Chapter 8
Rebecca Shaw was not Caden’s mistress.
That was the first thing she said.
And strangely, I believed her.
She was in her early forties, wearing navy slacks and a white blouse, carrying a thick brown envelope.
Caden looked like he wanted the ground to open beneath him.
Rebecca looked at me.
“You’re Emily?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to come here without calling.”
“You know my husband?”
She glanced at Caden.
“I know his mother.”
Caden exhaled.
“Rebecca, don’t.”
She ignored him.
“I used to be her business partner.”
My stomach tightened.
“In what?”
“Property management.”
Bonnie had never mentioned a business partner.
Rebecca continued.
“About six years ago.”
Caden rubbed his forehead.
“Why are you here?”
“Because I saw Bonnie being taken from your house yesterday.”
News traveled fast in our neighborhood.
Rebecca looked at me.
“And because I’ve been waiting a long time to decide whether I should tell you something.”
I held the gate open.
“Come inside.”
Caden shook his head.
“Emily—”
“You can stay or leave.”
He stayed.
We sat in the small garden pavilion.
Marcus remained nearby.
Rebecca placed the envelope on the table.
“Bonnie and I owned rental properties together.”
Caden looked confused.
“My mother never owned rental properties.”
Rebecca gave him a sad smile.
“You’d be surprised what your mother never told you.”
The irony was almost painful.
Rebecca opened the envelope.
Inside were old business records.
“Bonnie and I bought distressed houses, renovated them, rented them, then sold them.”
“What happened?”
“She started moving money.”
Caden stared.
“What?”
“At first, small amounts. Then larger ones.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“When I confronted her, she said she deserved more because she did more work.”
“Did you sue her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“We settled.”
She slid a document across the table.
Bonnie had paid Rebecca $112,000.
Caden stared at the signature.
“I never knew.”
Rebecca’s expression softened.
“She made me sign a confidentiality agreement. It expired last year.”
I looked at her.
“Why does this matter now?”
“Because of your husband’s company.”
Lawson Property Solutions.
I felt my stomach sink.
Rebecca continued.
“When I saw that company registered, I recognized the mailing address.”
“What address?”
“A virtual office Bonnie used years ago.”
Caden looked shaken.
“She told me the accountant picked it.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Bonnie picked it.”
I leaned forward.
“Do you think she planned to steal from the company?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then what are you telling me?”
Rebecca looked directly at Caden.
“I’m telling you your mother has done this before.”
Caden stood.
“No.”
He walked several steps away.
Rebecca said quietly, “I’m sorry.”
He turned.
“You’re lying.”
“I have records.”
“My mother made mistakes. She wouldn’t—”
He stopped.
Because even he heard what he was saying.
Wouldn’t what?
Hide money?
Lie?
Manipulate documents?
We were already surrounded by evidence that she could.
Rebecca reached into the envelope again.
“This is why I really came.”
She handed me a printed email.
The sender was Bonnie.
The recipient was Rebecca.
The date was six months earlier.
Subject: ONE LAST PROJECT.
I read.
Rebecca,
I have access to capital now. Family money. Big money. If you’re interested, I’m putting together something that could make up for the past.
No hard feelings. We both did what we had to do.
B.
My skin went cold.
“You responded?”
Rebecca nodded.
She showed me the reply.
Never contact me again.
Caden stared at the email.
“She said family money.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Six months ago.”
That meant Bonnie was already thinking of my assets as available money.
Not mine.
Not separate.
Available.
I thought of her ordering my mother around.
Calling her a servant.
Talking about moving into the mansion.
Maybe the cruelty had not started with hatred.
Maybe it had started with entitlement.
She believed my family’s money was eventually going to belong to her son.
And because he was her son, she believed some of it belonged to her.
Caden sat down slowly.
“I was so stupid.”
No one argued.
Rebecca looked at him.
“You wanted your mother to be right because she was telling you something you wanted to hear.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“That you’d been cheated.”
He frowned.
She continued.
“She probably told you Emily hiding money meant Emily didn’t trust you.”
“Yes.”
“She probably told you a husband had rights.”
“Yes.”
“She probably told you it was about respect.”
His face crumpled.
“Yes.”
Rebecca nodded.
“That’s how Bonnie works.”
He stared at the table.
“She finds the wound first.”
The pavilion went silent.
I realized she was describing something bigger than greed.
Manipulation.
Bonnie had found Caden’s insecurity.
He had grown up poor.
He hated feeling excluded.
He hated discovering that other people knew things he didn’t.
Learning that I had hidden wealth must have hit every insecurity he had.
Bonnie had simply pushed.
But she could not have pushed if Caden had refused to move.
That part still belonged to him.
Rebecca stood.
“I should go.”
“Thank you,” I said.
She nodded.
Then looked at Caden.
“One piece of advice?”
He didn’t answer.
She gave it anyway.
“Stop asking whether your mother made you do something.”
His jaw tightened.
“Ask why you agreed.”
Then she left.
For several minutes, Caden and I sat alone.
Finally he said, “She’s right.”
I looked at him.
“I wanted to believe you had wronged me.”
“Why?”
“Because it was easier than admitting I felt small.”
His answer surprised me.
He looked toward the mansion.
“When I found out what you had, I started thinking about every time I paid for dinner.”
I stared at him.
“Every time I worried about a bill.”
His eyes filled.
“Every time I worked overtime.”
“You thought I was laughing at you?”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“I thought you were watching me prove myself for no reason.”
“I never asked you to prove anything.”
“I know.”
“And I worked too.”
“I know.”
“I paid bills too.”
“I know.”
I hated those words.
But this time they sounded different.
Less like an excuse.
More like shame.
He continued.
“My mother said you probably enjoyed knowing you could rescue us anytime.”
“That is insane.”
“I know.”
“You believed her.”
“For a while.”
“Long enough.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the flash drive still on the table.
“Do you know the password?”
“No.”
Nathan had already told me not to open it ourselves.
We would give it to the investigators.
Caden stood.
“I’m going to get a lawyer.”
“You should.”
“Not to fight you.”
I said nothing.
“To deal with the lawsuit.”
“Good.”
He looked at me.
“And whatever my mother did.”
“You may need one for your own actions too.”
“I know.”
He almost smiled sadly when he said it.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
“Who is it?”
“My mother’s attorney.”
He answered.
“Hello?”
I watched his face.
At first, confusion.
Then shock.
Then anger.
“What do you mean she’s gone?”
I stood.
“What?”
Caden listened.
“No. She was at the station.”
His eyes widened.
“When?”
He lowered the phone.
“My mother was released.”
I stared at him.
“That’s not surprising if charges weren’t filed immediately.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“That’s not what he means.”
“What does he mean?”
Caden’s voice became hoarse.
“She never went home.”
My skin prickled.
“Where is she?”
“No one knows.”
Marcus’s radio crackled at exactly that moment.
He listened.
Then looked toward the mansion.
“Ms. Carter.”
Something in his voice terrified me.
“What?”
“The rear service gate alarm just triggered.”
I stood.
Marcus was already moving.
Then every light in the mansion flickered.
Once.
Twice.
And went out.
Caden looked toward the dark house.
“Emily.”
My heart stopped.
May you like
“Donovan.”
I ran.
