Chapter 2: The Message That Changed Everything
Ethan read the message a third time.
She isn't just after your money.
The words sat on his screen like a threat.
Around him, the wedding hall shimmered with expensive decorations and carefully arranged flowers. Guests chatted softly, unaware that the groom was standing beneath a crystal chandelier with his future collapsing in his hands.
His father, Richard Carter, had built Carter Holdings from a small property business into a multibillion-dollar real-estate company. He was a disciplined man who disliked surprises and trusted contracts more than promises.
If someone had discovered a threat to the family, Richard would want to know.
Ethan slipped his phone into his pocket.
He needed answers before the ceremony began.
“Emily,” he whispered, “I need you to stall the coordinator.””
His sister grabbed his arm.
“Ethan, tell me what's happening.””
“I heard Victoria talking to her friend. She said she intends to divorce me after six months and take as much money as she can.””
Emily stared at him.
“No.””
“I wish I were joking.””
“She loves you.””
“I thought so, too.””
Emily's eyes filled with tears, but her voice sharpened.
“Then don't marry her.””
“I'm not going to.””
She glanced at the guests.
“Are you going to tell everyone?””
“Yes.””
“Ethan, wait.”” She lowered her voice.
“If she's willing to plan something like this, what else has she done?””
He pulled out his phone and showed her the anonymous message.
Emily read it, her face growing paler with every word.
“Dad's office?”” she whispered.
“Why would someone tell you to look there?””
“That's what I intend to find out.””
“But the ceremony—”
“Give me five minutes.””
He turned toward his father.
Richard was standing beside the altar in a black tuxedo, his silver hair neatly combed. He was speaking to the officiant, a distinguished man named Reverend Collins, who had known the Carter family for years.
Ethan approached.
“Dad, I need to talk to you privately.””
Richard glanced at the clock.
“Now? The ceremony is about to begin.””
“It's important.””
“Can it wait until afterward?””
“No.””
Something in Ethan's voice made his father stop.
Richard studied him for a moment, then nodded toward a side corridor.
“Two minutes.””
They walked into a quiet alcove behind the main hall. The music became muffled, and the scent of roses gave way to the faint smell of polished wood.
Richard folded his arms.
“What's happened?””
Ethan showed him the message.
His father read it without speaking.
Then he looked up.
“Who sent this?””
“I don't know.””
“Have you checked the number?””
“It's hidden.””
Richard handed the phone back.
“Someone is trying to frighten you.””
“I don't think so. I heard Victoria talking to her friend. She admitted she plans to divorce me after six months.””
Richard's jaw tightened.
“What exactly did she say?””
Ethan repeated the conversation as accurately as he could.
When he finished, his father stared at the floor.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Richard exhaled through his nose.
“I warned you not to rush into this marriage.””
Ethan flinched.
“Is that what you want to say right now?””
“No. What I want to say is that I hope you've misunderstood her.””
“I heard every word.””
Richard's face hardened.
“Then we cancel the wedding.””
“I'm going to expose her first.””
“Ethan, this is not a business negotiation. You don't have to humiliate someone to protect yourself.””
“She was planning to humiliate me for six months, Dad. Then she'd take my money and walk away.””
“And you think a public confrontation will make you feel better?””
“No.”” Ethan held his father's gaze.
“I think it will stop her from doing this to someone else.””
Richard looked toward the wedding hall.
“I understand your anger. But anger is a terrible reason to make a permanent decision.””
“Then help me make an informed one. The message mentioned your office. What document could someone be talking about?””
For the first time, Richard looked genuinely unsettled.
It was brief. Barely a flicker.
But Ethan saw it.
“What document?”” Ethan asked again.
Richard straightened his cuffs.
“I have hundreds of documents in my office.””
“Then it shouldn't be difficult to check.””
“Ethan, this is not the time.””
“Why not?””
“Because you are about to make a decision that could affect this family for years.””
The words landed heavily.
Ethan stared at him.
“That's an interesting answer.””
Richard's eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?””
“It means I came here believing the only person who'd lied to me was Victoria. Now I don't know what to believe.””
His father looked as though Ethan had struck him.
“Be careful,” Richard said quietly.
“You are upset, and you're looking for someone to blame.””
“I'm looking for the truth.””
“And I am telling you to wait.””
Ethan's phone vibrated again.
A second message appeared.
Ask your father who approved the transfer of $8.4 million to Hayes Consulting three weeks ago.
Ethan's stomach dropped.
He turned the screen toward Richard.
His father's face drained of color.
For a moment, the silence between them became absolute.
Then Ethan spoke.
“Who is Hayes Consulting?””
Richard reached for the phone.
“Let me see that.””
Ethan pulled it away.
“Answer me.””
“Ethan, listen to me.””
“Eight point four million dollars. Three weeks ago. A company connected to Victoria's family. Does that sound familiar?””
Richard's mouth opened, then closed.
That was answer enough.
Ethan stepped backward.
“You knew.””
“No.”” Richard raised a hand.
“Not what you think.””
“Then tell me what I should think.””
His father glanced toward the corridor, as if checking whether anyone could hear them.
“Hayes Consulting was involved in a transaction with one of our subsidiaries. It was approved through the normal channels.””
“What transaction?””
“A property acquisition.””
“Which property?””
Richard hesitated.
“An office complex in New Jersey.””
“Did you know Victoria's family owned the consulting firm?””
“I knew her father had business interests in property.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“It was a business transaction, Ethan. Your engagement had nothing to do with it.””
Ethan stared at him.
“Then why does an anonymous person think the two are connected?””
Richard rubbed his forehead.
“I don't know.””
“Then let's find out.””
He turned toward the office corridor.
Richard caught his arm.
“Wait.””
Ethan looked down at his father's hand.
“Let go.””
“Please. Just give me a moment to explain.””
“You've had three weeks.””
Richard released him.
For the first time in Ethan's life, his father looked less like an unshakable businessman and more like a man standing at the edge of a cliff.
“I made a decision,” Richard said.
“I believed it was the right one for the company.””
“What decision?””
Richard swallowed.
“I can't explain it here.””
“Then explain it in your office.””
A distant voice came over the wedding coordinator's headset.
“Two minutes to the procession.””
Richard closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them, his expression had changed.
“Go to the altar,” he said.
“Let the ceremony proceed. We will deal with the business matter afterward.””
Ethan almost laughed.
“Are you serious?””
“If you cancel now, every person in that room will demand an explanation. The story will spread before we even know what happened.””
“Victoria is counting on that wedding happening.””
“And you are counting on an anonymous message being true.””
Ethan's anger sharpened.
“Then why are you afraid to open your office?””
Richard said nothing.
That silence was worse than any confession.
Ethan turned and walked away.
“Where are you going?”” his father called.
“To find the document myself.””
“Ethan!””
He didn't stop.
The corridor leading to Richard's private office was empty. The office sat beyond a set of oak doors near the estate's administrative wing, a temporary workspace Richard used when hosting major events at the property.
Ethan had been there earlier that morning to sign the final wedding arrangements.
The door was locked.
He knocked once.
No answer.
He tried the handle.
Locked.
A security guard appeared at the far end of the corridor.
“Mr. Carter? Can I help you?””
“I need access to my father's office.””
“I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Carter instructed us not to allow anyone inside until after the ceremony.””
Ethan felt a chill spread through him.
“Did he?””
“Yes, sir.””
“When?””
“About ten minutes ago.””
Ten minutes ago, Richard had already known about the message.
Ethan looked at the guard.
“Who else has been in there today?””
The guard shifted his weight.
“I'm not authorized to discuss that.””
“I'm asking you a simple question.””
“Mr. Carter, I could lose my job.””
Ethan took a breath.
“I understand. But if someone has used my family to commit fraud, your job will be the least of our problems.””
The guard's expression changed.
He glanced at the locked door, then lowered his voice.
“A woman was in there this morning.””
“Who?””
“I don't know her name.””
“Describe her.””
“Blonde hair. White dress. She was carrying a leather folder.””
Ethan's pulse quickened.
“Was it Victoria?””
The guard hesitated.
“She looked like the bride.””
Ethan stepped closer.
“What time?””
“Just after nine.””
Victoria had told him she'd spent the entire morning with her bridesmaids.
She had kissed him at the estate entrance at ten-thirty, smiling as she complained that her hair appointment had taken too long.
She had lied to his face.
Again.
“Did she leave anything behind?”” Ethan asked.
The guard glanced around.
“There's something you should know.””
“What?””
“The woman wasn't alone.””
Ethan's fingers curled.
“Who was with her?””
Before the guard could answer, footsteps sounded behind them.
Richard appeared at the end of the corridor, his expression stern.
“That's enough,” he said.
The guard immediately straightened.
Richard approached Ethan.
“The procession is beginning.””
Ethan looked at his father.
“Who was in your office with Victoria?””
Richard didn't answer.
“Dad. Who was it?””
His father leaned closer and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
“You need to go to the altar. Now.””
Ethan stared at him for another second.
Then he walked away.
Not because he had obeyed.
Because the wedding hall was filling with music, and he had finally realized something.
Victoria wasn't the only person who had prepared a performance for today.
May you like
His own father had a secret.
And Ethan intended to make sure the entire family learned the truth before anyone said, “I do.””
