Chapter 6 - THE WEDDING MORNING
The wedding day arrived beneath a clear blue sky.
One hundred and fifty guests were expected at the historic Hawthorne Estate outside Columbus. White roses lined the aisle. A string quartet had been hired. The ballroom was decorated with gold ribbons and pale green tablecloths.
Vanessa had insisted on every detail.
She wanted a perfect wedding.
I wondered whether she had planned the perfect crime with the same care.
I woke before dawn and called Claire.
“Nora is with you?”
“Yes. She's having breakfast.”
“Keep her there until Detective Bennett arrives.”
“Ethan, please tell me this is going to end today.”
“It will.”
Claire was quiet.
“Are you sure?”
“No. But I'm not letting them hurt my daughter.”
At nine, Michael arrived with a folder.
“The documents have been replaced,” he said. “The original trust amendment is secured with the police. The copies Vanessa expects you to sign contain no authority or financial effect.”
“And the insurance?”
“Your policy is frozen pending review. No changes can be made without your direct confirmation.”
Detective Bennett arrived shortly afterward.
She explained the plan.
Officers would be positioned near the entrance, in the kitchen corridor, and outside the private rooms. The venue's security team had been briefed. If Adrian appeared, they would identify him and prevent him from leaving.
“What about Vanessa?” I asked.
“We can't arrest someone simply because she lied about being pregnant,” the detective said. “But if she attempts to commit fraud, threatens you, or takes steps toward the plan described in the recording, we can intervene.”
I nodded.
At noon, Vanessa arrived at the estate.
She wore a flowing ivory gown designed to accommodate her supposed pregnancy. The rounded belly beneath the fabric was prominent. Her hair was pinned into a soft style, and a diamond necklace rested against her collarbone.
She looked beautiful.
For a moment, I remembered the woman who had made pancakes with Nora.
Then I remembered the recording.
Vanessa approached me with a smile.
“You look handsome.”
“Thank you.”
She placed a hand over her stomach.
“Grace is excited.”
I looked down.
“Is she?”
“She's been moving all morning.”
I forced a smile.
“I'm glad.”
She kissed my cheek.
“After today, everything will be different.”
I wondered what she meant.
At 2:30, guests began arriving.
I greeted friends, relatives, and colleagues. Everyone congratulated me. Some joked about becoming a father again. Others told me Rachel would have wanted me to be happy.
I thanked them.
I smiled.
I played the part of a man beginning a new chapter.
But I kept watching the doors.
At 3:10, Adrian entered.
He wore a dark suit and carried a small leather case. He did not approach Vanessa. Instead, he spoke briefly with a man near the service entrance.
Detective Bennett saw him.
Two officers followed.
Adrian noticed and turned toward the bar.
He was calm.
Too calm.
At 3:35, Vanessa asked me to meet her in the bridal suite.
“I have something for you,” she said.
Inside, a document folder lay on the dressing table.
“Just a few papers,” she explained. “Adrian said they need to be signed before five.”
I looked at the folder.
“Why before five?”
“That's when the financial office closes.”
I opened it.
The documents were the same trust amendment Michael had shown me. The harmless copies had been replaced with the original version.
Someone had switched them.
I kept my expression neutral.
“Can I review these?”
Vanessa's smile tightened.
“Ethan, we have a wedding in less than an hour.”
“Then I'll sign after.”
“Adrian said it has to be today.”
“Why?”
She stepped closer.
“Because I am your wife in less than an hour. Don't you trust me?”
I closed the folder.
“I trust you enough to ask questions.”
For the first time, her expression turned cold.
“Don't ruin this.”
Then she picked up the folder and walked out.
I immediately called Michael.
“The original documents are back.”
“What?”
“Someone switched them.”
Michael swore under his breath.
“Keep the folder away from her. I'll alert the detective.”
May you like
But before I could answer, I heard a scream from the hallway.
Nora.
