Chapter 2: The Brother I Trusted
I stared at the screen until the words blurred.
Make sure Lily doesn’t ruin the plan.
My daughter was standing right beside me, holding onto my suit jacket, completely unaware that the two people I trusted most had been planning something against us.
Vanessa reached for the phone.
“Michael, please.””
I stepped back.
“No.””
Her tears continued falling.
“I can explain everything.””
I laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“Explain what? The secret phone? The messages? My brother being involved?””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
That silence answered more than words ever could.
I carried Lily out of the dressing room.
The wedding music was still playing in the ballroom.
Guests were laughing.
The photographer was adjusting cameras.
Everyone was waiting for a beautiful moment.
They had no idea my entire life had just collapsed behind a closed door.
My best friend, Daniel, noticed my expression immediately.
“Michael?””
He walked toward me.
“Is everything okay?””
I looked at him.
“No.””
One word.
That was all I could say.
Vanessa followed behind me a few seconds later.
She had already fixed her face.
The crying woman was gone.
Now she looked calm.
Controlled.
“Michael is upset because Lily misunderstood something,” Vanessa announced.
Several guests turned toward us.
My brother James appeared from across the room.
He smiled.
A normal smile.
The same smile he had given me my entire life.
“Brother, what’s going on?””
I looked at him.
“Funny you should ask.””
His smile faded slightly.
I held up the phone.
“Want to explain this?””
James looked at the screen.
For a split second, his face changed.
Only for a second.
Then he recovered.
“I have no idea what that is.””
“You don’t?””
“No.””
Vanessa stepped beside him.
“She’s probably confused. Michael, you’re emotional right now.””
Emotional.
That word hit me.
Because they were counting on that.
They wanted me to look like an angry groom having a breakdown before his wedding.
I looked around the room.
Everyone was watching.
So I did something I never thought I would do.
I spoke loudly.
“My brother and my fiancée were discussing taking my house and my daughter’s trust fund.””
The room went silent.
Someone gasped.
James immediately shook his head.
“That’s insane.””
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Michael, stop.””
I pulled away.
“Don’t touch me.””
Lily pressed herself against my side.
James noticed.
His eyes moved toward her.
And something about that look made my blood run cold.
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t concern.
It was calculation.
The same look someone gives when they’re trying to solve a problem.
And Lily was the problem.
Daniel stepped between us.
“James, what is going on?””
James looked offended.
“I can’t believe my own brother would accuse me like this.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“Tell them.””
She stayed silent.
“Tell them what the phone was for.””
Her eyes lowered.
That was when everyone knew.
Silence could be an admission too.
The estate manager approached carefully.
“Mr. Carter, is there an issue?””
I almost laughed.
An issue.
My entire wedding had become a crime scene.
I took Lily’s hand.
“We’re leaving.””
Vanessa grabbed my sleeve.
“Michael, if you walk away right now, you’ll regret it.””
I looked at her.
“Is that a threat?””
Her face softened.
“No. It’s a warning.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
She didn’t answer.
James did.
“You really don’t understand what you’re dealing with.””
I turned toward him.
“What did you do?””
James smiled slightly.
That scared me more than if he had yelled.
“You should check your emails before you make any decisions.””
My phone buzzed.
I looked down.
There was a new email.
The sender was my attorney.
The subject line read:
“Urgent: Documents requiring your immediate attention.””
I opened it.
And my heart stopped.
Because attached was a document with my signature.
A document I had never seen before.
May you like
A document that transferred temporary guardianship of Lily.
To Vanessa.
