Chapter 4: The Woman in the Conservatory
I didn't sleep that night.
At eleven, I was still sitting in my father's study, staring at the photograph Lavinia had sent me.
At midnight, Rebecca Shaw arrived with a secure laptop and a stack of preliminary findings.
By one in the morning, we had confirmed that the company named on the document existed.
It was called Northstar Meridian Holdings.
It had been incorporated eighteen months earlier.
And according to the public filing, I owned sixty percent of it.
I'd never heard of it.
“Could someone have used your identity?”” Rebecca asked.
“Apparently.””
“Have you ever authorized a company formation in your name?””
“Never.””
“Then we need the original filings and the supporting records. We also need to determine whether the ownership information was submitted fraudulently or whether someone used a legitimate authorization in a way you didn't understand.””
I rubbed my temples.
“Why would Sebastian create a company in my name?””
Rebecca folded her hands.
“That is precisely what we're trying to establish.””
Dad stood beside the window, looking out at the dark river.
“Could Northstar be connected to the merger?””
“Possibly,” Rebecca said.
“But we can't assume that until we've examined the records.””
I looked at the photograph again.
The document listed three additional shareholders.
Philippa Ashworth.
Sebastian Ashworth.
And a man named Richard Vale.
I recognized the surname.
Richard Vale had been the Ashworth Group's chief financial officer until six months earlier, when the family announced his departure for personal reasons.
According to the society pages, he had retired to Florida.
According to my father's business contacts, he had left after disagreements over the company's finances.
I pointed to his name.
“Who is Richard Vale?””
Rebecca studied the page.
“Former Ashworth CFO. I'll have our investigators look into his connection to this entity.””
“Why would he own part of a company registered in my name?””
“We don't know yet.””
Dad turned away from the window.
“Then we find out.””
At seven the next morning, I returned home to change out of my wedding gown.
The dress had been delivered to my house in a garment bag. I stood in my bedroom, staring at the ivory lace, and remembered the girl who had tried it on for the first time.
I'd cried then, too.
Happy tears.
My mother had died when I was seventeen, and I'd imagined her standing behind me on my wedding day, smoothing the fabric over my shoulders.
Instead, I'd spent the morning watching another woman wear my grandmother's bracelet.
I took off the engagement ring and placed it in the drawer beside the dress.
Then I put on black trousers, a cream blouse, and a navy coat.
If I was going to discover what Sebastian had done, I wanted to look like myself.
Not his abandoned bride.
At nine, Rebecca called.
“We've obtained additional corporate records.””
“And?””
“Northstar Meridian was created using identification documents that appear to belong to you. The registered address is a private office suite in Delaware. The filings list a corporate services provider as the organizer.””
“Can they tell us who instructed them to create it?””
“Not yet. We're requesting the underlying records through the appropriate legal channels.””
I closed my eyes.
“Could the company own part of Winslow Logistics?””
“Not without a valid transaction. But it may have been designed to hold interests in the proposed joint venture.””
“Designed by Sebastian?””
“We don't have enough evidence to say that.””
Her caution was frustrating, but I understood it.
I wanted someone to tell me the entire story.
Instead, I was learning that truth came in pieces, each one requiring proof.
At noon, Lavinia sent another message.
Tonight. Eight. Come alone or I won't talk.
I forwarded it to Rebecca.
She called immediately.
“This is a bad idea.””
“I know.””
“Then don't go.””
“If she has the original document, she may be able to identify whoever created Northstar.””
“Or she may be trying to bargain for herself.””
“Then we'll listen without agreeing to anything.””
Rebecca was silent for a moment.
Finally, she said, “You are not going inside that estate without security. We can arrange a controlled meeting nearby, with our investigator present.””
“What if Sebastian is watching?””
“Then he can watch us conduct a lawful meeting in a public place.””
I looked at the message again.
Lavinia had insisted on the conservatory.
The old conservatory stood behind the Ashworth estate, separated from the main house by a walled garden. I'd visited it once during a charity event. It was beautiful in daylight, filled with climbing roses and antique glass panels.
At night, it would be isolated.
I agreed to Rebecca's plan.
At seven forty-five, our investigator drove me to a small public parking area across from the estate's service entrance. Daniel Mercer remained nearby, coordinating with the investigator and our attorney.
I wasn't alone.
But I was still afraid.
At precisely eight, Lavinia appeared beside the conservatory.
She wore a dark coat over a simple dress. Her hair was pulled back, and her face looked pale beneath the garden lights.
She saw me and immediately glanced over her shoulder.
“Did you bring anyone?””
“Yes.””
Her expression tightened.
“I told you to come alone.””
“And I told you I wouldn't.””
She laughed bitterly.
“Of course. You're a Winslow. You don't go anywhere without someone protecting you.””
I felt anger rise.
“You came to my wedding wearing my grandmother's bracelet.””
Her eyes dropped.
“I know.””
“You told me it was yours.””
“I know.””
“You stood beside the man who was supposed to marry me and watched him humiliate me.””
Her mouth trembled.
“I know.””
“Then why should I listen to you?””
Lavinia looked toward the main house.
“Because Sebastian is going to destroy you if you don't understand what he's done.””
I crossed my arms.
“Start talking.””
She reached inside her coat and produced a thin envelope.
“I took this from his study three nights ago.””
“What is it?””
“The original shareholder agreement for Northstar Meridian.””
I didn't reach for it.
“Why did you take it?””
“Because I found out what he planned to do.””
“What did he plan to do?””
She swallowed.
“Marry you. Transfer the Winslow investment into Northstar. Use your signature to secure the financing. Then divorce you once the funds were released.””
My stomach tightened.
“You expect me to believe he planned all of this before he got you pregnant?””
“He did.””
“Why?””
“Because your father wouldn't approve the merger unless Sebastian married you.””
I stared at her.
“That makes no sense.””
“It makes perfect sense if you understand the Ashworths.””
She stepped closer.
“Sebastian needed access to your family's money. Philippa needed the company to survive. The marriage would have made the deal look like a natural alliance between two families.””
“And the baby?””
Lavinia's face crumpled.
“He told me I was the woman he really loved. He promised we'd be together after the merger was complete.””
I looked at her rounded stomach.
“You believed him.””
“Yes.””
Her answer was immediate.
No excuses.
No attempt to pretend she hadn't known about me.
She looked down at her hands.
“I knew he was engaged when we started seeing each other. I told myself he was trapped in a relationship he didn't want. I told myself he would leave you.””
“And when he didn't?””
“He said the wedding was a business arrangement. He said you knew what you were getting into.””
I felt something cold settle inside me.
“He told you I knew about the affair?””
“He told me you were willing to marry him even if he loved someone else.””
I shook my head.
“He lied to both of us.””
“Yes.””
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I looked at the envelope.
“If this proves what you're saying, why not take it to the police?””
“Because I don't know who else is involved.””
“Your name is on the shareholder agreement.””
“I know.””
“You could be implicated.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“That's why I need your help.””
I almost turned away.
She had helped Sebastian betray me. She had accepted my bracelet. She had stood in my bridal suite while he told me I wasn't worth choosing.
But the document in her hand might explain how someone had used my identity.
I couldn't ignore that.
“What do you want from me?”” I asked.
“I want protection for my baby.””
“From Sebastian?””
She nodded.
“He said if I talked, he'd make sure I never saw a cent. He said he'd prove I was unstable and take the baby from me.””
My anger shifted into something more complicated.
“Did he threaten you in writing?””
“No. He doesn't make mistakes like that.””
She opened the envelope and showed me the first page.
My name appeared beneath the title.
My supposed ownership stake was listed at sixty percent.
But the section beneath it was what made my blood run cold.
The document included a provision stating that Northstar Meridian could exercise voting rights over my shares if I became legally incapacitated, entered bankruptcy, or failed to comply with certain financial obligations.
I read it twice.
“Why would I agree to this?””
“You wouldn't.””
“Then why is my name here?””
“Because he needed someone respectable to put at the top of the company. Someone whose name would make the banks comfortable.””
I looked at the signature line.
It was almost perfect.
But the date beside it was from a day when I had been in Chicago attending a supply-chain conference. I had the hotel receipts, airline records, and meeting schedule to prove it.
The signature had been fabricated.
I handed the document back.
“Lavinia, I need you to give this to my attorney.””
She clutched the envelope.
“Not until you tell me what will happen to me.””
“I can't promise you immunity or money. I can promise that my attorney will review what you have and explain your options.””
“That isn't enough.””
“It's what I can honestly offer.””
She stared at me, searching for weakness.
Then she whispered, “There's something else.””
I waited.
“Sebastian didn't choose me because he loved me.””
“Why did he choose you?””
“Because I was convenient.””
She wiped her cheeks.
“My father was a lender to the Ashworth Group. Sebastian wanted access to information about the family's outstanding debts. He told me he needed help saving the business.””
I felt sick.
“Did you give him that information?””
“Yes.””
“And the bracelet?””
She looked away.
“He said it was a gift. He told me your grandmother had died years ago and you never wore it.””
“My grandmother died six months ago.””
Lavinia flinched.
“I didn't know.””
“You didn't ask.””
“No.””
Her honesty did not excuse her.
But it did tell me that Sebastian had lied to both of us with the same effortless cruelty.
I reached for the envelope.
This time, she let me take it.
“I'm giving this to my attorney,” I said.
“After that, you need to tell the truth about your role in what happened.””
She nodded slowly.
“I will.””
A car door slammed somewhere beyond the garden wall.
Lavinia went rigid.
“He's here.””
I turned.
Through the conservatory glass, I saw a figure moving between the trees.
Sebastian.
He was walking toward us, his black coat open, his face twisted with fury.
“Lavinia!”” he shouted.
She grabbed my wrist.
“Don't let him take the document.””
Sebastian reached the conservatory door and yanked it open.
His gaze went straight to the envelope in my hand.
Then he looked at me.
“You have no idea what you've just done.””
I held the envelope against my chest.
“Then explain it.””
He took another step.
Behind him, two men emerged from the shadows.
And for the first time since my wedding day, I understood that Sebastian wasn't simply trying to protect his reputation.
May you like
He was desperate to keep something hidden.
Something important enough to make him afraid.
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