The Sister Who Stole My Fiancé Never Expected Me to Marry a Billionaire

By the time Alexander and I reached Nathan's mansion, three police cars were parked outside the gates.

Rain hammered the windshield. Beyond the iron bars, the house glowed with warm golden light, its enormous windows reflecting the flashing blue and red lights of the patrol cars.

I had been there only once before.

Six years earlier, Nathan had invited me to see the property he claimed we would eventually make our home. He had walked me through the marble foyer, shown me the garden where he wanted our wedding photographs taken, and kissed my forehead beneath a chandelier that cost more than my first car.

Three weeks later, I found him with Stephanie.

Now I was returning as Alexander Whitmore's wife, carrying a contract that could destroy Nathan's company.

And my sister had vanished.

"Stay close to me," Alexander said.

"I'm not leaving until I know she's alive.""

He glanced at me, then nodded.

We approached the entrance. A uniformed officer stood beside the door, speaking into his radio. When Alexander identified himself, the officer's expression changed.

"Mr. Whitmore. Detective Harris has been expecting you.""

"Where is Stephanie Wilson?""

"Inside. She's being treated by paramedics.""

My stomach tightened.

"What happened?""

The officer hesitated.

"You'll need to speak to Detective Harris.""

We hurried into the foyer.

Stephanie sat on a sofa beneath a painting of a sailing ship. Her blond hair had come loose, and one sleeve of her black dress was torn. A paramedic knelt beside her, examining a cut above her eyebrow.

Nathan was nowhere to be seen.

The moment Stephanie saw me, she started crying.

"Claire.""

I crossed the room.

"What happened?""

She grabbed my wrist.

"He took the ledger.""

I froze.

"What ledger?""

"The original ledger. The one Mother kept hidden.""

I looked at Alexander.

He immediately turned to the detective standing near the staircase.

"Detective, we need to establish what was taken and whether anyone else is in danger.""

Detective Harris was a broad-shouldered woman in her forties with a silver badge clipped to her belt. She closed her notebook.

"Ms. Wilson, can you explain what happened tonight?""

Stephanie swallowed.

"Nathan found out Claire had the contract. He called me and said he wanted to talk. When I arrived, he asked where Mother kept the original ledger.""

"And you told him?""

"I told him I didn't know.""

The detective raised an eyebrow.

Stephanie looked down.

"Then he showed me a copy of the contract with my signature on it. He said if the authorities discovered the ledger, I'd go to prison.""

I stared at her.

"Why is your signature on that contract?""

She flinched.

"I'll explain.""

"Now.""

"Claire, please.""

"You've spent six years telling me how much better your life was than mine. You stole my fiancé, flaunted the ring he gave me, and mocked me at Mother's funeral. Now you want me to believe you were an innocent victim?""

Her face crumpled.

"No. I want you to know I was a coward.""

The words stopped me.

Stephanie had never admitted weakness. Not once in our entire childhood.

She had always found someone else to blame.

The paramedic finished cleaning her wound and stepped away.

Detective Harris pulled a chair closer.

"Start from the beginning, Ms. Wilson.""

Stephanie took a shaky breath.

"Six years ago, Nathan told me his company was facing a serious financial problem. He said his father had made some bad investments, and there was a debt that could destroy everything he'd built.""

"How much?"" Alexander asked.

"Almost twelve million dollars.""

The same amount.

I sat down slowly.

Stephanie continued.

"Nathan told me that Eleanor had guaranteed a development project years earlier. He said the original records could prove that the money had been transferred legally. He needed those records to secure a loan.""

"And you helped him obtain them?"" Detective Harris asked.

Stephanie nodded.

"He said he loved me. He said once we were married, we'd be able to put everything behind us.""

I looked at the diamond ring on her finger.

"Was that why you slept with him?""

She shut her eyes.

"At first, I told myself I loved him. I wanted to believe he had chosen me because I was special. But after I saw how much money was involved, I realized there was another reason he wanted to marry into our family.""

"What did you sign?"" Alexander asked.

"A statement confirming that Mother had authorized the transfer of funds.""

"Had she?""

"No.""

The answer came out as a whisper.

Detective Harris leaned forward.

"Did you know the statement was false?""

Stephanie's eyes filled with tears.

"I suspected it. Nathan told me the paperwork was only a formality. He said the money had been moved to protect the investment, and that Mother had agreed to it years ago.""

"But you never asked her?""

Stephanie shook her head.

"She and I weren't close. I thought she would never forgive me for what happened with Nathan. I was afraid she'd refuse to help me.""

"So you forged her approval?""

"I signed my own name. Nathan prepared the statement and told me what it meant. I didn't realize it would be used as evidence that Mother had authorized the transfer.""

Detective Harris wrote something in her notebook.

"Did Nathan threaten you tonight?""

Stephanie nodded.

"He told me the ledger had to disappear. When I refused to tell him where Mother kept it, he grabbed my arm and pushed me against the desk. Then he took my phone and searched the house.""

"Did he strike you?""

"He shoved me. I hit the edge of the desk.""

I looked at the cut above her eyebrow.

For a moment, the anger I had carried for six years collided with something I hadn't expected to feel.

Concern.

It didn't erase what Stephanie had done. It didn't excuse her betrayal.

But she was still my sister.

"Why did you call me?"" I asked.

"Because Nathan said he was going to find you next.""

The room seemed to grow colder.

Alexander stood.

"Detective, I want security placed around Claire immediately. Nathan knows she has the original contract, and he may believe she has the ledger as well.""

Detective Harris nodded.

"We'll arrange protection. We also need to locate Mr. Cole.""

Stephanie suddenly grabbed my hand.

"There's something else.""

I looked at her.

"What?""

She leaned closer, lowering her voice.

"Nathan didn't take the ledger because of the money.""

Alexander went still.

"Explain.""

Stephanie glanced at the detective, then back at me.

"The ledger contains the names of everyone who received a payment from the stolen funds. Nathan said there was one name that could never become public.""

"Whose name?""

She swallowed.

"Richard Whitmore.""

Alexander's face hardened.

"My father?""

Stephanie nodded.

"Nathan said your father received a payment shortly before he died. He claimed it was proof that Richard had been involved in the theft.""

I shook my head.

"That's impossible. Alexander said his father was investigating the missing money.""

"Maybe he was," Stephanie whispered.

"But Nathan said there was more to the story.""

Alexander took a slow breath.

For the first time since I had met him, he looked genuinely shaken.

"If my father received money, I need to know why.""

Stephanie reached into her handbag and pulled out a small silver flash drive.

"I copied part of the ledger before Nathan took it.""

Detective Harris immediately asked her to hand it over.

Stephanie hesitated.

Then she placed it in the detective's palm.

"I kept it because I was afraid Nathan would turn against me.""

"You knew he might be involved in fraud," I said.

"You knew he had lied to our mother. And you kept evidence as insurance?""

She looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.

"Yes.""

The honesty was almost unbearable.

Detective Harris handed the drive to an officer, who placed it in an evidence bag.

"We'll have our forensic team examine this.""

Alexander crouched beside Stephanie.

"Did Nathan say where he was going?""

She shook her head.

"He said he had to meet someone before morning.""

"Who?""

"I don't know. But he mentioned an old warehouse near the river. He said the person waiting for him had been involved from the beginning.""

I remembered the name on Father's handwritten list.

Victor Hale.

"Did he mention Victor Hale?""

Stephanie's eyes widened.

"Yes.""

Alexander stood abruptly.

"Detective, Victor Hale was the financial officer connected to the original project. We believe he may be linked to the missing funds.""

Detective Harris immediately called another officer.

As she gave instructions, I stared at the empty doorway.

For years, I had thought Nathan's betrayal was a single, terrible choice. He had wanted my sister, so he had abandoned me.

Now I understood that the affair had been only one piece of something much larger.

Nathan had entered our family with secrets.

He had used Stephanie's jealousy, my trust, and Mother's silence to get what he wanted.

And my father might have died because he discovered the truth.

Alexander returned to my side.

"We're going home," he said.

"The police will handle the search.""

"I need to see that warehouse.""

"No.""

"Alexander—"

"Claire, Nathan has just assaulted your sister and stolen evidence. We don't know whether he's armed, whether Victor Hale is with him, or whether either of them knows what else you've found.""

"I can't sit at home while you investigate my father's death.""

His expression softened.

"I didn't ask you to sit at home. I asked you to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.""

I looked at him for a long moment.

Then I nodded.

We left the mansion under police escort.

As the car pulled away, my phone vibrated.

An unknown number.

I opened the message.

There was a photograph of my childhood home, taken from the street.

Beneath it were eight words.

*Your mother kept one secret even from Alexander.*