Chapter 6: The Woman Who Helped Plan My Wedding
The name on Daniel’s message stayed on my screen.
*Victoria Hale.*
For twenty years, she had been my father’s right hand.
She had been there before I understood what Bennett Holdings meant.
Before I learned how to read financial reports.
Before I sat in board meetings and realized people twice my age were waiting for me to fail.
Victoria was the person who brought me coffee during late nights at the office.
The person who reminded me about my father’s schedule.
The person who sent me flowers after my mother passed away.
The person who helped choose the venue for my wedding.
The person who fixed the seating chart when two guests argued.
The person who hugged me before I walked down the aisle and whispered:
“You look exactly like your mother did on her wedding day.””
My stomach turned.
Because now I had to question every memory.
Every kind word.
Every smile.
I looked at the message again.
*We need to talk before she disappears.*
I immediately called Daniel.
He answered on the first ring.
“Claire.””
“Tell me you’re wrong.””
There was silence.
That was the worst answer.
“Daniel.””
“I wish I was.””
I walked away from Ethan and Margaret.
“Explain.””
“We traced the access logs.””
“And?””
“Victoria’s credentials were used to access confidential company files.””
I closed my eyes.
“When?””
“Repeatedly over the past six months.””
Six months.
The same timeline as everything else.
The investigation.
The marriage plan.
The agreement.
The betrayal.
“Did she transfer the money?””
“No.””
I frowned.
“Then what did she do?””
“She collected information.””
“What kind of information?””
“Your personal schedule. Your travel plans. Board decisions. Financial forecasts.””
I felt cold.
“She gave them everything.””
“Yes.””
My grip tightened around my phone.
“Who did she give it to?””
Daniel hesitated.
“We’re still investigating.””
“But you know.””
“I have a strong suspicion.””
“Tell me.””
A long pause.
Then:
“The Walker family.””
I looked toward Ethan.
He was watching me.
He knew from my expression that something had happened.
“What else?”” I asked Daniel.
“There’s another issue.””
“Of course there is.””
My voice sounded empty.
“Claire…”
“Tell me.””
“We found evidence that Victoria wasn’t acting alone.””
My heart sank.
“Who else?””
“We don’t know yet.””
I looked down.
The wedding ring was still sitting on the table.
A tiny circle of gold.
A symbol of a promise that had become a trap.
“Daniel.””
“Yes?””
“Can you freeze Victoria’s access?””
“Already done.””
“Good.””
“And Claire?””
“What?””
“Be careful.””
I almost smiled.
Everyone kept telling me to be careful.
My father.
Daniel.
Even Ethan.
But nobody had told me the truth before I needed it.
“I will.””
I ended the call.
When I turned around, Ethan was standing there.
“Was it Victoria?””
I stopped.
“How do you know that name?””
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
“You know her.””
He looked away.
“Claire.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“How do you know Victoria?””
Ethan stayed quiet.
That was becoming his answer to everything.
Silence.
Secrets.
Avoidance.
“You knew.””
“I knew she worked with your father.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
His jaw tightened.
“I met her once.””
“When?””
“Before the wedding.””
My chest tightened.
“When?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“Two weeks ago.””
Two weeks.
Two weeks before he married me.
“Why?””
“She contacted me.””
My entire body went still.
“She contacted you?””
“Yes.””
“What did she say?””
Ethan looked toward his mother.
Margaret immediately looked away.
That told me enough.
“Answer me.””
“She wanted to talk about the marriage.””
“What about the marriage?””
He rubbed his forehead.
“She said your father was worried.””
“About what?””
“About your future.””
I laughed quietly.
“Of course.””
I walked past him.
“Everyone was so worried about my future.””
“Claire.””
“No.””
I turned around.
“You all keep using that word.””
“What word?””
“Protect.””
His face changed.
“My father said he was protecting me.””
I pointed at him.
“You said you were protecting me.””
Then I looked toward Margaret.
“She probably said the same thing.””
Nobody spoke.
“Everyone was protecting me from the truth.””
I shook my head.
“But nobody protected me from the people lying to me.””
Ethan looked hurt.
Maybe he was.
Maybe he wasn’t.
I didn’t know anymore.
And that uncertainty was the most painful part.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I stared at the screen.
Ethan noticed.
“Who is it?””
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice came through.
Soft.
Familiar.
“Claire.””
My blood ran cold.
“Victoria.””
Nobody moved.
Not Ethan.
Not Margaret.
Not even me.
“I know what Daniel found,” Victoria said.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because they’re watching.””
I looked around the room.
“Who?””
“Everyone who has something to lose.””
My voice lowered.
“Did you betray my father?””
A painful silence followed.
Then:
“Yes.””
The honesty shocked me.
“Why?””
“I was forced.””
I almost laughed.
“Everyone says that.””
“Claire, listen to me.””
“No.””
“I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
“The Walkers were never trying to steal your company.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“They were trying to control it.””
“What’s the difference?””
“The difference is they don’t care about money.””
I felt uneasy.
“Then what do they care about?””
Victoria’s voice became quieter.
“Power.””
I looked at Ethan.
He heard the word.
His face changed.
“Victoria,” I said.
“Yes?””
“Why did you help them?””
She didn’t answer.
“Why?””
Finally:
“Because they had something on me.””
“What?””
Silence.
Then:
“Something involving your father.””
My heart stopped.
“Again with my father.””
“Claire, your father is not who you think he is.””
I looked away.
I was tired of hearing that.
Everyone had a version of my father.
The protector.
The betrayer.
The victim.
The mastermind.
I didn’t know which one was real.
“What did he do?””
Victoria’s breathing changed.
“I can’t tell you over the phone.””
“Then meet me.””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because if they know I contacted you, I won’t get another chance.””
I looked toward the windows.
The city outside suddenly felt dangerous.
Like every person walking below could be part of something I didn’t understand.
“Where are you?””
“I’ll send an address.””
“Victoria—”
“One more thing.””
“What?””
Her voice trembled.
“Do not trust Ethan.””
My eyes moved toward him.
The man I married.
The man who had betrayed me.
The man who was now standing silently across the room.
“Why?””
Victoria whispered:
“Because Ethan didn’t marry you by accident.””
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?””
The call ended.
I immediately called back.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then a message appeared.
A location.
And one final sentence.
*Come alone. If Ethan follows you, leave immediately.*
I looked up.
Ethan was watching me.
“What did she say?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know what hurt more.
The possibility that he was still lying.
Or the possibility that I had been wrong about him from the beginning.
“I need to go somewhere.””
“I’ll come with you.””
“No.””
His face changed.
“Claire.””
“I said no.””
“Why?””
I looked at him.
Because for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I was looking at my husband.
Or the person who helped create the trap.
“Because I don’t know if I can trust you.””
Those words hit him harder than I expected.
He looked away.
And that reaction told me something.
Not the answer.
But enough.
I grabbed my coat.
As I reached the door, Margaret spoke.
“You’re making a mistake.””
I stopped.
“Maybe.””
She smiled.
A small, confident smile.
“You think you’re uncovering secrets.””
I turned.
“But?””
“But sometimes secrets are buried for a reason.””
I held her gaze.
“People bury secrets because they’re afraid someone will find them.””
Then I walked out.
The cold Chicago air hit my face.
For the first time since my wedding night began, I was alone.
No husband.
No mother-in-law.
No family.
No lies.
Just me.
And the truth waiting somewhere across the city.
Thirty minutes later, I arrived at the address Victoria sent.
An abandoned office building.
The kind of place nobody noticed.
I stepped inside.
“Victoria?””
No answer.
I walked deeper into the hallway.
The lights flickered above me.
Then I saw her.
Victoria was sitting on the floor near the back room.
Her face was bruised.
Her hands were shaking.
She looked up when she saw me.
And the first thing she said was not an apology.
Not an explanation.
It was a warning.
“Claire…”
She looked terrified.
“You need to leave.””
I stepped closer.
“Who did this to you?””
Victoria looked behind me.
Then whispered:
“The same person who signed the document.””
My heart stopped.
“What document?””
She looked at me.
The fear in her eyes was real.
“The document your father signed.””
I froze.
“Victoria…”
She grabbed my hand.
“Your father didn’t help them steal your company.””
A tear rolled down her face.
“He helped them hide what happened before.””
My breathing stopped.
“What happened before?””
Victoria opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.
Someone was coming.
Victoria’s face went pale.
“They found me.””
I turned toward the entrance.
A shadow appeared at the end of the corridor.
Then a familiar voice spoke.
“Claire.””
My blood turned cold.
Because I knew that voice.
It belonged to someone who had been standing beside me at my wedding.
Someone who had smiled in every photograph.
Someone who knew exactly where I would be tonight.
“Please don’t make this harder than it already is.””
The person stepped into the light.
May you like
And I realized the biggest betrayal was not coming from Ethan.
It was coming from someone I had trusted my entire life.
