Chapter 5 - THE FIANCÉE'S SECRET
Julian confronted Vivian before sunrise.
She was waiting in the hospital lobby.
Calm.
Perfectly dressed.
As if nothing had happened.
“You came here.”
Vivian looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To see Daniel.”
“How did you know he was alive?”
She smiled faintly.
“You called me.”
“I didn't.”
“Then someone did.”
Julian stepped closer.
“Who?”
Vivian sighed.
“You're becoming paranoid.”
“My brother was shot.”
“I know.”
“And you knew he was alive.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
She stared at him.
Then said,
“Because my father told me.”
Julian's jaw tightened.
“Your father knew?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
Vivian looked away.
“Years.”
Julian felt something inside him break.
“You knew my brother was alive.”
“I knew there was a possibility.”
“You lied to me.”
“So did your family.”
“My family didn't threaten Elena.”
Vivian's expression changed.
“You don't know that.”
Julian stared.
“What does that mean?”
Vivian stepped closer.
“Ask Elena why she changed her name.”
“I already know.”
“No, you don't.”
Vivian's voice became quiet.
“She didn't change her name because she was hiding from us.”
Julian frowned.
“She changed it because she was running from the police.”
“What?”
Vivian smiled.
“That girl isn't innocent.”
Julian stepped backward.
“Explain.”
“She was involved in the accident.”
“You said that yesterday.”
“My father has evidence.”
“Where?”
Vivian shook her head.
“You'll have to ask him.”
Julian stared at her.
Then he walked away.
Elena was furious when Julian told her.
“I never ran from the police.”
“I believe you.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
She searched his face.
“You hesitated.”
“Because I don't know what happened.”
“I told you.”
“You told me what you remember.”
“And you believe Vivian?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I want the truth.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“The truth is never enough for people like you.”
“What does that mean?”
“You have money. Power. Lawyers. You can demand evidence whenever you want.”
“And you think I can't understand fear?”
“I think you forgot what it feels like to have none of those things.”
Julian fell silent.
Elena immediately regretted the words.
He looked down.
“You're right.”
She blinked.
“I am?”
“I spent twelve years building a life where nobody could take anything from me again.”
He looked at her.
“You spent twelve years surviving because someone had already taken everything.”
The anger left her face.
Julian continued.
“I don't want to control your story.”
“Then what do you want?”
“The truth.”
Elena looked away.
“Then we'll find it.”
The safe deposit box contained only three things.
A cassette tape.
A photograph.
And a handwritten ledger.
Julian stared at them.
“The bank said my father opened this twelve years before the accident.”
Elena picked up the photograph.
It showed Julian's father standing beside Caroline Navarro.
They were smiling.
Not enemies.
Friends.
On the back was a date.
Three days before the accident.
Elena's hands trembled.
“My mother knew your father.”
“Yes.”
“She never told me.”
Julian turned on the cassette player.
Static filled the room.
Then his father's voice.
“If anything happens to me, the person responsible is Richard Lawrence.”
Julian stopped breathing.
His father's voice continued.
“He has been stealing from the company for years.”
Then another voice.
Caroline.
“Daniel knows.”
Julian looked at Elena.
Her mother continued.
“If they come after me, protect Elena.”
The tape crackled.
Then came a sound.
A door opening.
A man's voice.
Richard.
“You should have listened.”
The recording ended.
Julian stared at the machine.
Elena whispered,
“My mother heard him.”
“Yes.”
“And your father recorded it.”
“Yes.”
They looked at each other.
Then the office door opened.
Martin Hale entered.
His face was pale.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Vivian has filed a police report.”
Julian stood.
“For what?”
Martin looked at Elena.
“Kidnapping.”
Elena's blood ran cold.
“Who did she accuse?”
“You.”
The police arrived thirty minutes later.
Julian's attorneys tried to intervene.
But Elena refused to hide.
She sat in the interview room.
Calm.
Exhausted.
A detective placed a file on the table.
“Ms. Brooks, do you know Vivian Lawrence?”
“Yes.”
“Did you threaten her?”
“No.”
“Did you have contact with her before the gala?”
“No.”
“Then why did she accuse you of attempting to kidnap her?”
Elena stared.
“I didn't.”
The detective opened another folder.
“We have surveillance footage.”
He pushed photographs across the table.
Elena looked.
The images showed a woman in a black uniform entering Vivian's hotel suite two nights earlier.
The woman's face was partially hidden.
But the uniform was identical to Elena's.
The detective said,
“You were there.”
“No.”
“Your employee records say otherwise.”
“I wasn't.”
He leaned closer.
“Then someone is impersonating you.”
Elena looked at the photograph.
She recognized the shoes.
Not hers.
The woman wore a silver bracelet.
Elena never wore jewelry except her mother's key.
Then she saw the reflection in the mirror.
A second person.
A man.
Gray eyes.
Her stomach dropped.
The detective noticed.
“You recognize him?”
Elena whispered,
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Richard Lawrence.”
Across town, Julian entered Richard's office without knocking.
“You framed her.”
Richard remained calm.
“You're upset.”
“You created fake evidence.”
“You have no proof.”
“I have your voice.”
Richard's face changed.
Julian placed the cassette on the desk.
For the first time, Richard looked afraid.
“You found it.”
“Yes.”
“You don't understand what you're doing.”
“Then explain it.”
Richard stood.
“Your father was going to destroy everything.”
“He tried to stop you.”
“He tried to take my family down.”
Julian stared.
“You killed him.”
Richard's eyes hardened.
“I didn't kill anyone.”
“Then who did?”
Richard remained silent.
Julian stepped closer.
“Who?”
Richard finally said,
“Ask Vivian.”
Julian froze.
“What?”
“Your fiancée knows more than you think.”
Vivian was waiting at the Cross estate.
Julian entered.
She looked at him.
“You found the tape.”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“Then it's over.”
“What is?”
“Our family.”
Julian stared.
“Tell me everything.”
Vivian began crying.
“I never wanted anyone dead.”
“Who did?”
“My father.”
“What did he do?”
“He ordered the accident.”
Julian's face went white.
Vivian continued.
“He wanted Caroline Navarro killed.”
“And Elena?”
“She wasn't supposed to be there.”
“Who drove the second car?”
Vivian looked at him.
“My brother.”
Julian stopped.
“You have a brother?”
Vivian nodded.
“Marcus.”
Julian's blood ran cold.
“Marcus Lawrence.”
“The man with the gray eyes.”
That night, Elena received a message.
A photograph appeared on her phone.
Lily standing outside the school.
Beside her was a man.
Gray eyes.
The message contained only three words.
COME ALONE.
Elena looked at Julian.
Then at the photograph.
She knew exactly what she had to do.
May you like
But she also knew one thing.
She would not go alone.
