The Husband Everyone Blamed
Chapter 03 - The Husband Everyone Blamed
Celia and Noah agreed to bring the evidence to federal investigators, but they needed the original ledgers stored in the family records room. Only Celia, Victor, and Helena Eden—Celia’s elegant stepmother—had access.
Helena had always treated Noah with polished contempt. At dinners, she called him “the architect” instead of using his name. After Arthur’s death, she became chairwoman of the Eden Foundation and publicly described Celia as emotional and unprepared.
When Celia asked for the records-room key, Helena smiled.
“Your father trusted Victor with financial matters.”
“My father was investigating Victor.”
Helena’s smile disappeared. “Grief can make people invent enemies.”
That night, the records room was emptied.
The next morning, newspapers reported that millions had vanished from Eden Group accounts. Leaked documents identified Noah as the person who authorized the transfers. Photographs of his meetings with Victor appeared online, stripped of context.
Noah became the city’s favorite villain: the poor husband who married an heiress, stole her money, and betrayed her family.
Victor held a press conference pretending to defend Celia.
“My niece has been manipulated by a man who targeted her vulnerability,” he said.
Police searched Noah and Celia’s apartment. They found a flash drive hidden inside Noah’s desk containing account numbers and forged instructions.
Noah had never seen it before.
Celia stood beside him while officers placed him under temporary arrest.
“Do you believe me?” he asked.
She looked hurt, but her answer came immediately. “Yes.”
Victor watched from the hallway. His confidence frightened her more than the police.
Noah was released when investigators found no money in his accounts, yet the damage was done. The board suspended Celia and appointed Victor interim chairman. Helena advised her to annul the marriage before Noah destroyed what remained of her reputation.
Instead, Celia moved with Noah into a modest apartment above his old architecture studio.
For several weeks, they worked together. Noah traced the shell companies through building permits. Celia interviewed former accountants. Their marriage, born from deception, became strangely honest under pressure.
Then Celia received a message from her father’s former attorney, Margaret Sloan.
Arthur had placed original evidence in a private location and left instructions meant only for Celia. Margaret asked her to come alone.
Celia went to the meeting.
She never returned.
Her car was found beside the river with the driver’s door open, her phone on the seat, and her wedding ring resting on the dashboard.
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By sunset, the police believed Celia Eden was dead.
By morning, they believed Noah had killed her.
