Chapter 7: The Woman His Mother Feared
“Your mother wasn't trying to protect you from your father. She was trying to protect you from me.””
Vanessa's confession hung above the ruined wedding aisle.
Adrian stared at her, the unfinished letter trembling between his fingers. Behind him, the paramedics waited beside Serena's stretcher. Chloe stood close to her mother, watching the adults with wide, frightened eyes.
For several seconds, Adrian couldn't speak.
Then he held up the letter.
“What does this mean?””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand.
“It means your mother knew things about my family.””
“Your family?””
“Yes.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“You told me you grew up in Baltimore. You told me your parents died when you were young. You told me you had no connection to my family before we met.””
“I didn't lie about everything.””
“That isn't an answer.””
Vanessa glanced toward Malcolm, who stood beside the collapsed rose wall with his hands clenched at his sides.
“Tell him,” she said.
Malcolm shook his head.
“Not another word.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You've controlled the story for twenty-four years. You decided what Adrian knew about his mother. You decided what Serena could tell him. And now you want to decide what I can say?””
“Vanessa,” Malcolm warned.
“No.”” She pointed at the letter.
“If he's going to destroy my life, he should at least know why.””
Adrian's voice dropped.
“Start talking.””
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
“My mother worked for your family when I was a child. She was a housekeeper at your father's estate. She knew your mother, Eleanor, better than almost anyone.””
Adrian frowned.
“I've never heard of your mother.””
“Of course you haven't. Malcolm made sure of that.””
Malcolm stepped forward.
“That's enough.””
Vanessa ignored him.
“My mother died when I was thirteen. Before she died, she told me that Eleanor had discovered a financial scheme involving your father's company. Money was being moved through accounts that weren't supposed to exist. Eleanor wanted to expose it.””
Adrian looked at his father.
Malcolm's face had become rigid.
“What financial scheme?”” Adrian asked.
“Your father was diverting money from a family trust,” Vanessa replied.
“Your mother discovered the missing funds and threatened to report him.””
“That is a lie,” Malcolm said.
“Then explain the letter!””
Malcolm's mouth tightened.
Adrian felt as though he were standing in the center of a room that had been slowly collapsing around him.
“Why would my mother need to protect me from you?”” he asked Vanessa.
She lowered her eyes.
“Because I was the one who helped your father find her.””
The guests erupted in whispers.
Adrian stared at the woman he had planned to marry.
“You were a child.””
“I was thirteen. My mother had just died, and Malcolm told me he would take care of me. He paid for my schooling.
He gave me a place to live. He told me your mother was dangerous and that she had ruined my mother's life.””
“You believed him?””
“I wanted to believe him.””
“And when you grew up?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“I learned that he had lied.””
“Then why did you come into my life?””
She looked directly at him.
“Because I wanted the truth.””
Adrian's expression hardened.
“You could have asked me.””
“You would never have believed me if I told you what I knew about your father.””
“So you pretended to love me?””
Vanessa flinched.
“I did love you.””
“Did you love Chloe?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you make her believe her mother abandoned her?””
Vanessa looked toward the little girl.
For the first time, her face showed something other than fear for herself.
“Because Serena was going to tell you what happened the night your mother disappeared.””
Serena pushed herself up against the stretcher.
“Don't you dare put this on me.””
A paramedic gently encouraged her to lie back, but Serena shook her head.
“Adrian needs to know.””
Adrian moved beside her.
“What happened that night?””
Serena looked at Malcolm.
“He came to our house when I was pregnant with Chloe. He wanted me to sign documents stating that Eleanor had been unstable and had voluntarily left the family.””
Adrian stared at her.
“Why would he ask you to do that?””
“Because I had seen Eleanor the week before she disappeared.””
Malcolm's expression changed.
Serena continued.
“She came to me frightened. She said she had discovered what your father was doing with the trust. She said he had threatened to take you away from her if she went to the authorities.””
Adrian gripped the edge of the stretcher.
“What did she tell you?””
“That she had evidence. She said if anything happened to her, I had to make sure you received it.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You never told me that.””
“You never asked me what happened to Eleanor,” Serena replied.
“You only asked whether I still had the documents.””
Adrian turned toward Vanessa.
“You knew Serena had evidence?””
“Yes.””
“And instead of helping her, you hid her?””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“I thought the documents would destroy everything.””
“Everything you built on lies?””
She couldn't answer.
A security officer approached the group.
“Mr. Bennett, the police are outside. We need to preserve the recording device and secure the area.””
“Do it,” Adrian said.
“Nobody touches the floral installation until it's documented.””
The officer nodded and walked toward the entrance.
Adrian turned back to Serena.
“Where is the evidence?””
Serena reached into the pocket of her cardigan and pulled out a tiny silver key attached to a faded blue ribbon.
“I kept this hidden,” she whispered.
“Your mother gave it to me before she disappeared.””
Adrian took the key.
“What does it open?””
“A safety-deposit box.””
“Where?””
Serena looked toward Malcolm.
“Your father's private office has the only record of where it was registered.””
Malcolm's face went pale.
Adrian turned toward him.
“Tell me where the box is.””
His father remained silent.
Then Vanessa spoke, her voice trembling.
“It's not at a bank.””
Adrian looked at her.
“Where is it?””
Vanessa pointed toward the venue's service entrance.
“Your mother hid the evidence in the one place Malcolm would never think to search.””
May you like
She paused, then looked at the torn rose wall.
“Inside this building.””
