Chapter 4: The Sister Who Sold Me Out
For several seconds, I couldn't take my eyes off the phone.
The woman sitting beside Marcus in that security recording was Victoria.
My sister.
The girl who had shared my bedroom when we were growing up. The woman who had held my hand at our mother's funeral. The person who had stood beside me on my wedding day and adjusted my veil before I walked down the aisle.
She was also the woman who had told me, three months ago, that Marcus was probably working too hard and that I needed to stop questioning him.
I remembered her exact words.
“Lauren, men sometimes need to feel appreciated. Don't turn every little thing into a problem.””
At the time, I thought she was defending my marriage.
Now I wondered how long she had been helping destroy it.
Michael enlarged the recording.
“That's definitely her,” he said.
I swallowed.
“Can you play it again?””
He nodded.
The footage showed Marcus entering a private office with a black leather briefcase. Victoria was already seated behind a desk.
She wore a cream-colored blazer and gold earrings.
She looked completely comfortable.
Like she belonged there.
Marcus placed a document in front of her.
Victoria examined it, pointed toward one section, and said something the security camera couldn't capture.
Then Marcus signed.
She signed after him.
A third person entered the room carrying another folder.
The footage ended.
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
“Why would your sister be involved in this?””
I couldn't answer.
Marcus suddenly reached for Michael's phone.
“Give me that.””
Michael pulled it away.
“Don't touch my phone.””
“You don't understand what you're looking at.””
I turned toward my husband.
“Then explain it.””
Marcus looked at me.
His expression had changed.
The arrogance was gone.
In its place was something much more unsettling.
Calculation.
“Victoria was helping me with a business opportunity,” he said.
I stared at him.
“What business opportunity?””
“A private investment.””
“Using my name?””
He exhaled.
“Lauren, it wasn't supposed to happen this way.””
I laughed once.
“That's your explanation?””
“No. I'm saying you don't know the whole story.””
“Then tell me the whole story.””
He looked toward Daniel.
Then Michael.
Then Mr. Harris.
Finally, he lowered his voice.
“Can we talk alone?””
“No.””
“Lauren, please.””
“Every time you've asked me to talk alone, you've had another lie ready. I'm done giving you private rooms to hide in.””
He clenched his jaw.
Michael placed the phone on the table.
“I've already sent the recording to our compliance team. They'll preserve the original file.””
Marcus looked furious.
“You had no right to do that.””
Michael shrugged.
“Neither did whoever forged Lauren's signature.””
I looked at him.
“Can you find out what Victoria actually did?””
Michael nodded.
“I can request the full account-opening documents through the appropriate channels. But I need you to understand something. If this account was used to receive funds from Daniel's family trust, the investigation could become much bigger than a marital dispute.””
“I understand.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You're all making a mistake.””
Daniel stepped toward him.
“Then why don't you start explaining?””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“I didn't steal your father's money.””
“Then where did it go?””
“I invested it.””
“Where?””
Marcus hesitated.
Daniel's voice hardened.
“Where did my father's money go?””
Marcus finally answered.
“Into a development project.””
Michael looked up.
“Which project?””
Marcus stared at him.
“The Eastbridge redevelopment.””
Michael went completely still.
Daniel turned toward his brother.
“What?””
Michael slowly shook his head.
“That's impossible.””
I looked between them.
“What is Eastbridge?””
Daniel took a breath.
“My father spent the last ten years trying to acquire land for a community redevelopment project. The plan was to build affordable housing, a medical center, and small business spaces.””
Michael continued.
“After he died, the family trust retained the investment capital. Daniel was responsible for overseeing the project.””
I looked at Marcus.
“And you used that money?””
He shook his head.
“I didn't take it for myself.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You paid for my wife's vacations with it!””
Brianna began crying.
“I didn't know.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Did you know the money was connected to my father's trust?””
“No.””
“Did you ever ask where it came from?””
She lowered her eyes.
“I thought Marcus was wealthy.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
She wiped her cheeks.
“He told me he owned several properties. He said his company had made millions.””
Marcus interrupted.
“I do own properties.””
“Then why are you asking Lauren for money?”” Michael asked.
Marcus glared at him.
I stepped forward.
“Because the properties aren't his.””
Everyone turned toward me.
I took a document from Mr. Harris's folder.
“Three months ago, Marcus asked me to help refinance his business. He said he owned two commercial buildings and a warehouse.””
Marcus looked at the paper.
“Lauren, don't.””
I continued.
“The title searches showed that one building belonged to a holding company registered under my name. The second was owned by my family investment trust. The warehouse had already been repossessed.””
Daniel frowned.
“So he lied about owning everything?””
“Apparently.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You don't understand how business works.””
I looked at him.
“I understand exactly how business works. That's why I hired an accountant.””
Mr. Harris nodded.
“And the accountant discovered that several assets had been transferred between companies without proper authorization.””
Marcus's expression changed again.
This time, he looked at Mr. Harris with genuine hatred.
“You've been investigating me?””
I answered before my attorney could.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before our anniversary.””
He stared at me.
“Why didn't you say anything?””
I looked toward the fireplace.
His clothes were still burning.
“Because I wanted to see whether you would tell me the truth before I had to prove you were lying.””
His face tightened.
“And you decided to humiliate me instead?””
“No, Marcus. You humiliated yourself. I simply stopped protecting you.””
A car horn sounded outside the gate.
Everyone turned.
A silver Mercedes pulled into the driveway.
The driver's door opened.
Victoria stepped out.
She was wearing the same cream-colored blazer from the security recording.
She carried a designer handbag and walked toward the backyard as though she had arrived for an ordinary family visit.
Then she saw the people gathered around the patio.
Her smile disappeared.
“Lauren?””
I didn't move.
She looked at Marcus.
Then at Daniel.
Then at the papers scattered across the table.
“What happened?””
Nobody answered.
Victoria looked directly at me.
“Why is everyone here?””
I held out Michael's phone.
“Would you like to explain this?””
She looked at the recording.
For a split second, her face betrayed her.
Then she smiled.
“Oh, that.””
I felt my stomach turn.
That?
She was looking at evidence of a fraudulent financial arrangement, and she called it that?
“Victoria,” I said quietly, “how long have you been working with my husband?””
She sighed.
“Can we not do this in front of strangers?””
I stared at her.
“Daniel is my husband's mistress's husband. Michael is his brother. Mr.
Harris is my attorney. And you're my sister.””
I paused.
“I'm not sure there are any strangers left.””
Victoria placed her handbag on the table.
“Lauren, you're misunderstanding the situation.””
I almost smiled.
“That's what Marcus said.””
She looked irritated.
“Marcus was trying to build something.””
“With my money?””
“With your resources.””
I stared at her.
“Did you forge my signature?””
Her expression hardened.
“No.””
“Did you help Marcus open Bluewater Strategies?””
She looked at Marcus.
He looked away.
Victoria sighed.
“I helped him with some paperwork.””
“Using my name?””
“You were going to benefit from it.””
“Did you ask me?””
She didn't answer.
I nodded slowly.
“That's what I thought.””
Victoria crossed her arms.
“You've always been like this, Lauren. You have everything, and you still find a reason to be unhappy.””
The words struck harder than I expected.
Because I recognized them.
They were the same words she had used when we were children.
Whenever I received something, she called me spoiled.
Whenever I succeeded, she said I was lucky.
Whenever I struggled, she reminded me that I had no reason to complain.
I had spent years believing my sister was simply insecure.
Now I wondered whether she had been jealous enough to become dangerous.
Victoria leaned closer.
“You don't know what Marcus was trying to accomplish.””
I looked at her.
“Then tell me.””
She opened her mouth.
But Marcus suddenly interrupted.
“Victoria, stop.””
She turned toward him.
“Why?””
“Just stop talking.””
For the first time, I saw them look at each other like two people who knew they were trapped together.
Victoria's face went pale.
Then she said something I would never forget.
“Don't you dare put this all on me. You're the one who promised her inheritance would be enough to cover everything.””
My breath caught.
Daniel looked at me.
“Inheritance?””
Victoria immediately covered her mouth.
Marcus closed his eyes.
And I realized there was another secret.
May you like
One involving my mother's estate.
One that apparently had been planned long before Marcus and I ever walked down the aisle.
