Chapter 2 - THE TABLE HE DIDN’T EXPECT ME TO REACH
Daniel studied me for half a second longer than necessary.
Then he smiled.
“Of course.”
He turned toward the donors.
I caught his wrist.
“Daniel.”
He looked back.
“Yes?”
“Ethan told me something.”
His eyes flicked toward our son.
That tiny movement told me more than any confession could have.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Not here.”
“Why?”
“Because this is a charity gala, Claire.”
I smiled.
“Exactly.”
I released him.
“Go.”
He walked away.
Ethan looked up at me.
“Mom?”
“You did the right thing.”
“Are you mad at me?”
My heart cracked.
“No, sweetheart.”
I took his hand.
“I could never be mad at you for telling me the truth.”
Across the ballroom, Daniel approached Vanessa.
She whispered something.
He shook his head.
Then she looked directly at me.
Not embarrassed.
Not frightened.
Almost amused.
That was when I noticed the necklace.
A thin gold chain with a small emerald pendant.
I had seen it before.
Not on Vanessa.
In my own bedroom.
Six months earlier, Daniel had opened the drawer where I kept my grandmother's jewelry and asked whether I still wanted the old emerald pendant.
I had told him yes.
He had laughed and said he was only curious.
The pendant had disappeared two weeks later.
I had assumed I misplaced it.
Apparently, I hadn't.
“Mom?”
Ethan tugged my hand.
“What?”
“Can we go outside?”
“Why?”
“Dad told me never to go near the blue folder.”
My stomach tightened.
“What blue folder?”
He pointed toward Daniel's table.
“It's in his office at home.”
“What did you see?”
“Numbers.”
“What kind of numbers?”
“I don't know.”
He hesitated.
“Dad said if I ever opened it, people would lose their jobs.”
That didn't sound like a child's misunderstanding.
That sounded like something Daniel had deliberately said to frighten him.
I kissed Ethan's forehead.
“Stay with Aunt Melissa.”
My sister wasn't here.
I had forgotten.
I had spent six months believing my marriage was stable enough that I didn't need a safety net.
That belief suddenly felt dangerous.
I spotted Robert Whitman near the auction display.
Daniel had spent almost a year trying to convince him to support the foundation's new children's rehabilitation center.
If Robert knew something about Daniel's business, he might be useful.
I walked toward him.
“Robert.”
He turned.
“Claire. You look stunning.”
“Thank you.”
His smile faded when he saw my expression.
“Everything all right?”
“I need to ask you something.”
He glanced toward Daniel.
“About the foundation?”
“About the Mercer account.”
Robert went still.
“What about it?”
“Have you ever seen a blue folder?”
His face changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
“Why?”
“Because my son mentioned one.”
Robert lowered his voice.
“Claire, I think you should speak to your husband.”
“I plan to.”
“Before you do, you need to understand something.”
He looked around.
“Daniel didn't tell you everything about the foundation.”
“What didn't he tell me?”
Robert hesitated.
Then a woman approached.
“Robert, the auction is starting.”
He nodded.
“I'll find you later.”
“No.”
I caught his arm.
“You're going to tell me now.”
He looked uncomfortable.
“Some of the foundation's donations were routed through Mercer Capital.”
“So?”
“Some donors thought they were making charitable gifts.”
“And?”
“Part of that money was used to cover a private investment.”
I stared at him.
“What investment?”
He lowered his voice.
“A company called Northstar.”
The name meant nothing to me.
“What does Northstar do?”
“Medical technology.”
“Isn't that one of Daniel's clients?”
Robert nodded.
“Yes.”
A chill moved through me.
“How much money?”
“Almost eight million dollars.”
I couldn't speak.
Daniel had told me the foundation was clean.
Transparent.
Carefully audited.
Robert squeezed my hand.
“Claire, I may be wrong.”
“You're not.”
I turned.
Daniel was watching us.
His face was no longer smiling.
And Vanessa was standing beside him.
She held a glass of champagne in one hand.
In the other was my grandmother's emerald necklace.
I walked toward them.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Claire—”
I stopped.
“Where did she get that?”
Vanessa touched the pendant.
“Oh, this?”
She smiled.
“Daniel gave it to me.”
The room seemed to tilt.
Daniel's voice dropped.
“Vanessa.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
Then she turned to me.
“Didn't he tell you?”
I looked at my husband.
“Tell me what?”
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
Daniel grabbed her arm.
“Not another word.”
She pulled free.
“You promised.”
Daniel froze.
I looked between them.
“What did he promise?”
Vanessa's eyes filled with anger.
Then she said something I wasn't prepared to hear.
“He promised me he would leave you after tonight.”
Ethan appeared behind me.
He had heard every word.
And in his hand was a blue folder.
May you like
“Mom,” he whispered.
“Dad left this on the table.”
