Chapter 3: The Letter Chloe Tried to Hide
The room went completely silent.
My name stared back at me from the envelope in Chloe’s hand.
Emma Parker.
Written in handwriting I didn’t recognize.
Daniel’s face changed.
“Where did you get that?””
The question came out faster than I expected.
Not angry.
Afraid.
I looked at him.
“Daniel?””
He immediately looked away.
And that tiny movement hurt more than anything Chloe had done.
Because it meant there was something he wasn’t telling me.
Chloe noticed it too.
A slow smile appeared on her face.
“There it is.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She held the envelope tighter.
“The truth.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Chloe, give me that.””
“No.””
Her voice was suddenly calm.
“You’ve been protecting her from this for months.””
My stomach tightened.
“Protecting me from what?””
Nobody answered.
The wedding coordinator and Isabella exchanged uncomfortable looks.
Rachel quietly moved toward the door.
“This seems like a family matter.””
But I didn’t want anyone to leave.
Not anymore.
I had spent years watching people hide things to protect my feelings.
I was tired of being the last person to know.
“Open it,” I said.
Daniel looked at me.
“Emma—”
“Open it.””
My voice was stronger this time.
Chloe smiled.
“Finally.””
She handed me the envelope.
My fingers shook as I opened it.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
I read the first line.
And my heart dropped.
It was a letter from a private investigator.
The name at the bottom belonged to someone I knew.
Someone from Daniel’s past.
I looked up.
“What is this?””
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Emma, listen to me.””
“No.””
I held up the letter.
“Explain.””
Chloe crossed her arms.
“I found it three weeks ago.””
Daniel looked at her sharply.
“You went through my things?””
“I was trying to protect my sister.””
I laughed.
A painful, empty laugh.
“Protect me?””
Chloe ignored me.
“Daniel never told you everything about his first engagement.””
I looked at Daniel.
“First engagement?””
His silence answered for him.
The man I was supposed to marry in less than ten minutes had a secret.
And my sister had been waiting for the perfect moment to reveal it.
My wedding day.
My ruined dress.
My breaking point.
“Daniel,” I whispered.
He took a step toward me.
“Emma, please.””
“Was there someone else?””
His eyes softened.
“It was years ago.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
He looked down.
“No.””
One word.
One second.
And suddenly the room felt colder.
Chloe watched me carefully.
She wanted to see me break.
I could tell.
But then Daniel said something unexpected.
“Her name was Natalie.””
I swallowed.
“And?””
“She wasn’t just my fiancée.””
He paused.
“She was my business partner.””
I looked at the letter again.
The details were confusing.
Dates.
Names.
Documents.
Nothing made sense.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Because it ended badly.””
“How badly?””
He looked at Chloe.
Then back at me.
“She tried to destroy me.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What?””
Daniel took a breath.
“Natalie accused me of stealing money from our company. It took months to prove I did nothing wrong.””
I looked at the paper.
“Then why is there an investigation letter?””
“Because I hired someone to find out why she disappeared.””
Chloe suddenly laughed.
“Convenient story.””
I turned toward her.
“You knew this?””
She shrugged.
“I knew enough.””
“No,” I said quietly.
“You knew enough to hurt me.””
Her expression changed.
For a second, she looked almost guilty.
Then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
And froze.
Daniel noticed.
“Who is it?””
Chloe didn’t answer.
The phone kept vibrating.
I saw the name flash across the screen.
Natalie.
My breath caught.
Daniel saw it too.
His face turned completely serious.
“How do you know her?””
Chloe quickly locked the phone.
“I don’t.””
But her voice was different.
A lie.
A terrible one.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Chloe.””
She backed away.
“You’re making a mistake.””
“No,” I said.
Everyone looked at me.
I held the damaged wedding dress in my hands.
The ink stains.
The hidden letter.
The phone call.
Suddenly, I realized the dress wasn’t the only thing my sister had tried to ruin.
She had come here with a plan.
A plan much bigger than destroying fabric.
The door opened.
A man in a dark suit appeared.
“Excuse me.””
Everyone turned.
He looked directly at me.
“Emma Parker?””
“Yes?””
He held out a folder.
“I’m from the legal department of Valentina Maison.””
My heart sank.
“Why?””
He looked at Chloe.
Then at the ruined dress.
Then back at me.
“Because we discovered this was not the first time someone attempted to sabotage a Valentina sample.””
He opened the folder.
Inside was a photograph.
A photograph of Chloe.
Standing outside the boutique.
Two days before my wedding.
And beside her was the one person I never expected to see.
May you like
Daniel’s former fiancée.
Natalie.
