Chapter 7: The Letter That Exposed My Father
For several seconds after Brianna hung up, I couldn't move.
My father's name.
Inside the hidden compartment of my dress.
A secret my grandmother had apparently protected for fifteen years.
Margaret Bellamy stood beside the conference table, watching me.
“Nia, what exactly did your sister say?””
I repeated the conversation.
When I finished, Arthur Whitmore removed his glasses and rubbed his forehead.
“This is becoming considerably more serious.””
I picked up my bag.
“I need to get that envelope.””
Margaret shook her head.
“Not without legal protection. If Adrian has opened the compartment, we need to make sure nothing disappears.””
“It's my dress.””
“I understand. But if the envelope contains evidence of fraud, you cannot afford to let him destroy it.””
Arthur reached for his phone.
“I'll contact our legal team. We can arrange for the gown to be secured as disputed property.””
I looked at him.
“How long will that take?””
“Several hours, perhaps.””
“I don't have several hours.””
My phone vibrated.
A message from Brianna appeared.
Please come alone. Adrian doesn't know I'm contacting you.
Then another.
He took the envelope. Mom is on her way here.
I showed the messages to Margaret.
She immediately stood.
“I'm coming with you.””
Arthur shook his head.
“I'll arrange the legal notice. Margaret, don't allow anyone to remove the garment.””
Within twenty minutes, Margaret and I were driving toward Adrian Cole's office in Manhattan.
The building occupied an entire corner of a busy commercial street. Its glass exterior reflected the gray afternoon sky.
I had seen photographs of Adrian's office on Brianna's social media.
She had posted videos of herself walking through its marble lobby, calling it the headquarters of her future fashion empire.
I had never imagined I would come here to recover evidence of my own family's betrayal.
Margaret parked beside the entrance.
“Stay close to me,” she said.
We entered.
A receptionist looked up.
“Good afternoon. Can I help you?””
“Margaret Bellamy. I'm here to see Adrian Cole.””
The receptionist immediately recognized her.
“Of course. One moment.””
She picked up the telephone.
A minute later, Adrian appeared.
He wore a dark tailored suit and carried a leather portfolio.
His expression was controlled.
“Margaret. What a surprise.””
Margaret didn't smile.
“We're here regarding the disputed garment.””
Adrian looked at me.
“Nia. I thought we'd agreed you were staying out of this.””
“I never agreed to anything.””
He stepped aside.
“Fine. Come in.””
His office was enormous.
A wall of windows overlooked the city. Expensive furniture filled the room, and several framed architectural photographs hung behind his desk.
The midnight-blue gown stood on a mannequin near the window.
Its inner lining had been opened.
I walked toward it.
“Where's the envelope?””
Adrian closed the office door.
“Let's not rush.””
Margaret stepped between us.
“Mr. Cole, the foundation has requested that the garment remain untouched pending investigation.””
“It's part of a private commercial arrangement.””
“The ownership is disputed.””
“That's your opinion.””
“It's the foundation's position.””
Adrian smiled.
“Then perhaps the foundation should concern itself with the competition and leave our business alone.””
I looked at the dress.
The hidden compartment was exposed.
The small metal tag was still attached.
But the paper envelope was missing.
“Where is it?””
Adrian opened his portfolio.
“Are you referring to this?””
He removed a cream-colored envelope.
My heart began pounding.
My father's name was written across the front.
*Robert Carter.*
“Give it to me.””
Adrian held it between two fingers.
“Before I do, perhaps you should understand what you're looking at.””
Margaret stepped forward.
“Don't open that document. It may contain confidential estate material.””
Adrian ignored her.
He removed a folded letter.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
Grandmother Evelyn.
He began reading aloud.
Robert,
I know what you did in New York.
I know you helped transfer the original designs into a company controlled by the Cole family.
I know you told Denise the collection had been legally abandoned.
And I know you were paid to remain silent.
My mouth went dry.
Adrian stopped reading.
“Interesting, isn't it?””
I stared at the letter.
“Keep going.””
He looked amused.
“Why? You might not like the rest.””
“Read it.””
Margaret took out her phone.
“I'm documenting this conversation.””
Adrian continued.
You were my son-in-law. I trusted you with my work because I believed you understood the difference between helping someone and taking advantage of them.
You betrayed that trust.
I gave you an opportunity to return the original documents. You refused.
I will not allow you to do the same thing to my granddaughters.
I felt my throat tighten.
There were more pages.
Adrian folded them.
“Your grandmother was a very angry woman toward the end.””
I looked at him.
“She was telling the truth.””
He smiled.
“That's a matter of interpretation.””
“No. It's a matter of evidence.””
I reached for the letter.
He pulled it away.
“Careful.””
Margaret's voice sharpened.
“Mr. Cole, return the document immediately.””
Adrian placed it on his desk.
Then he leaned back.
“Perhaps it's time we all stopped pretending this is about a dress.””
He looked directly at me.
“Your grandmother's collection was worth a fortune. My father invested in it. Your father helped manage the business. When the partnership collapsed, everyone lost money.””
“You stole her designs.””
“My father made a business decision.””
“You sold work that didn't belong to you.””
Adrian shrugged.
“Business is complicated.””
I looked at the gown.
“Then why did you need my competition dress?””
He didn't answer.
I continued.
“Why did you encourage Brianna to submit it under her name? Why did you register a company using my grandmother's name? And why did you try to open the hidden compartment?””
Adrian's expression changed.
Just slightly.
Then he smiled.
“Your sister wanted to build a brand. I supported her.””
“You wanted the archive.””
He stood.
“I think this conversation is over.””
Margaret took out her phone.
“Arthur Whitmore has already notified our legal team. Any attempt to destroy, transfer, or conceal these documents will be reported.””
Adrian laughed.
“Do whatever you want.””
A knock sounded at the door.
Brianna entered.
Her eyes were red.
She looked at me, then at the letter on the desk.
“Did you read it?””
“Yes.””
She closed the door.
Adrian turned toward her.
“Brianna, what are you doing?””
“I want to talk to my sister.””
“Not now.””
“Please, Adrian.””
He stared at her.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then he picked up his phone and walked into the adjoining room.
Brianna approached me.
“I'm sorry.””
I looked at her.
“For what?””
“For the dress. For the competition. For everything.””
I didn't answer.
She wiped her cheeks.
“I didn't know about the archive at first. Adrian told me Grandmother had left her designs to Mom. He said you had found some old sketches and were trying to use them to build your career.””
“And you believed him?””
She nodded.
“He showed me documents.””
“Documents with my sketches.””
“I know.””
“You signed a declaration claiming you created my gown.””
Her chin trembled.
“I thought we'd fix it afterward.””
I stared at her.
“Do you hear yourself?””
She looked down.
“I know.””
“No, Brianna. You don't. You had three months to ask me about the dress.
Three months to tell the truth. Instead, you wore it, photographed it, and tried to take my future.””
She began crying harder.
“I thought if I finally had something important, Mom would be proud of me.””
The words stopped me.
I looked at her.
“What?””
She shook her head.
“Mom always said you were the talented one. She told me I had the face for fashion, but you had the hands. I thought if I could own something you made, maybe people would finally take me seriously.””
I felt a strange mixture of sadness and anger.
“You didn't need to steal from me to become someone.””
She looked at the floor.
“I know that now.””
I wanted to believe her.
But then she said something else.
“Adrian told me the money from the brand would help us settle an old debt. He said Dad had been involved in the original collection.””
I glanced at the letter.
“What debt?””
Brianna swallowed.
“Two million dollars.””
Margaret turned sharply.
“Two million?””
Brianna nodded.
“Adrian said Dad borrowed money from his father years ago. When Grandmother died, the archive was supposed to be transferred to the Cole family. Dad promised it would happen.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because he needed the debt erased.””
My stomach twisted.
My father hadn't simply been silent.
He had been involved.
Brianna continued.
“Adrian said the fashion brand was going to make enough money to settle everything. He told me that if I got the Bellamy competition prize, we could finally make the company legitimate.””
“By stealing my gown?””
She looked away.
“I didn't understand how serious it was.””
I took a step toward her.
“Did you know about the forged medical letter?””
She froze.
Then she whispered, “Yes.””
I stared at her.
“Who made it?””
“Mom.””
The room seemed to go silent.
Brianna continued.
“She said she knew someone who could make it look authentic. Adrian told her the foundation would never investigate an old medical record.””
Margaret's expression hardened.
“That's potentially criminal.””
Brianna began shaking.
“I didn't want any of this to happen.””
I looked at her.
“Then why didn't you stop it?””
She had no answer.
Adrian returned.
“What is going on?””
Brianna stepped away from me.
“I'm telling her everything.””
His face darkened.
“Brianna, get out.””
“No.””
He walked toward her.
“Now.””
She flinched.
And that was when I understood.
My sister wasn't simply afraid of losing the brand.
She was afraid of Adrian.
He reached for her arm.
Margaret stepped between them.
“Don't touch her.””
Adrian stopped.
Then he turned toward me.
“You've caused enough trouble.””
I looked directly at him.
“You stole from my grandmother. You used my sister. You lied to the foundation. And you think I'm the problem?””
He smiled coldly.
“Your grandmother should have kept her business decisions private.””
I looked at the letter.
Then at the dress.
“No. She should have told the truth sooner.””
I turned toward Margaret.
“Let's go.””
Before leaving, I looked at Brianna.
“Come with us.””
She glanced at Adrian.
He shook his head.
She looked back at me.
Then, slowly, she walked toward the door.
We were halfway down the hallway when Adrian called after us.
“Nia!””
I stopped.
He stood in the office doorway.
“You should ask your father what happened to the original collection.””
I stared at him.
He smiled.
“Because your grandmother didn't lose it in a business dispute. Someone in your family sold it.””
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of a bank transfer dated fifteen years earlier.
The recipient was listed as Robert Carter.
The amount was $2,000,000.
May you like
And the reference line read:
*EVELYN CARTER COLLECTION — FINAL PAYMENT.*
