Chapter 6: The Truth Behind My Marriage
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The laptop screen had gone dark, but Thomas's voice remained in my head.
I was the one who ordered Robert's plane to be sabotaged.
I looked at my mother.
"Tell me he's lying.""
She shook her head.
"I wish I could.""
"Did Thomas kill Robert?""
"He didn't know the plane would crash.""
"That's not an answer!""
My voice cracked.
"Did he arrange it?""
My mother covered her face.
"Yes.""
I stepped away from her.
The man who had raised me.
The man who had taught me to ride a bicycle.
The man who had carried me on his shoulders through the streets of London.
Had died because of the man whose blood ran through my veins.
And the man who had ordered it was my biological father.
I felt sick.
"Why would Thomas do that?""
My mother looked at the screen.
"Victor manipulated him. He convinced Thomas that Robert was planning to destroy the company and take everything for himself.""
"Was he?""
"No.""
"Then why did Thomas believe him?""
"Because Victor showed him forged documents. He told Thomas that Robert was secretly transferring the family assets to a foreign company.""
I shook my head.
"So Thomas believed a lie and killed an innocent man?""
My mother nodded.
"And when he discovered the truth, he tried to confess.""
"To whom?""
"To Robert's solicitor.""
I stared at her.
"Daniel Price?""
"Yes.""
"Then why didn't he go to the police?""
My mother looked away.
"Because Victor threatened his son.""
"Julian.""
"Yes.""
She took my hand.
"Thomas believed that if he confessed, Julian would be killed.""
I pulled my hand away.
"And now Julian is working with Adrian.""
My mother closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Wonderful. The man who ordered my father's murder, the son of the man who manipulated him, and the husband who married me to steal my inheritance.""
Vanessa sat quietly in the corner.
For the first time, I didn't feel anger toward her.
I felt pity.
She had been foolish.
But I had been blind.
And blindness had nearly cost me everything.
An hour later, Celeste arrived from Paris.
She had brought two corporate investigators and a lawyer specializing in international fraud.
I showed her the recording.
She listened without interruption.
When it ended, she looked at my mother.
"Isabelle, do you have proof that Thomas is alive?""
My mother nodded.
"Daniel has been protecting him.""
"Where?""
"An apartment in Surrey.""
Celeste looked at me.
"We need to get him somewhere secure.""
I shook my head.
"Not yet.""
"Eleanor.""
"I want to know why Adrian married me.""
Celeste frowned.
"We already have the recordings.""
"Those recordings explain why he wanted the company. They don't explain how he found me.""
My mother looked uncomfortable.
I noticed.
"Mom?""
She rubbed her forehead.
"Thomas contacted Adrian.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"Five years ago, Thomas discovered that Adrian was working for Julian. He recognized the Cole family name from the old acquisition records.""
"Then why would he contact him?""
"Because he wanted to know whether Adrian was still involved with Julian.""
I felt a cold wave pass through me.
"And Adrian knew who I was?""
My mother nodded.
"He knew you were Thomas's daughter.""
I sat down.
My marriage.
The charity auction.
The wine spilled on my dress.
The charming smile.
Had any of it been real?
"How did he meet me?""
My mother looked toward the window.
"At that auction, Adrian was there on Julian's instructions.""
I stared at her.
"You're telling me our first meeting wasn't an accident?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
I pressed my fingers against my lips.
"Did he know I owned the company?""
"Not at first. But he knew you were connected to Thomas.""
"Then what happened?""
My mother hesitated.
"Adrian believed that if he married you, he could gain access to the family records and locate the original trust documents.""
I looked at the floor.
For seven years, I had believed I was building a marriage.
Apparently, someone else had been building a plan.
"Did he ever love me?""
My mother didn't answer.
And that silence hurt more than anything she could have said.
Celeste placed a new document on the table.
"There's another problem.""
I looked up.
"What now?""
"Julian has called an emergency meeting of the Northbridge board.""
"Why?""
"He's claiming that Moreau Fashion Group is financially unstable and that Eleanor is mentally unfit to manage her inheritance.""
I stared at her.
"Mentally unfit?""
Celeste nodded.
"He's using the Fashion Week incident as evidence.""
Vanessa looked up.
"The necklace?""
"Yes. The footage of Eleanor confronting us has been edited. In the version circulating online, it appears that she attacked me and accused Adrian of stealing jewelry without evidence.""
I reached for my phone.
The video was already everywhere.
A headline from a popular entertainment account read:
*FASHION EMPIRE HEIRESS HAS PUBLIC MELTDOWN AFTER HUSBAND CHOOSES NEW WOMAN.*
Another read:
*IS ELEANOR VALE LOSING CONTROL OF HER BILLION-DOLLAR EMPIRE?*
The footage showed me shouting.
It didn't show Vanessa wearing the necklace.
It didn't show Adrian threatening me.
And it certainly didn't show Celeste defending me.
My name was being dragged through the mud.
I put the phone down.
"How quickly can we release the full recording?""
Celeste smiled faintly.
"Already done.""
She opened her tablet.
The complete footage was being uploaded to the company's official channels.
Within minutes, the first comments began appearing.
Wait. That's her actual seat?
Why is the other woman wearing her necklace?
The executive literally says she's the owner. What is happening?
One comment caught my attention.
This is bigger than a cheating scandal.
I looked at Celeste.
"Who released the edited footage?""
"An anonymous account connected to Northbridge.""
"Can we trace it?""
"Our digital investigators are working on it.""
I nodded.
"Then let them work.""
My phone rang.
Adrian.
I stared at his name.
Then answered.
"Eleanor.""
His voice sounded unusually calm.
"Where are you?""
"Somewhere you can't reach me.""
He laughed softly.
"Still dramatic.""
"What do you want?""
"To talk.""
"We're done talking.""
"Not about this.""
I looked toward Celeste.
She motioned for me to put the call on speaker.
Adrian continued.
"There's a board meeting tomorrow. I suggest you don't attend.""
"Why?""
"Because you'll embarrass yourself.""
"Is that a threat?""
"No. It's advice.""
I leaned back.
"Adrian, I know about Julian.""
Silence.
Then he exhaled.
"So Isabelle finally told you.""
I looked at my mother.
Adrian continued.
"Listen carefully. You don't understand what you're dealing with.""
"Then explain it.""
"Your mother has spent years hiding the truth. She'll tell you anything to keep you under her control.""
I looked at her.
"Funny. You said almost the same thing about me when you were trying to convince Vanessa I was unstable.""
He ignored the remark.
"Julian has evidence that could destroy your family.""
"Evidence of what?""
A pause.
Then Adrian said something unexpected.
"Your father didn't die in that plane crash.""
I froze.
"Which father?""
He laughed.
"That's the problem, isn't it? You have no idea who your real father is.""
I gripped the phone.
"I know about Thomas.""
Another silence.
Longer this time.
Then Adrian's voice changed.
"Who told you?""
"Does it matter?""
"Where is he?""
I smiled faintly.
"Why? Do you want to finish what you started?""
"Eleanor, listen to me. Thomas is dangerous.""
"More dangerous than you?""
"Much.""
I heard a door close on his end.
Then he lowered his voice.
"Your marriage wasn't supposed to last this long.""
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The truth.
"I know.""
"He was supposed to get the documents. I was supposed to secure the shares. Then we would both walk away.""
"And what about me?""
He didn't answer.
I waited.
Finally, he said, "You were never part of the agreement.""
I felt something inside me go very still.
Seven years.
Every anniversary.
Every kiss.
Every promise.
Nothing.
I opened my eyes.
"Thank you, Adrian.""
He sounded confused.
"For what?""
"For finally telling me the truth.""
I ended the call.
That evening, I sat alone in the old atelier.
My mother's letter lay open on the desk.
The brass key rested beside it.
I had spent the entire day trying to understand how my life had become a battlefield between people whose secrets stretched back decades.
But there was one thing I still couldn't understand.
Why had Adrian married me if the plan was only to obtain the trust documents?
Why spend seven years pretending?
Why not simply steal the documents and disappear?
I opened the flash drive again.
There were more files than Vanessa had shown me.
One folder was titled:
*COLE FAMILY — PRIVATE.*
I clicked it.
A series of scanned documents appeared.
Birth certificates.
Bank statements.
Old photographs.
Then I saw a marriage certificate.
Adrian Cole.
And another name.
*Sophie Bennett.*
My stomach dropped.
I opened the document.
The marriage date was seven years earlier.
The same year Adrian had married me.
I stared at the screen.
No.
That couldn't be right.
Sophie was standing beside me.
She had spent six years working for me.
She had attended my wedding.
She had helped me choose my dress.
And now I was looking at a marriage certificate bearing her name and my husband's.
I called out.
"Sophie?""
No answer.
I walked into the corridor.
Her coat was still hanging near the door.
Her handbag was gone.
I returned to the laptop.
There was one final file.
A video.
The date was three days before my wedding.
I clicked it.
Adrian appeared on screen, sitting in a hotel room.
Beside him was Sophie.
She was younger, with shorter hair.
Adrian kissed her forehead.
Then he said:
"Once I marry Eleanor, you'll be the one controlling the company from inside. Nobody will suspect us.""
Sophie smiled.
"And if she finds out?""
Adrian laughed.
"She won't. She trusts me completely.""
The video continued.
Sophie reached for his hand.
"Promise me something.""
"What?""
"Promise you'll leave her when we have the money.""
Adrian kissed her.
"I promise.""
I stopped the video.
My hands were shaking.
The woman who had helped me survive my mother's funeral.
The woman who had stood beside me when Adrian humiliated me.
The woman whose signature appeared on the fraudulent transfer.
Had been married to my husband before I ever walked down the aisle.
I picked up my phone and called Celeste.
She answered immediately.
"Eleanor?""
I stared at the marriage certificate.
"Find Sophie.""
"Why?""
"Because I just discovered who she really is.""
Then I looked at the empty doorway.
And noticed something else.
The brass key my mother had given me was gone.
So was the original letter.
Sophie hadn't simply disappeared.
She had taken the only key to my mother's safe.
And she had left a message on the desk.
May you like
Seven handwritten words.
*You should have let me keep Adrian.*
