THE LIBRARY
By eleven that night, most guests had left Ravenswood Estate.
The house became quiet.
I was walking past the library when I heard Celeste.
“That old woman ruined everything.”
I stopped.
The door was slightly open.
Eleanor answered.
“Only if you let her.”
“How am I supposed to fix this?”
“Convince Adrian she’s unstable.”
My hand went to my phone.
Eleanor continued:
“She arrived dressed like a homeless woman. Use that.”
Celeste sighed.
“Adrian listens to her.”
“He’s in love with you.”
“Which doesn’t matter if he signs the prenup.”
Silence.
Then Eleanor:
“Then don’t let him sign it.”
“How?”
“Cry.”
“Mom.”
“Tell him the agreement humiliates you.”
“Tell him marriage without trust is meaningless.”
“And if he still insists…”
A pause.
“…threaten to cancel the wedding.”
Richard’s voice entered the conversation.
“We don’t have time for games.”
My stomach tightened.
“The bank isn’t waiting anymore.”
Celeste spoke more quietly.
“What happens if we don’t get the guarantee?”
Richard answered:
“We lose the Westhaven office building.”
“The lake house.”
“And likely everything else.”
I pressed Record.
Celeste exhaled.
“Once Adrian and I are married, it becomes manageable.”
“How?” Eleanor asked.
“If he divorces me, I leave with millions.”
My fingers went cold.
“If he stays…”
Celeste laughed softly.
“…I’ll control his accounts from inside the marriage.”
Eleanor asked:
“And Margaret?”
For the first time, they used my name.
Celeste answered:
“She’s the real problem.”
Eleanor didn’t hesitate.
“Then make people think she’s losing her mind.”
“A couple strange incidents.”
“A few witnesses.”
“Old woman behaving irrationally.”
“People believe what they’re shown.”
I stopped recording only when their conversation ended.
Then I stood alone in the hallway and allowed myself exactly ten seconds to be angry.
After that—
I became a businesswoman again.
ADRIAN WANTED TO CANCEL EVERYTHING
The next morning, Adrian came to my Bellmere home looking like he had not slept.
He sat across from me at breakfast.
“I’m ending the engagement.”
I stirred my coffee.
“No.”
His head snapped up.
“What?”
“Don’t cancel yet.”
“Mom, she sprayed you with a hose.”
“I remember.”
“Her family humiliated you.”
“Yes.”
“She threatened you.”
“Yes.”
He looked genuinely confused.
“Then why are you telling me not to end it?”
I pushed a blue folder toward him.
“Because if you end this today, Celeste will spend the next six months telling the world your rich mother never thought she was good enough.”
He looked down.
“She’ll say the Vale family hated her because she didn’t come from old money.”
I continued.
“She’ll cry on television.”
“Post carefully edited statements online.”
“Maybe even claim the prenup was designed to humiliate her.”
Adrian stared.
“And people will believe her.”
“Some will.”
I tapped the folder.
“But if she thinks the wedding is still possible…”
Understanding started appearing in his face.
“She keeps talking.”
“Yes.”
“And if she thinks she can still manipulate me…”
“She will likely become careless.”
He opened the folder.
Bank records.
Property searches.
Corporate registrations.
Photographs.
Loan documents.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Invite Celeste and her parents here tomorrow.”
“To Ravenswood?”
“No.”
“To my house.”
I folded my hands.
“My attorney will attend.”
“Why?”
“So will a notary.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
“And two investigators.”
“Mom…”
“What exactly are you planning?”
I smiled.
“One final opportunity for the Whitmores to lie.”
