Chapter 5 - His First Lie
Ethan stared at the document.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, he sat down.
Mary remained standing.
“Answer me.”
Ethan rubbed both hands over his face.
“The beginning was complicated.”
Mary almost laughed.
“That is not an answer.”
“I knew who you were before we met.”
Robert moved forward.
Mary raised a hand to stop him.
She wanted Ethan’s confession without interruption.
Ethan continued.
“My father’s company needed an investor.”
Charles closed his eyes.
“I was told you had influence with the Whitmore board.”
Mary looked at Charles.
“You were told?”
Charles said nothing.
Ethan continued.
“I approached you because I wanted an introduction.”
“And when did introducing me to your father become marrying me?”
Ethan looked at her.
“Things changed.”
“Did you love me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
Mary shook her head.
“Try again.”
Ethan stood.
“I did.”
“You were with Lauren twenty minutes before our wedding.”
“That was a mistake.”
“You had an operation called Project Bride.”
“That memo was written before I fell in love with you.”
Mary studied him.
For one dangerous second, she wanted to believe him.
Three years of memories were fighting against what lay on the table.
Then Daniel spoke.
“There is a date on the document.”
Ethan looked at him.
Daniel tapped the final page.
“This revision was made eleven days ago.”
Mary’s hope died instantly.
Ethan said nothing.
Daniel continued.
“And Mr. Cole personally edited it.”
Mary stared at Ethan.
He looked at the floor.
“So eleven days ago you were still planning to steal my shares.”
“It wasn’t stealing.”
Robert stood.
“Choose your next words carefully.”
Ethan turned toward him.
“The shares would remain hers.”
“You forged her signature.”
“It was a proxy.”
“It was fraud.”
Charles finally spoke.
“Enough.”
Everyone looked at him.
Charles approached his son.
“Tell them the truth.”
Ethan’s face changed.
“Dad.”
“I said tell them.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
Charles turned toward Mary.
“I knew about the original plan.”
Eleanor gasped.
Charles continued.
“But I never approved forgery.”
Robert stepped toward him.
“You sent your son after my daughter.”
“I sent him to meet her.”
“You targeted her.”
Charles looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
Mary felt strangely calm.
“Why Lauren?”
Ethan looked away.
Mary repeated the question.
“Why was my best friend involved?”
Lauren was brought into the room.
She refused to sit.
Her mascara had left dark streaks beneath her eyes.
“I owed him money.”
Mary stared at her.
Lauren shook her head.
“Not Ethan.”
She pointed toward Charles.
“Him.”
Charles looked shocked.
“That’s not true.”
Lauren pulled out her phone.
“I have every message.”
She placed it on the table.
Daniel picked it up.
Lauren whispered.
“Ethan wasn’t the only person using you, Mary.”
Mary looked toward Charles.
Lauren’s next words changed the entire room.
“The person who planned this wasn’t Ethan.”
May you like
She swallowed.
“It was someone inside your own family.”
