Chapter 4: The Person Behind the Curtain
The baby held on for another forty-eight hours.
Forty-eight hours of waiting.
Forty-eight hours of machines beeping beside me.
Forty-eight hours of my entire life rearranging itself.
Julian stayed.
Not because I asked.
Because he refused to leave.
But staying did not erase what happened.
A person could regret a choice and still be responsible for making it.
On the third morning, Diana arrived with new information.
"We have a problem.""
I immediately sat up.
"What happened?""
She placed a tablet on the table.
"The documents Julian gave us are real.""
"And?""
"The transfer account belongs to a company called North Vale Consulting.""
I frowned.
"Never heard of it.""
"You have.""
She turned the screen.
My stomach dropped.
The company address.
The registration information.
The owner.
I knew the name.
Because I had seen it hundreds of times.
"No.""
Diana nodded.
"Yes.""
I whispered:
"Seraphina.""
The room went silent.
The bride.
The perfect daughter.
The woman everyone protected.
Julian entered carrying coffee.
He saw our faces.
"What happened?""
I looked at him.
"Your sister.""
His expression changed.
"What about her?""
Diana answered.
"Your sister appears to be the person controlling the hidden accounts.""
Julian went completely still.
"No.""
"I know this is difficult.""
"No.""
His voice cracked.
"She couldn't.""
I looked away.
Because I understood.
Family was powerful.
Even when the truth was sitting in front of you.
Julian sat down slowly.
"When did you find this?""
"Months ago," I said.
He looked at me.
"You knew?""
"I suspected.""
"And you didn't tell me?""
I laughed softly.
"You want to know why?""
He looked down.
"Because I was afraid.""
The words surprised him.
"I was afraid that if I was wrong, I would destroy your family.""
"And if you were right?""
I looked at him.
"I thought I could save you.""
His eyes filled with regret.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Diana's phone rang.
She answered.
Her face changed.
"Repeat that.""
She listened.
Then stood.
"Audrey.""
"What?""
"The investigation team received an anonymous message.""
"About what?""
Diana looked at Julian.
Then me.
"About the wedding.""
A cold feeling moved through my body.
"What about it?""
Diana lowered the phone.
"The bathroom door.""
I stared.
"What about the bathroom door?""
She swallowed.
"The lock was not broken from the outside.""
A silence followed.
"What does that mean?""
Diana looked at the report.
"It means someone locked it from inside.""
Julian frowned.
"That's impossible.""
"No.""
Diana's voice was quiet.
"It's not.""
She looked directly at me.
"Someone was in that bathroom before you.""
My heartbeat quickened.
"Who?""
Nobody answered.
Then Julian's phone buzzed.
He looked down.
His face changed.
"What?""
I watched the color leave his face.
"Julian?""
He turned the screen toward us.
It was a message.
Only one sentence.
Only seven words.
But those seven words changed everything.
*I know Audrey found the second ledger.*
Julian looked at me.
"You never told anyone about a second ledger.""
I stared at the message.
Because he was right.
I hadn't.
Only one person knew.
One person who had helped me search.
One person who had promised me they wanted the truth.
The door opened.
Diana reached for her badge.
A hospital security officer stood outside.
Behind him was a woman I never expected to see.
The person I trusted most.
And she smiled.
"Audrey.""
My blood ran cold.
Because she said my name like she had been waiting for this moment.
"Congratulations on the baby.""
May you like
She stepped into the room.
"Now we need to talk about what happens when you refuse to disappear.""
