The Groom Wasn't Marrying Me for Love—He Was Marrying Me for My Father's Fortune

For three seconds, nobody moved.

I stared at Marcus.

“What did you just say?””

He looked as if someone had pulled the floor out from beneath him.

“Nothing.””

“You said my father wasn't supposed to be here.””

Diane stepped between us.

“Marcus is upset. He's not thinking clearly.””

I ignored her.

The knock came again.

“Ms. Carter? It's Daniel. Your father's waiting downstairs.””

Daniel.

I knew that voice.

Daniel Brooks had been my father's personal attorney for nearly twenty years. He had handled the estate after Dad's death and had been the person who explained the family trust to me.

I rushed toward the door.

Marcus caught my wrist.

“Nia, don't.””

I looked down at his fingers.

“Let go.””

“Please. Just give me five minutes.””

“Five minutes to do what? Invent another lie?””

His grip loosened.

I opened the door.

Daniel stood in the hallway wearing a dark navy suit, his silver hair neatly combed. His expression was unusually serious.

Behind him stood two men in plain suits.

“Ms. Carter,” he said, glancing at my wedding dress.

“I'm sorry to interrupt your ceremony.””

I swallowed.

“Daniel, what did you mean when you said my father was waiting?””

He looked toward the lounge.

“Not here.””

Marcus stepped forward.

“Daniel, this is a private family situation.””

Daniel turned slowly.

“Mr. Reed, I would strongly advise you not to describe this as a family situation.””

Marcus's jaw tightened.

“You don't understand what's happening.””

“Oh, I understand quite well.””

Daniel looked at me.

“Your father left specific instructions concerning a situation exactly like this.””

My stomach twisted.

“Exactly like what?””

Daniel opened his leather briefcase and removed a thick envelope.

“An attempted transfer of your inheritance without your informed consent.””

I felt the room tilt.

He continued.

“Three weeks ago, our office received a request for copies of your estate documents. The request appeared to come from you.””

“It didn't.””

“We know that now.””

Daniel placed a document in my hand.

At the top was my full legal name.

Below it was a signature that looked almost identical to mine.

Almost.

“This is a power of attorney,” he explained.

“It would have given Marcus authority to manage your assets and vote your shares in Carter Development Group.””

I stared at the signature.

Someone had forged my name.

“Who submitted this?””

Daniel glanced toward Marcus.

“His attorney's office.””

Diane immediately interrupted.

“This is ridiculous. Marcus has done nothing wrong.””

Daniel didn't raise his voice.

“Mrs. Reed, the document contains an electronic submission record. It also contains a scanned identification document belonging to Ms.

Carter. We have reason to believe the information was obtained without her permission.””

Marcus shook his head.

“This is a misunderstanding.””

Daniel closed the briefcase.

“Then you'll have no objection to explaining it to investigators.””

The two men behind him stepped forward.

I looked at Marcus.

“Were you planning to steal my company?””

He rubbed his forehead.

“Nia, I wasn't going to steal anything. We were going to build something together.””

“By forging my signature?””

“I didn't forge anything.””

“Then who did?””

He looked at Diane.

It was brief.

But I saw it.

His mother stepped forward.

“You should be careful about making accusations. You're standing in a wedding dress, surrounded by hundreds of people. Think about the embarrassment you're causing.””

I almost laughed.

She was still worried about appearances.

Even now.

“I'm not the one who planned a wedding as a financial transaction,” I replied.

Marcus's voice softened.

“Nia, look at me. You know I love you.””

I stared at him.

“Then tell me one thing. Did you ever intend to marry me without touching my inheritance?””

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Daniel quietly touched my shoulder.

“Ms. Carter, there's something else.””

He handed me another envelope.

This one had my father's handwriting on it.

My name was written across the front.

I recognized the slanted letters immediately.

My knees nearly gave way.

“Where did you get this?””

“Your father instructed me to deliver it personally if certain conditions were met. The conditions were met this morning.””

I opened the envelope with trembling fingers.

Inside was a single handwritten letter and a small brass key.

I unfolded the letter.

My dearest Nia,

If Daniel is handing you this letter, someone has attempted to gain control of what I left you. I hope I'm wrong. But if I'm right, remember something: money doesn't reveal a person's character. It gives that character an opportunity to show itself.

I placed something important somewhere you once loved.

Look beneath the old oak.

And whatever happens today, don't sign anything.

I read the final line twice.

Then I looked at Daniel.

“What old oak?””

His expression softened.

“Your father's property in Connecticut. The house where you grew up.””

My childhood home.

The place Dad had sold two years before he died, after deciding that the maintenance was too expensive.

I had always regretted losing it.

“Why would he leave something there?””

Daniel glanced at the brass key.

“Because he never completely gave up the property.””

I looked at him in confusion.

He explained that my father had arranged a private storage agreement with the new owner. A small section of the property, including the old garden shed and a locked underground room, had been excluded from the sale.

I had never known.

Marcus suddenly moved toward us.

“Daniel, give me that letter.””

One of the men stepped into his path.

“Sir, stay where you are.””

Marcus stopped.

For the first time since I had met him, he looked genuinely frightened.

Diane, however, had regained her composure.

“This is all theatrics,” she said.

“Nia, you're making a terrible mistake. You have guests waiting. Your father would be ashamed to see you behaving like this.””

I turned toward her.

“Don't you dare use my father against me.””

Her lips tightened.

“I'm trying to protect you.””

“From the man you taught to steal from me?””

She went silent.

Daniel escorted me out of the lounge.

The hallway seemed impossibly long.

As we approached the staircase, I could hear the wedding guests talking downstairs. Someone had started playing the piano. The flowers were still arranged. The candles were still burning.

Everything looked perfect.

Everything except my future.

At the bottom of the staircase, my best friend, Olivia, rushed toward me.

“Nia! What happened? Everyone's asking where Marcus is.””

I looked at her.

“I need you to do something for me.””

“Anything.””

“Find the wedding planner. Tell her the ceremony is canceled.””

Olivia's mouth fell open.

“Are you sure?””

I looked at the ring on my finger.

Then I pulled it off.