyes filled.
“How much?”
“At least two hundred thousand so far.”
He covered his face.
I felt sorry for him.
Despite everything, this was supposed to be his wedding day.
“Logan.”
He looked up.
“You do not have to make any decision in the next five minutes.”
He laughed bitterly.
“I’m supposed to marry her in three hours.”
“Yes.”
“What would you do?”
I almost answered.
Then stopped.
“That has to be your decision.”
His eyes moved to my hands.
“You really made your own suit?”
That question surprised me.
“Yes.”
“What happened to it?”
I looked at him.
“Victoria cut it apart.”
He stared.
“Why?”
“She thought Raymond would represent the family better.”
Logan stood.
“She did what?”
“I’m not telling you for sympathy.”
“Does Sabrina know?”
“She watched part of it.”
His face collapsed.
“She let that happen?”
“Yes.”
He walked toward the window.
“My father started as a mechanic.”
I looked at Charles through the glass office wall.
Logan continued.
“He didn’t own anything until I was ten.”
He turned.
“Half the politicians Mom invited to this wedding wouldn’t even return his calls back then.”
I said nothing.
“My dad’s hands looked like yours.”
Something inside me softened.
Logan looked furious now.
“If Sabrina thinks working with your hands is embarrassing, she has been lying to me about what she values.”
The office door opened.
Charles returned.
“Curtis isn’t answering.”
His attorney had confirmed something else.
Curtis notarized the document outside normal business channels.
No company authorization.
Charles immediately suspended him.
Then my phone vibrated.
Victoria.
Again.
I declined.
Logan’s phone rang next.
Sabrina.
He stared at the screen.
Then answered.
“Hey.”
Her voice came faintly through.
“Where are you?”
“With my dad.”
Technically true.
“Why?”
“Wedding stuff.”
She sighed.
“My dad is trying to ruin everything.”
Logan looked at me.
“What did he do?”
“He froze the pavilion.”
I had not frozen the pavilion.
“He canceled half the vendors.”
Only unpaid upgrades.
“He stole money from me.”
Logan closed his eyes.
“How much?”
“Almost two hundred thousand.”
Same number.
She was using the amount she had taken from me.
Logan asked carefully, “From where?”
“My business.”
“What business?”
Silence.
I watched his face.
“Sabrina?”
“RLS.”
There it was.
Logan looked at me.
“What does RLS stand for?”
Another pause.
“Raymond Lifestyle Services.”
The corporate filing said otherwise.
Logan’s voice became colder.
“Who are the registered managers?”
She stopped speaking.
“Sabrina.”
“Why are you interrogating me?”
“I asked a question.”
She snapped.
“My dad has gotten inside your head.”
I almost admired how quickly she shifted blame.
Then Victoria’s voice appeared in the background.
“Hang up.”
Logan heard it.
“So your mother is there?”
“Yes.”
“Is Raymond?”
No answer.
“Sabrina?”
“Yes.”
Logan’s jaw tightened.
“Put him on.”
“Why?”
“I want to ask him something.”
“You’re acting crazy.”
Logan laughed once.
“Interesting choice of word.”
She hung up.
Charles looked at his son.
“You okay?”
“No.”
Honest.
Then someone knocked.
My pavilion manager, Elena Ruiz, entered.
“Glenn, we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Victoria brought security.”
I stood.
“What security?”
“Four private guards.”
Charles frowned.
“From where?”
“Bennett Executive Protection.”
Charles went completely still.
“That is one of my companies.”
Logan stared at him.
“You sent security?”
“No.”
Elena continued.
“They say Mr. Bennett authorized them to remove Glenn Mercer if he enters the ceremony areas.”
Charles’s expression hardened.
“I authorized no such thing.”
We walked outside together.
The main ballroom was already being decorated.
White roses.
Gold chairs.
Crystal centerpieces.
Everything I had paid for.
Near the front doors stood four security guards.
Victoria was speaking to them.
Raymond stood beside her.
Sabrina was there in her robe, hair half styled.
When she saw me, her face changed.
Then she saw Logan and Charles.
Fear followed.
Victoria recovered first.
“Glenn.”
I continued walking.
One guard stepped forward.
“Sir, we’ve been instructed—”
Charles cut him off.
“By whom?”
The guard recognized him instantly.
“Mr. Bennett.”
“I own the company.”
The guard straightened.
“Yes, sir.”
“Who authorized this assignment?”
He checked his phone.
“Curtis Bell.”
Charles’s face darkened.
Everything connected back to Curtis.
Victoria stepped forward.
“This is unnecessary.”
I looked at her.
“You’re right.”
She lowered her voice.
“You were told not to come.”
“I own the building.”
Her smile faltered.
“No, you don’t.”
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
I took out the trust deed.
“The Mercer Family Asset Trust owns it.”
She glanced at the paper.
“So?”
“I am the sole trustee.”
Raymond’s face changed.
Victoria stared at me.
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
“You told me we owned everything jointly.”
“I told you this family had a home.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“No.”
Her voice rose.
“This is my marital property.”
“My attorney can explain the difference.”
Sabrina stepped toward me.
“You’re humiliating us.”
I looked at her bridal robe.
“No.”
I kept my voice quiet.
“I’m finally refusing to let you humiliate me.”
Guests were beginning to arrive.
I didn’t want a public scene.
Not yet.
I turned to Elena.
“The wedding proceeds.”
Everyone stared.
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“I’m not canceling it.”
Sabrina looked surprised.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I’m attending.”
Her face hardened.
“No.”
Logan spoke behind me.
“Yes.”
Sabrina turned.
“What?”
He walked toward her slowly.
“Glenn is invited.”
“This is our wedding.”
“Exactly.”
She glanced at Raymond.
“But my father is walking me down the aisle.”
Logan’s eyes moved toward me.
Then back to her.
“Which father?”
Silence.
Sabrina whispered, “Don’t do this.”
Logan pulled the RLS corporate filing from his pocket.
“I think we need to talk before anybody walks anywhere.”
Her face drained.
Raymond immediately stepped forward.
“That paperwork is private.”
Charles laughed without humor.
“Not anymore.”
Raymond looked toward the exits.
One of Charles’s security guards quietly moved in front of the nearest door.
Not trapping him.
Simply observing.
Then my phone rang.
Martin.
I answered.
“Tell me.”
His voice was tight.
“The fraud unit traced another account.”
“How much?”
“Glenn, it’s not just money.”
My stomach tightened.
“What is it?”
“Victoria took out a life insurance policy on you four months ago.”
I closed my eyes.
“How much?”
“Two million dollars.”
I looked at Victoria.
She was arguing with Sabrina and Logan.
Martin continued.
“And Raymond is listed as the contingent beneficiary through a trust.”
My blood turned cold.
“Why would Raymond benefit from my death?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
Then Martin said something even worse.
“The policy application says you have a serious heart condition.”
I did not.
“And Glenn?”
“Yes?”
“The medical exam supporting it was signed by a doctor who does not appear to exist.”
May you like
I watched my wife across the ballroom.
For the first time, stealing my house no longer looked like the worst thing she had planned.
