Chapter 11: The Betrayal Inside My Own Home
I read the sentence again.
*Someone you trust more than anyone.*
My mind searched through every possibility.
Vanessa.
Brandon.
Chloe.
But Richard’s letter said someone else.
Someone I trusted.
Someone outside their circle.
Daniel looked at me.
“Do you know who he means?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Richard slowly walked back into the room.
“Emily.””
I looked at him.
“Who?””
He looked like he wanted to disappear.
“I don’t know.””
I held up the letter.
“You wrote this.””
“Yes.””
“Six years ago.””
“Yes.””
“And you knew someone was planning something.””
Richard nodded.
“I suspected.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then he said:
“My attorney.””
The room went quiet.
“Your attorney?””
Richard nodded.
“His name was Michael Grant.””
Daniel immediately looked up.
“Grant?””
“You know him?””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“I know the firm.””
Richard frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel opened his laptop.
“Michael Grant handled several of the documents connected to the accounts.””
My stomach dropped.
“The same attorney?””
“Yes.””
Richard looked horrified.
“He was my friend.””
I looked at him.
“How long?””
“Almost twenty years.””
Another betrayal.
Another person trusted.
Another person hiding behind a smile.
Daniel searched through the records.
“There’s more.””
He turned the screen.
A series of payments appeared.
The recipient:
Grant Legal Services.
The dates:
Six years ago.
Five years ago.
Four years ago.
Every year.
Richard stared.
“I never approved those.””
Daniel nodded.
“Because they weren’t legal fees.””
“What were they?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Payments.””
My chest tightened.
“From who?””
He pointed at the account.
“Vanessa.””
Richard shook his head.
“No.””
Daniel continued.
“And recently, from Brandon.””
Everyone went silent.
The entire plan had been connected.
The lawyer.
The ex-wife.
The fiancé.
The daughter.
All tied together.
Chloe sat down.
“I can’t believe this.””
I looked at her.
“Now you understand how I feel.””
She lowered her head.
“I’m sorry.””
I believed she meant it.
But forgiveness was not something I could give today.
Not yet.
Richard looked devastated.
“I trusted Michael.””
I placed the letter down.
“You trusted everyone.””
He looked at me.
“And I trusted you.””
That hurt him.
Good.
Because I needed him to understand.
Not the money.
Not the documents.
The trust.
Daniel received another notification.
He looked at it.
Then frowned.
“What?””
He turned the screen.
“Michael Grant just accessed the file system.””
Richard froze.
“When?””
“Ten minutes ago.””
Daniel stood.
“He knows we found everything.””
The officer immediately moved.
“Where is he?””
Daniel checked the location.
“He’s heading here.””
My heart started racing.
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
Then the ballroom doors opened.
A man in a gray suit walked in.
Older.
Confident.
Calm.
Like he owned the room.
Michael Grant.
Richard stepped forward.
“Michael.””
The attorney smiled.
“Richard.””
The smile disappeared when he saw Daniel.
“I see you found the documents.””
Daniel stared.
“You expected this.””
Michael looked around.
“I expected eventually.””
My blood ran cold.
Richard’s voice was full of disbelief.
“You helped them.””
Michael sighed.
“You make it sound so simple.””
“You helped them steal from my wife.””
“No.””
Michael looked at me.
“I helped your wife discover the truth.””
Nobody moved.
I stared at him.
“What?””
He walked closer.
“Emily, you don’t know what Richard did before you met him.””
Richard’s face changed.
“Don’t.””
Michael ignored him.
“You believe you married a man with a clean past.””
He smiled sadly.
“You didn’t.””
I looked at Richard.
“What is he talking about?””
Michael pulled out a folder.
“The reason everyone wanted your money wasn’t because you were wealthy.””
He placed it on the table.
“It was because Richard already owed someone.””
Richard went pale.
“What are you doing?””
Michael opened the folder.
Inside was a document.
A document dated seven years ago.
Before our wedding.
Before I knew Richard.
I looked at the name.
And my heart stopped.
Because the debt wasn’t to Vanessa.
It wasn’t to Brandon.
May you like
It wasn’t to a bank.
It was owed to someone who had been dead for years.
