Chapter 2 — The Secret Behind the Holloway Empire
Grant refused to believe it.
“No.”
He shook his head.
“This is impossible.”
Evelyn grabbed the document.
Her eyes scanned the page.
Then she looked at me.
“How?”
Her voice was quieter.
Almost afraid.
I leaned back in my chair.
“Because three years ago, before I married your son, my father made one condition.”
Nobody spoke.
“He said I could marry whoever I wanted.”
I looked at Grant.
“But I could never surrender control of what my family built.”
Grant’s jaw tightened.
“You never told me.”
“No.”
I smiled sadly.
“Because I wanted to believe you loved me.”
That sentence hurt him more than anger would have.
Because it was true.
I had spent years hoping.
Hoping that the man I married would eventually see me.
But Grant didn’t want a wife.
He wanted an advantage.
“My father gave me ownership of the property.”
I tapped the deed.
“He knew people would try to use my name.”
Evelyn swallowed.
“And you let him?”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to know who he really was.”
The room became colder.
“After I refused to transfer ownership, Grant became different.”
I looked at my husband.
“He started hiding accounts.”
His expression hardened.
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
I pulled out another folder.
“Your offshore accounts.”
Another folder.
“The fake consulting companies.”
Another.
“The money transferred to Vanessa.”
Vanessa suddenly stood.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at her.
Her face lost its color.
“I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
I opened the final document.
“You don’t?”
I turned the paper around.
“Then maybe explain why my husband transferred $800,000 to an account registered under your name.”
Nobody moved.
Evelyn slowly looked at her daughter.
“Vanessa?”
Vanessa’s mouth opened.
But no words came out.
May you like
And for the first time…
the Holloway family started turning against each other.
