Chapter 3 - What Marlene Witnessed
Marlene put down her wine.
“This is ridiculous.”
I held out the page.
“Your name.”
“I witness things for the family all the time.”
“You witnessed my signature.”
“I assumed you had signed.”
“Where?”
She looked toward Mother.
“Patricia gave me the document.”
Mother immediately said:
“Do not drag me into this.”
Marlene laughed nervously.
“You handed it to me.”
“Because Lucas said Emily already agreed.”
I looked at Lucas.
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“Everyone needs to calm down.”
Alexander said:
“No one here seems unclear except the people who signed things.”
Lucas pointed at him.
“You do not get to walk into this house with two employees and interrogate my family.”
“Then do not answer.”
Owen added:
“The lender will obtain records formally.”
Olivia remained on the staircase.
Still.
Watching.
Marlene finally spoke.
“Lucas told us Emily had signed electronically.”
“Then why did you witness it?”
“Because the bank wanted a family witness.”
Owen corrected:
“The lender did not require that.”
Marlene’s face changed.
“Then Lucas wanted it.”
I looked at Mother.
“Where is my blue envelope?”
She folded her arms.
“I do not know.”
“Marlene looked at you when I asked upstairs.”
“That proves nothing.”
“The dresses were cut open.”
“They were ugly.”
“You sliced the linings.”
Silence.
I had not noticed until now.
The inner seam of my navy dress.
Cut.
The hidden pocket inside the pale blue dress.
Cut.
The garment bag.
Opened from the bottom.
They had not only wanted to humiliate me.
They were searching.
I looked at Marlene.
“What did Lucas ask you to find?”
She said nothing.
Mother snapped:
“Enough.”
Alexander touched my elbow lightly.
Not to pull me away.
Just there.
I appreciated the difference.
“Emily.”
I looked at him.
“You do not have to stay in this room.”
“Yes, I do.”
Then I turned back to Marlene.
“What were you looking for?”
Her face cracked first.
“A blue envelope.”
Mother swore under her breath.
Lucas’s head snapped toward his aunt.
“You idiot.”
There.
Olivia closed her eyes.
Marlene looked defensive.
“You said it was company property.”
Lucas stepped forward.
“Stop talking.”
I almost laughed.
“No. Please keep talking.”
Marlene looked at me.
“He said Katherine Doyle gave you corporate documents you were not entitled to remove.”
“They are my trust records.”
“I did not know.”
“You did not ask.”
Mother exploded:
“Because everything with you becomes a courtroom.”
“No. Everything with Lucas becomes a document problem.”
She moved toward me.
Alexander stepped between us.
Mother stopped.
I said:
“You knew they were searching my suitcase.”
Patricia’s eyes flashed.
“I knew Lucas needed a folder before rehearsal.”
“Why?”
“He said tomorrow’s merger would be delayed.”
Olivia turned sharply.
“What merger?”
Silence.
The room changed.
Lucas looked at Mother.
Mother looked at him.
Marlene looked genuinely confused.
Olivia came down the final steps.
“What merger?”
Lucas said:
“Nothing is signed.”
“That was not my question.”
Alexander looked toward Owen.
Owen did not speak.
He could not disclose everything he knew as lender counsel casually.
But Olivia’s father apparently could.
The front door opened again.
William Grant entered with Olivia’s mother behind him.
Wedding rehearsal guests had begun arriving.
William stopped when he saw the room.
“What happened?”
Olivia looked at her father.
“Did you know Carter Heritage is merging with Grant Hospitality?”
William’s expression answered before his voice.
“Who told you?”
“Lucas did not.”
She laughed once.
Cold.
“My own wedding is tomorrow and everyone negotiated a corporate transaction around it except me.”
Lucas walked toward her.
“Olivia.”
“Do not.”
Mother said:
“It was meant to be announced after the ceremony.”
I stared at her.
“You knew.”
“Of course.”
“What does the wedding have to do with a merger?”
William Grant answered carefully.
“Nothing legally.”
Lucas looked relieved.
Then William continued.
“Practically, the families believed announcing a strategic investment after the wedding would reassure employees and lenders.”
I looked at Lucas.
“How much investment?”
“Twelve million.”
“And what does Grant get?”
William said:
“Forty percent of Carter Heritage after restructuring.”
My twenty eight percent would be diluted.
That required my approval.
Now I understood why the blue envelope mattered.
Katherine’s memorandum stated clearly that Lucas could not dilute my trust below twenty five percent without my consent.
His financing certification claimed he already had that authority.
His wedding merger needed it again.
Mother destroyed my clothes while searching for the document proving he did not.
Olivia turned toward Lucas.
“You were going to announce a twelve million dollar deal after we got married.”
“It saves the company.”
“Why did you not tell me?”
“Your father was handling the Grant side.”
She looked at William.
He said:
“I believed Lucas had told you.”
“I did not.”
Lucas snapped:
“This is business. The wedding is personal.”
Olivia looked around the flower covered foyer.
“You are using my wedding to stabilize investor confidence.”
Nobody answered.
Then Mother said something I never expected.
“Olivia, please. We can discuss this after rehearsal.”
Olivia slowly removed the engagement ring from her finger.
She did not give it back.
She only held it.
“Rehearsal can wait.”
Lucas went pale.
Then Owen received a call.
He stepped aside.
Listened.
Returned.
“Emily.”
“What?”
“Katherine Doyle has located the original blue envelope.”
Mother stared.
“That is impossible.”
I turned toward her.
“Why?”
May you like
Her face told me she had just made a mistake.
Continue to the next part: Patricia thought the blue envelope had disappeared for good, but Emily’s attorney kept a second certified copy that proves Lucas’s merger cannot proceed the way he promised.
