Chapter 14 - The Wedding Will Continue
The next morning, Julian shocked everyone.
He announced that the wedding would proceed.
Vanessa stared at him across the breakfast table.
“You still want to marry me?”
Julian smiled.
“We’ve both made mistakes.”
Vanessa studied him carefully.
“You heard what I said at the pool.”
“I did.”
“And?”
“My mother has lied to me too.”
Vanessa’s suspicion slowly changed into hope.
Julian continued.
“I spoke with her.”
Vanessa leaned forward.
“She admitted what happened to my father?”
“Enough of it.”
For the first time, Vanessa’s eyes softened.
“My father was destroyed.”
“I know.”
“She deserved to answer for it.”
Julian forced himself to remain calm.
“Maybe.”
Vanessa reached for his hand.
He let her.
“But no more secrets.”
She nodded.
“No more.”
Julian almost admired how effortlessly she lied.
Later that afternoon, Claire called Richard.
Julian listened through a secure recording line.
“He’s going through with the wedding.”
Richard sounded shocked.
“Why?”
“He and Vanessa talked.”
“Does he know about Emily?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Does he know about you?”
“No.”
Richard remained silent.
Then he said,
“We accelerate.”
Claire looked toward Julian.
“How?”
“The competency petition gets filed Monday.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
“And Julian?”
Richard asked.
Claire swallowed.
“What about him?”
“Vanessa will handle Julian after the wedding.”
Julian wrote the words down.
Claire whispered.
“How?”
Richard laughed quietly.
“The same way accidents have been happening in wealthy families for centuries.”
The call ended.
Claire looked sick.
Julian did not.
Something inside him had become hard.
“They’re going to kill you.”
“They’re going to try.”
Claire looked terrified.
“Cancel the wedding.”
“No.”
“Julian.”
“If we cancel now, Richard runs.”
“We have Emily.”
“We have recordings.”
“Yes.”
“But I want everything.”
Julian stood.
“I want every account.”
“Every forged document.”
“Every person he paid.”
“And I want Vanessa to say it herself.”
Claire stared at him.
“How?”
Julian looked toward the mansion ballroom.
The wedding would take place there in ten days.
Hundreds of guests.
Executives.
Attorneys.
Board members.
Reporters.
And Richard Vale.
Julian said quietly,
“We give them exactly what they think they want.”
Claire understood.
“The wedding.”
May you like
Julian nodded.
“But this time, we control the room.”
