Chapter 3 - Before the Vows
Maya went to the stairwell.
Of course she did.
Curiosity was dangerous.
So was ignorance.
The service door closed behind her, muffling the quartet and wedding chatter.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
Concrete steps dropped toward the lower floors.
“Maya?”
She turned.
Daniel Mercer stood on the landing.
“You.”
His face looked older than it had in Queens.
“You're working with Charles.”
“No.”
“I saw you together.”
“You saw what you were supposed to see.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It wasn't supposed to.”
Maya stared at him.
“You've got thirty seconds before I go back upstairs.”
Daniel glanced toward the door.
“Charles knows you have the envelope.”
“I figured.”
“Victoria knows too.”
“Also figured.”
“He doesn't know what's actually inside.”
Maya paused.
“What?”
“The records I gave you weren't complete.”
Anger shot through her.
“You told me—”
“I told you enough to make you come.”
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
The honesty shut her up.
Daniel rubbed his hands over his face.
“I needed the Ashcrofts to believe you had the original ledger.”
“What do I actually have?”
“Copies. Partial transaction records. Enough to raise questions.”
“And the rest?”
“Your mother hid them.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I've spent eighteen years trying to find them.”
Maya stepped closer.
“Why?”
“Because those records don't just prove fraud.”
The stairwell suddenly felt colder.
“What do they prove?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Your mother discovered money moving through six shell corporations. At first she thought Charles was stealing.”
“Was he?”
“Yes.”
Maya exhaled.
“But?”
“But not for himself.”
“What does that mean?”
“Some of the money went into political payments. Some went into land acquisitions. Some disappeared.”
“And the rest?”
Daniel stared at her.
“Went into a trust.”
“For who?”
He didn't answer.
Maya's stomach twisted.
“For who, Daniel?”
“You.”
She laughed.
Not because it was funny.
“That's ridiculous.”
“I saw the formation documents.”
“My mother had no trust.”
“Not under Bennett.”
“What name?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Cole.”
Maya stopped.
“No.”
“I didn't understand it then either.”
“Adrian?”
“I don't know.”
“You just said Cole.”
“There are more Coles than one man in New York.”
“You're lying again.”
“Probably about some things.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Not that.”
Maya backed away.
“My mother knew Adrian's family?”
“Your mother knew his father.”
Richard Cole had died when Adrian was twenty-four.
Construction magnate.
Public philanthropist.
A man credited with transforming half a dozen neighborhoods before his son expanded the empire.
Maya had read his biography.
No Lorraine Bennett.
No Newark accountant.
No connection.
“Why would Richard Cole create a trust for me?”
“I don't know.”
“That's convenient.”
“I was a controller. I saw transactions. I didn't know everyone's secrets.”
Maya's phone buzzed.
Tasha.
WHERE ARE YOU? BRIDE IS LOSING IT.
Daniel looked toward the sound.
“You need to go.”
“No. I need answers.”
“You need to stay alive long enough to get them.”
Maya stared.
“That supposed to scare me?”
“Yes.”
He stepped past her.
She grabbed his sleeve.
“You brought me into this.”
“I know.”
“My mother lived scared for years.”
“I know.”
“She died thinking whatever she found was still buried.”
“I know.”
Maya's voice cracked.
“Stop saying that.”
Daniel looked at her.
Guilt.
Real this time.
“I loved your mother.”
Maya released him.
“What?”
“Not the way you're thinking. She was my friend.”
He swallowed.
“And when things went bad, I chose my career.”
Maya said nothing.
“She wanted to go public. I told her she'd destroy herself.”
“You abandoned her.”
“Yes.”
“Then why now?”
“Because Monday makes it permanent.”
He opened the stairwell door.
“And because Victoria found something six months ago.”
Maya frowned.
“What?”
“I don't know.”
“Daniel—”
“She started asking about Lorraine immediately after your mother died.”
That knocked the air out of Maya.
“How did she know my mother died?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel walked away.
Maya stood alone.
When she returned to the rooftop, the wedding had started moving.
Guests took their seats.
The skyline burned orange.
Victoria's father stood at the aisle.
Adrian waited beneath an arch of white roses.
For a few seconds, Maya forgot the documents.
She watched Victoria step onto the aisle.
She looked beautiful.
Not movie beautiful.
Dangerous beautiful.
Every detail controlled.
Every expression practiced.
Charles offered his daughter his arm.
Victoria whispered something to him.
His eyes immediately searched the staff.
Found Maya.
She looked away.
The ceremony began.
Maya served champagne along the perimeter.
She listened to vows she didn't believe.
Victoria spoke about trust.
Maya nearly dropped a glass.
Adrian spoke about partnership.
Charles smiled.
Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
Then the officiant asked whether they accepted each other in marriage.
Adrian looked at Victoria.
Something stopped him.
Only for a second.
Maybe Maya imagined it.
“I do.”
Victoria smiled.
“I do.”
Applause rose.
But the legal signing had been scheduled after dinner because of the couple's custom marriage contract.
The ceremony was symbolic until documents were signed.
Maya knew that because event staff knew everything.
People treated workers like wallpaper.
Wallpaper heard secrets.
At dinner, Victoria's attacks became subtle.
Maya was blamed for a missing bottle she had never handled.
Then for sending a guest to the wrong table.
Then a tray of red wine appeared at her station despite no red wine being served during the first course.
Someone wanted her rattled.
Tasha whispered, “They're setting you up.”
“I know.”
“Leave.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because that means I'm close.”
“Close to what?”
Maya looked across the room.
Victoria was laughing with guests.
“That's what I'm trying to find out.”
At nine thirteen, Adrian approached Maya behind the bar.
“Did you read it?”
“No.”
“You've had all day.”
“I talked to Mercer.”
“And?”
“He says there's a trust connected to your family.”
Adrian's face went blank.
“What trust?”
“He doesn't know.”
“That's helpful.”
“He says it was created for me.”
This time Adrian didn't hide his reaction.
“That makes no sense.”
“I know.”
“My father knew your mother?”
“Apparently.”
Adrian looked genuinely shaken.
“Richard never mentioned her.”
“My mother never mentioned him.”
Neither spoke.
Then Victoria appeared.
Again.
“How touching.”
Adrian turned.
“Victoria.”
“You keep disappearing from our wedding to speak with her.”
Maya said, “I was working.”
Victoria ignored her.
“People are noticing.”
“Let them.”
That hurt.
Maya saw it.
Victoria's anger wasn't only jealousy.
She looked frightened that Adrian was slipping beyond her control.
“You've embarrassed me enough today.”
Adrian lowered his voice.
“We'll talk after dinner.”
“No. We'll talk now.”
Maya stepped away.
Victoria caught her arm.
“Stay.”
Maya looked down at Victoria's hand.
“Take your hand off me.”
Several nearby guests noticed.
Victoria released her.
“I want the envelope.”
“No.”
“I know what's in it.”
“Then tell Adrian.”
Silence.
Maya pushed.
“Go ahead.”
Victoria looked at Adrian.
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
She couldn't.
Adrian's face hardened.
“What is it?”
Victoria's eyes filled with fury.
“She's doing this because she wants something.”
Maya laughed.
“You think I planned my mother's death so I could crash your wedding?”
“Don't be dramatic.”
“I'm being dramatic?”
Victoria stepped forward.
“People like you always think proximity to wealthy families means you've discovered some grand secret.”
Maya's face burned.
People like you.
There it was.
Adrian said sharply, “Enough.”
Victoria turned.
“Whose side are you on?”
“This isn't about sides.”
“It became about sides the second you let a catering server interrupt our wedding.”
Maya grabbed her tray.
“I'll go.”
“No,” Victoria said.
Maya kept walking.
“Maya.”
She turned.
Victoria pointed toward the pool area.
“You're assigned there.”
“I know.”
“Then do your job.”
Maya walked away.
Tasha intercepted her.
“You need to see this.”
She held out a phone.
A photo.
Security footage from an hour earlier.
Someone had entered the staff locker room.
Maya zoomed in.
Charles Ashcroft.
He opened Maya's locker.
Searched her bag.
Then left.
“He was looking for the envelope,” Tasha whispered.
Maya stared at the screen.
Charles had searched her things.
Victoria had threatened her.
Daniel had lied.
And Adrian's dead father was somehow connected to a trust created in Maya's name.
She touched the envelope inside her vest.
For the first time, she decided she would open it herself.
Then someone behind her said:
“Ms. Bennett.”
Charles.
Maya turned.
He stood alone.
No smile.
No senator.
No photographers.
Just a man who suddenly looked much older.
“You have something that belongs to my family.”
Maya said, “Funny. Your daughter said it belonged to your company.”
Charles's expression flickered.
“So you've spoken.”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“I can pay you.”
Maya stared at him.
“You really don't know my mother at all.”
Charles stepped closer.
“Your mother took something she never understood.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
“What did she take?”
Charles looked toward Adrian.
Then at Victoria.
His voice dropped.
“Proof that my daughter should never marry that man.”
Maya's stomach turned.
Before she could answer, Victoria called her from beside the infinity pool.
“Maya!”
Guests turned.
Victoria stood there holding a champagne glass.
Smiling.
“Come here.”
Charles closed his eyes.
For the first time that day, he looked afraid of his own daughter.
“Don't go,” he whispered.
Maya looked at him.
“Why?”
Charles opened his mouth.
Too late.
Victoria raised her voice.
“I said come here.”
Every face turned toward Maya.
May you like
And Maya walked toward the pool.
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