Chapter 8 - THE PHOTOGRAPH THEY WANTED FOR COURT
Eleanor denied everything.
Then Amanda produced texts.
That ended the denial.
Eleanor:
WE DON’T NEED POLICE. WE NEED SOMETHING SHOWING VIVIENNE WITH PROPERTY THAT ISN’T HERS.
Chloe:
WHAT FOR?
Eleanor:
INSURANCE. FUTURE FAMILY PROTECTION. STOP ASKING QUESTIONS.
Chloe had replied with a laughing emoji.
Amanda never planted the ring.
She panicked.
Then Chloe noticed the ring was still inside Amanda’s purse and improvised.
Public accusation.
Search.
Humiliation.
Eleanor followed instinct and tore my dress.
None of them expected security footage.
None of them expected my father.
None of them expected me to stop protecting their family image.
My attorney, Julia Mercer, explained that texts did not magically determine custody.
Courts do not hand children to grandparents because of staged photographs.
But intent mattered.
Especially when combined with the fraudulent trust request.
Dominic looked at his mother’s messages.
“I’m done.”
Anthony nodded.
“So am I.”
Eleanor was removed from Moretti Architectural Development’s financial role pending investigation.
The board appointed an independent interim CFO.
Chloe’s company access was suspended.
Moretti’s legitimate contracts continued under review.
Vale Crown did not terminate everything.
Some projects were properly performed.
Employees had nothing to do with Eleanor’s decisions.
Dad was careful about that.
Then the forensic audit identified total unsupported or improper charges:
$4.8 million.
Large.
Recoverable enough that Moretti would survive if the family cooperated.
Anthony immediately pledged personal assets toward restitution if required.
Dominic agreed to waive bonuses and step away from financial approvals during the review.
For the first time, the Moretti men stopped defending the family name and started defending the company.
Then police investigators asked me whether I wanted to pursue charges related to the assault at the wedding.
Eleanor had torn my dress.
Chloe had grabbed my arm and attempted to engineer a false theft accusation.
I hated the question.
Not because I felt sorry for them.
Because every decision now touched my unborn child.
Dominic said:
“Whatever you decide, I won’t pressure you.”
I looked at him.
“You finally learned.”
“Too late.”
“Yes.”
He accepted that.
Then something unexpected happened.
Jason filed for annulment from Chloe.
The marriage license had been submitted.
Unlike Grant’s story in another life, this wedding had become legally real.
Jason wanted out.
Chloe blamed me.
Naturally.
“You destroyed my marriage.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“You staged a theft accusation during your reception.”
“You called your father!”
“Yes.”
“Exactly!”
Apparently Dad had somehow traveled backward in time and hidden the ring in Amanda’s purse.
Jason said nothing.
He simply left.
Then my doctor called.
I had experienced several hours of contractions.
Not active labor.
But enough that she wanted me monitored.
Dominic drove me to the hospital because Dad was across town.
The car ride was quiet.
At a red light, Dominic whispered:
“Were you ever happy with me?”
The question surprised me.
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes.
“When did that stop?”
I thought.
“Not at the wedding.”
He looked toward me.
“It stopped every time I needed you to defend me and you asked me to absorb one more thing.”
The light changed.
He drove.
At the hospital, the baby was fine.
So was I.
Then the nurse asked for emergency contacts.
I listed my father.
My mother.
Dominic.
He looked surprised.
“You’re still her father.”
His eyes filled.
Then my phone buzzed.
Julia.
She had received the latest audit file.
One of the questionable $3.2 million hotel renovation payments had not gone to Eleanor.
It had gone into a trust account.
Beneficiary:
Dominic.
He stared at the screen.
May you like
“I’ve never seen that account.”
Someone had been hiding money in my husband’s name.
