Chapter 3 - The Text Message & Unraveling Loyalties
“It... it’s real,” Natalie whispered, clutching her throat. Tears spilled over her eyelashes, cutting tracks through her makeup. “She wasn’t lying. Oh God, Claire...”
Adrian reached into the dark alcove with steady hands, though his pulse was hammering in his ears like a war drum. He lifted the red leather case. It felt unnaturally heavy.
“Mr. Westwood,” Rachel said softly, holding Emma close against her waist. “When I was cleaning the upper corridor late last Tuesday, Emma wandered into the hallway. She told me she saw the lady in the blue dress coming out of this room. I didn't believe her at first... I thought she was playing make-believe. But then tonight, when Miss Cole walked into the ballroom wearing that exact blue gown...”
“You don't need to explain, Rachel,” Adrian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous register. “You did the right thing.”
He turned the red box over in his hands. The brass latch was unbuckled. Inside lay two items.
The first was Claire’s lost wedding ring—a six-carat emerald-cut diamond set in platinum. The police report from three years ago had explicitly stated that the ring was presumed thrown from the vehicle upon impact into the ravine, lost in the mud and deep water of Lake Forest.
The second item was a small, sleek black voice recorder, along with a folded sheet of heavy cream parchment written in Claire’s distinct, elegant handwriting.
Before Adrian could open the letter, heavy footsteps rushed up the hardwood corridor outside the suite.
“Adrian!”
It was Caleb. Adrian’s younger brother burst through the doorway, out of breath, his tie loosened, sweat glistening on his forehead.
“Adrian, what the hell are you doing up here?” Caleb demanded, his eyes darting frantically from Adrian to the red box, then to Rachel and the child. “The guests are walking out! Mother is having a panic attack downstairs! You’re letting a maid’s kid ruin the entire family’s reputation!”
Adrian didn’t answer right away. He looked at Natalie, who was holding Madison’s phone.
“Natalie,” Adrian said calmly. “Read the last unsent text message on Madison’s screen.”
Caleb froze. The color drained from his face so fast he looked almost ghostly under the chandelier light.
Natalie swiped the screen, her eyes scanning the text. Her mouth opened in disgust.
“He’s going to the closet. Intercept him or burn the Lake Forest garage files NOW. He can’t find the recorder.”
“And who was that message addressed to, Natalie?” Adrian asked softly.
Natalie raised her eyes, staring at Caleb with absolute hatred.
“It was addressed to Caleb.”
Silence stretched across the room, heavy and suffocating.
Caleb took a step back, his hands raised in surrender. “Adrian... listen to me. It’s not what you think. Madison texted me because... because she was worried about you! She thought you were having a breakdown!”
“She texted you to burn files at the Lake Forest garage, Caleb,” Adrian said, stepping forward. He was taller than his brother, broad-shouldered, and right now, his eyes burned with a dark, terrifying intensity. “Why does Madison have my dead wife’s wedding ring? And why were you supposed to burn files?”
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“I don't know!” Caleb yelled, his voice cracking. “I don't know anything about a ring!”
“You’re lying,” Natalie screamed, stepping up to her brother and shoving him hard in the chest. “You’ve been covering for her! Ever since Claire died, you’ve been telling Adrian to marry Madison! You pushed for it every single week!”
