Chapter 6 - What Preston Said After I Left
The videographer’s name was Daniel Cho.
He agreed to meet Naomi the next morning at her office.
Until then, he refused to send the footage electronically.
“Smart,” Adrian said.
I did not sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Preston standing in that ballroom.
Not when Charles pushed me.
After.
What had he said?
Had he defended me once I was gone?
Had he apologized?
Had he warned his father?
A pathetic part of me still wanted there to be one sentence proving I had not wasted five years loving a stranger.
At 9:05 the next morning, Daniel arrived carrying two encrypted drives.
Naomi had arranged a conference room.
Adrian sat beside me.
Mom and Dad stayed home.
Madison joined by video.
Daniel looked nervous.
“I usually shoot weddings and nonprofit events,” he said. “I’m not used to attorneys.”
Naomi smiled.
“Neither are most healthy people.”
He relaxed slightly.
“I was hired by the Harrington Foundation. But my contract says raw footage remains mine until final delivery.”
“Did anyone contact you last night?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Martin Keene’s office.”
Adrian and Naomi exchanged a look.
“What did they request?”
“All copies.”
“Did you send them?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the tone was weird.”
“Weird how?”
Daniel took out his phone.
“They offered to pay triple my contract if I delivered everything immediately and signed a confidentiality agreement.”
My pulse quickened.
“Did they say why?”
“Privacy.”
Naomi asked to see the message.
Daniel forwarded it.
Then he connected the drive.
The video began.
The ballroom.
Music.
Guests.
Mom holding the pie.
I watched Victoria insult her.
Again.
I watched myself demand an apology.
Again.
I watched Charles grab my arm.
Again.
The slap.
The shove.
My body hitting marble.
Seeing it from outside myself was different.
Worse.
There was no ambiguity.
Charles was bigger.
Stronger.
After I slapped him, he took one step forward, planted both hands against my upper body and drove me backward.
I hit the pillar with enough force that several guests flinched.
The room was silent.
Then Charles leaned close.
His voice was faint but audible.
“Now walk out before I make it worse.”
Daniel paused.
Naomi looked at me.
“That is very clear.”
I nodded.
“Keep going.”
The footage showed Dad trying to reach me.
Security blocked him.
Preston stood motionless.
Then we left the frame.
Daniel switched files.
“This is camera two.”
The angle was wider.
Charles watched me leave.
Preston approached him.
The microphone remained active.
“Dad,” Preston whispered.
“What?”
“You went too far.”
Charles turned.
“She slapped me.”
“I know.”
“Then stop looking at me like that.”
“People filmed it.”
Charles glanced across the room.
“Martin will handle it.”
Preston lowered his voice.
“What about Elena?”
“What about her?”
“She’ll leave.”
“Let her cool down.”
“You don’t know her.”
Charles laughed.
“I know exactly what she is.”
There was movement in the audio.
Then Preston said:
“She signed the Halcyon papers.”
I stopped breathing.
Charles replied:
“Then she isn’t going anywhere.”
My hands went cold.
Preston’s voice:
“That doesn’t mean—”
“It means if she tries to hurt this family, she hurts herself.”
Daniel paused the video.
The room became completely silent.
Madison covered her mouth on the screen.
Adrian stared at the frozen image.
Naomi was the first to speak.
“Elena.”
I could barely answer.
“Yes?”
“What did Preston tell you those papers were?”
“Estate documents.”
“And we have the email?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
I looked at Adrian.
“What did Charles mean?”
He did not answer quickly enough.
“Adrian.”
“If your signature is connected to transactions involving Halcyon, they may believe they can portray you as having approved or benefited from those transactions.”
“Could they?”
Naomi answered.
“They could try.”
“I didn’t know.”
“That matters.”
“But my signature exists.”
“Yes.”
Panic rose in my chest.
Not from the rib.
From something worse.
“What if they did something illegal using my name?”
Adrian leaned forward.
“Then we find out.”
Daniel cleared his throat.
“There’s more.”
I looked at him.
“More?”
“The conversation continues.”
He pressed play.
Preston said, “What if Adrian gets involved?”
Charles’s face darkened.
“Your wife should have learned years ago not to run to her brother.”
Preston looked toward the door.
“He already hates us.”
“He hates losing.”
“Dad, what are you talking about?”
Charles took Preston’s shoulder.
“You think Adrian Reyes walked away from the investment deal because he was cautious?”
A pause.
“He wanted Halcyon.”
My brother’s jaw clenched.
On-screen, Preston asked, “Why?”
Charles smiled.
“Because his company helped create it.”
The video stopped.
I slowly turned toward Adrian.
He looked as stunned as I felt.
“That’s false.”
Madison whispered, “Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would Dad say it?”
Adrian stood.
“Because he wants Preston to believe it.”
Naomi watched him.
“Or because there’s something you haven’t told us.”
Adrian’s gaze snapped toward her.
“There isn’t.”
“Then prove it.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Naomi gestured for me not to answer.
A voicemail appeared.
Then a text.
I opened it.
There was a photograph attached.
My signature.
A wire-transfer authorization.
HALCYON RIDGE HOLDINGS.
$12,400,000.
Recipient:
REYES STRATEGIC ADVISORY.
Adrian’s company.
May you like
Below the photograph was one line:
ASK YOUR BROTHER WHERE THE MONEY WENT.
