Chapter 5: The Deal Behind The Wedding
The name stared back at me.
Diane Carter.
My future mother-in-law.
The woman who had called my father trash.
The woman who had stood in front of hundreds of guests and acted like she was above everyone in the room.
But according to my mother’s documents, she was connected to my family long before today.
I turned the page.
The words blurred.
Not because I couldn’t read them.
Because I didn’t want to believe them.
“Ethan?””
My father’s voice pulled me back.
I looked up.
Everyone was waiting.
Diane looked terrified.
Vanessa looked confused.
And my father looked like a man who already knew what I was about to discover.
“What is this?”” I asked.
Diane immediately stepped forward.
“Give me that.””
I moved the papers away.
“No.””
Her face hardened.
“You don’t understand what you’re reading.””
“Then explain it.””
She looked around.
“This isn’t the place.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You didn’t care about the place when you insulted my father.””
A few guests looked away.
Diane’s jaw tightened.
“Arthur knows the truth.””
I looked at my father.
“Do you?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
That scared me.
“Dad?””
He finally nodded.
“I know part of it.””
“Part?””
My father sat down.
“I knew your mother had concerns about the Carter family.””
I stared.
“And you never told me?””
“I thought it was behind us.””
“Clearly it wasn’t.””
Rachel carefully took the documents from me and scanned the pages.
Her expression changed.
“Arthur…”
“What?””
She looked at him.
“This is the original agreement.””
My father closed his eyes.
“I know.””
I looked between them.
“Someone explain.””
My father took a deep breath.
“Twenty-five years ago, before you were born, I invested in a failing company.””
“The Carter company?””
“Yes.””
“And Diane’s family?””
“They were drowning.””
Diane’s face turned red.
“That’s not true.””
My father looked at her.
“You signed the agreement.””
She froze.
The guests started whispering again.
Diane lowered her voice.
“That agreement was supposed to be confidential.””
Rachel held up the papers.
“It was.””
She looked at Diane.
“Until someone attempted to transfer ownership illegally.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Mom?””
Diane ignored her.
“Ethan, you need to understand something.””
I looked at her.
“I’m listening.””
Her voice softened.
A completely different person from the woman who had humiliated my father.
“Your father and I had disagreements.””
I almost smiled.
“Disagreements?””
“You’re making this sound worse than it was.””
“You called him trash.””
Her eyes flickered.
“I was angry.””
“No.””
My voice became quiet.
“You meant it.””
The silence hurt more than yelling.
Because everyone knew it.
She meant it.
My father looked at me.
“Ethan, enough.””
I turned.
“Why are you defending her?””
“I’m not.””
“Then why stop me?””
He looked tired.
“Because anger makes people careless.””
That was my father.
Even now.
Even after everything.
He was thinking clearly.
Daniel stepped forward.
“There is one section Ethan needs to see.””
He pointed at the last page.
I read it.
And my stomach dropped.
The agreement included a condition.
A condition involving marriage.
I looked at Vanessa.
Then at Diane.
“What is this?””
Nobody answered.
I read it again.
If the Bennett heir enters a legal marriage with a member of the Carter family, ownership rights will be transferred according to the original agreement.
My hands went cold.
The room started spinning.
Vanessa shook her head.
“I didn’t know.””
I looked at her.
“Didn’t you?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“No.””
Diane stepped forward.
“Vanessa has nothing to do with this.””
I looked at her.
“Then why was I asked to sign documents today?””
No answer.
Rachel slowly opened another folder.
“I checked.””
Everyone looked at her.
“The marriage contract Ethan was given this morning included additional clauses.””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“What clauses?””
Rachel hesitated.
“Clauses connected to financial control.””
My heart sank.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You didn’t know?””
She shook her head quickly.
“I swear.””
For the first time all day, I believed she might actually be telling the truth.
But then Rachel looked at the bottom of the document.
Her expression changed.
“What?””
She turned the paper around.
“There is a signature here.””
Diane stepped closer.
“No.””
Rachel pointed.
“It’s already signed.””
Vanessa looked confused.
“Whose signature?””
Rachel slowly answered.
“Yours.””
Vanessa went completely still.
“I never signed that.””
Nobody moved.
Rachel checked again.
Then she whispered:
“Someone signed it pretending to be you.””
My father stood.
“Who had access?””
Rachel looked around the room.
Then her eyes stopped on one person.
Diane.
And Diane suddenly said something that made Vanessa step backward.
“I was trying to protect you.””
Vanessa stared at her mother.
“Protect me from what?””
Diane’s face crumbled.
“From him.””
She pointed at me.
The ballroom fell silent.
Then she whispered:
“Your fiancé was never the target.””
I froze.
“What?””
Diane looked at my father.
May you like
Then at me.
“The Bennett inheritance was.””
