Chapter 4 - THE LOCKED DRAWER
Damian saw Elena looking at Vanessa’s pocket.
“What?”
Elena hesitated.
Vanessa didn’t.
“Nothing.”
“Elena?”
“She has a key.”
Vanessa’s face hardened.
“To my jewelry drawer. Yes. Shocking.”
Damian held out his hand.
“Give it to me.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
“The key.”
“No.”
The terrace went silent again.
Damian looked almost surprised.
Not angry.
Not yet.
Just surprised that anyone had told him no in his own house.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“This is private.”
“So was our engagement.”
“Damian.”
“The key.”
She folded her arms.
“You don’t get to search my things because your employee saw a notebook.”
“My employee has worked for me four years.”
“And I’m supposed to be your wife!”
“Then this should be easy.”
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
“Fine.”
She pulled a small brass key from her pocket.
Instead of handing it over, she dropped it onto a table.
It made a tiny metallic sound.
Damian picked it up.
Then turned to Elena.
“Stay here.”
Vanessa followed him.
“Absolutely not.”
He kept walking.
She hurried after him.
“Damian!”
Elena remained on the terrace holding Mia.
The caterers tried to return to work, but nobody moved naturally.
Everyone was listening.
Mia touched Elena’s cheek.
“Is Mr. Cross mad?”
“Yes.”
“At me?”
Elena’s heart broke a little.
“No. Never at you.”
“Pretty lady?”
Elena didn’t answer.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then thirty.
Finally, Damian appeared at the doorway.
Vanessa was behind him.
Her face was white.
In Damian’s hand was the leather notebook.
Elena’s chest tightened.
He walked to the terrace table.
Opened it.
Turned several pages.
His expression didn’t change.
That frightened Elena more.
Vanessa spoke first.
“They’re notes.”
Damian ignored her.
“Carlos.”
The groundskeeper looked up from the edge of the terrace.
“Sir?”
“How long have you worked here?”
“Seven years.”
Damian looked at the ledger.
“Did Vanessa offer you money to resign?”
Carlos went pale.
Vanessa snapped, “Don’t answer that.”
Damian slowly lifted his eyes.
Carlos swallowed.
“Twenty thousand.”
Elena stared at him.
“When?” Damian asked.
“Last month.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Carlos looked embarrassed.
“She said it was part of a restructuring plan you approved.”
Damian’s face darkened.
“I approved no such plan.”
Vanessa laughed nervously.
“It was preliminary.”
Damian flipped a page.
“Monica.”
A housemaid near the doorway froze.
“Sir?”
“Forty thousand?”
Monica started crying.
“I didn’t take it.”
“What was it for?”
“She wanted me to say Elena stole jewelry.”
Elena felt as if someone had punched her.
“What?”
Vanessa’s voice cut across the terrace.
“That is a lie.”
Monica shook her head.
“You told me to plant the bracelet in Elena’s cottage.”
Vanessa stepped toward her.
“You ungrateful—”
“Enough.”
Damian’s voice cracked across the terrace like a gunshot.
Nobody moved.
Mia buried her face against Elena again.
Damian softened immediately.
He looked at Elena.
“Take Mia inside.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
He seemed surprised.
Elena’s voice trembled, but she kept going.
“If my name is in that book, I’m staying.”
Damian nodded once.
“Fair.”
Then he turned another page.
His expression changed.
There was something there Elena hadn’t seen.
Damian read silently.
Vanessa watched him.
For the first time, she looked genuinely terrified.
“What?” Elena asked.
Damian didn’t answer.
“Damian?”
He looked up.
“Vanessa has been transferring money.”
“To who?”
He turned the ledger around.
Elena saw the name.
GREGORY HAIL.
Vanessa’s father.
And underneath it:
$3.8 million.
May you like
The color left Damian’s face.
Because Gregory Hail had been dead for six years.
