Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO MARRY
The conference-room doors opened at 12:07 A.M.
Sebastian Vale walked in wearing a tuxedo and a smile that made me instantly dislike him.
He looked like Julian if someone had removed every trace of restraint.
“Lena Morales.”
He said my name like we had met.
We hadn’t.
I moved closer to Julian.
Not because I trusted him.
Because I trusted Sebastian less.
Julian’s voice turned cold.
“Why are you here?”
“To congratulate you.”
“You cut the building power.”
“Technical issue.”
“Liar.”
Sebastian smiled.
Then looked at me.
“You really don’t know?”
I crossed my arms.
“Know what?”
“Who Camille Rhodes was.”
“The woman who vanished?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Julian.
He said nothing.
Sebastian continued.
“She wasn’t just a contractual bride.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“She was my executive counsel.”
“And your former fiancée.”
Silence.
I stared at him.
“Former?”
Julian looked at me.
“Two years ago.”
Wonderful.
Sebastian seemed delighted.
“They were supposed to marry for love once.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“Leave.”
“Then she discovered something.”
“What?”
Sebastian looked at me again.
“That Julian’s grandfather’s trust wasn’t really about marriage.”
I felt cold.
Julian said:
“Enough.”
Sebastian laughed.
“No, cousin. Midnight passed. Now it gets interesting.”
He pulled a folder from inside his jacket.
Dropped it onto the table.
I opened it.
The marriage clause.
The original trust.
But one paragraph had been highlighted.
If Julian Vale marries before age thirty-nine, full voting control transfers to him.
If the marriage is deemed fraudulent, coercive, or entered primarily for financial consideration—
the shares transfer permanently to Sebastian Vale.
I looked at Julian.
My stomach dropped.
“Six hundred thousand dollars.”
His face hardened.
“I didn’t know this clause existed.”
Sebastian smiled.
“Of course you didn’t.”
“How do you have the original?”
“Grandfather trusted me more than you thought.”
Julian grabbed the folder.
“This copy could be altered.”
“It could.”
Sebastian looked at me.
“Would you like to bet your six hundred thousand dollars on it?”
I stared at Julian.
He was furious.
But not guilty.
At least not about this.
Then Sebastian said:
“And there’s another problem.”
“What now?” I asked.
“Camille.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
“What about her?”
“She’s missing because she found proof the trust was manipulated.”
“By who?”
Sebastian’s smile disappeared.
“Our uncle.”
Julian went still.
“Victor?”
“Yes.”
I looked between them.
Sebastian continued.
“Victor Vale controls the trustees.”
“Why?”
“To force either one of us into dependence.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense if he wants both sides fighting.”
Julian’s phone finally regained signal.
Forty-seven missed calls.
One voicemail from Camille.
He played it.
Her voice shook.
“Julian, do not marry anyone. The trust was changed. Victor has people inside legal. If I disappear, assume he found out.”
A crash sounded in the recording.
Then Camille whispered:
“Lena Morales is not random.”
The voicemail ended.
I stopped breathing.
Julian looked at me.
“What does she mean?”
“I don’t know.”
Sebastian stared at me differently now.
May you like
Then he said:
“You really don’t know who your father worked for, do you?”
