Chapter 9 - Selene’s Family Had More to Lose
Roman took the will.
Nora took Celeste's letter.
Everything else had to remain.
Smoke thickened quickly.
Vincent coughed.
Roman's team moved them toward the service staircase.
Nora looked back.
“My mother's files.”
“We copied the drive,” Roman said.
“The originals—”
“Are not worth you.”
For once, she didn't argue.
They descended two floors before firefighters began climbing past them.
Guests filled the lobby.
Employees shouted instructions.
Outside, smoke rose from a section of the east wing.
Nora stood across the street wrapped in a blanket while Roman argued with the fire chief.
Vincent sat on an ambulance bumper.
Whitmore held Arthur's will against his chest like a newborn.
The fire was contained within forty minutes.
The hidden room suffered smoke damage but did not burn completely.
The cause was obvious.
Accelerant.
Arson.
Someone wanted the documents destroyed.
Detectives arrived.
Then federal agents.
Roman wasn't surprised.
Nora was.
“Why federal?”
Roman looked at her.
“Because Whitmore contacted them this morning about the financial fraud.”
“You knew?”
“I asked him to.”
Nora's expression tightened.
Roman immediately added, “It was his decision legally.”
She relaxed slightly.
“Good.”
“You thought I was handling it myself.”
“I don't know what handling things yourself means in your world.”
“Fair.”
A black sedan pulled toward the police barrier.
Selene got out.
Her face was tear-streaked.
“Dad!”
She ran toward Vincent.
He stood.
For a moment, they looked like an ordinary father and daughter.
Then Vincent stepped away.
“Where were you?”
Selene stopped.
“What?”
“Last night.”
“At home.”
Roman held up the airport photograph.
Selene went pale.
Vincent stared at her.
“You were with Peter Sloane.”
Selene looked around.
Police.
Agents.
Nora.
Roman.
She realized lying had become dangerous.
“Dad, I can explain.”
“Did you set the fire?”
Her shock looked genuine.
“No!”
“Did Peter?”
“I don't know!”
“Where is he?”
Selene's breathing accelerated.
“I don't know.”
Vincent gripped his daughter's shoulders.
“What have you done?”
Selene started crying.
“I was trying to save us.”
“From what?”
“Her!”
She pointed at Nora.
Everyone went silent.
Selene's face twisted.
“She was going to take everything.”
Nora stared at her.
“You knew.”
Selene wiped her tears.
“Julian told me.”
“How much?”
“That your mother had some claim.”
“I'm your aunt.”
Selene laughed hysterically.
“Don't call yourself that.”
“I wasn't planning to.”
Vincent shut his eyes.
Selene continued.
“Grandfather humiliated Grandma with some seamstress and now we're supposed to hand over the hotel?”
Nora's face hardened.
“My mother didn't ask for your family.”
“She took money from him.”
“She worked for him.”
“She slept with him.”
Roman moved.
Nora stopped him with one look.
She stepped toward Selene.
“You slapped me yesterday because you thought being richer made you better than me.”
Selene looked away.
“You thought my uniform told you my value.”
No response.
“My mother spent years afraid of your family.”
“I wasn't even born.”
“You're right.”
Selene looked up, surprised.
Nora continued.
“You didn't do what your father did.”
Vincent flinched.
“But you made your own choices.”
Nora pointed toward her bruised cheek.
“You stole from my locker.”
Then the broken chain.
“You destroyed something that belonged to my mother.”
Then the burning hotel.
“And now somebody set fire to a building because people are terrified the truth might survive.”
Selene's shoulders dropped.
“I didn't start the fire.”
“Then tell us who did.”
Selene looked toward Roman.
Fear returned.
“I can't.”
Roman's voice was low.
“You can.”
“No.”
“Selene.”
She shook her head desperately.
“He'll destroy Julian.”
Nora almost laughed.
“You're still protecting Julian?”
Selene's face collapsed.
“You don't understand.”
“What?”
“He isn't with me because he loves me.”
For once, Nora felt no satisfaction.
Only exhaustion.
Selene continued.
“He needs my family's money.”
“Yes.”
“I knew.”
“Then why stay?”
Selene looked toward her father.
“Because Julian knows what Peter has.”
Vincent frowned.
“What does Peter have?”
Selene whispered, “Records.”
Roman's attention sharpened.
“Records of what?”
Selene stared at him.
“Your organization.”
Roman went still.
Nora felt cold.
Selene continued.
“Peter has been copying your financial files for two years.”
Roman's expression revealed nothing.
“He gave them to Julian?”
“Some.”
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
“Against me?”
“Yes.”
Roman nodded slowly.
That explained Peter's confidence.
Selene stepped closer.
“Julian said if my family didn't transfer the hotel, he would give everything to federal prosecutors and claim my father participated in your operations.”
Vincent stared.
“I've never done business with Calder beyond legitimate loans.”
“I know.”
“Then why would he believe it?”
“Because Peter fabricated records.”
Roman's jaw tightened.
Nora looked at him.
“You can prove they're fake?”
Roman took too long to answer.
Her stomach dropped.
“Roman.”
“Some are fake.”
“And some?”
“Some reflect older business.”
Nora understood.
Real wrongdoing mixed with fabricated evidence.
Enough truth to make the lies believable.
Selene continued.
“Julian planned to use Bellamy Harbor's default to take the disputed shares. Then Dad would have to sell everything.”
“Sell to whom?” Nora asked.
Selene looked at Roman.
“Him.”
Roman shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I never dealt with Julian.”
“Not directly.”
Selene looked toward the street.
“Peter planned to buy the debt through a shell company, force the March sale, then sell the hotel to you at a higher price.”
Roman's expression darkened.
“He was arbitraging my acquisition.”
“Yes.”
“And Julian?”
“Would get twenty million.”
Nora exhaled.
A scheme built on everyone else's secrets.
Roman looked at Selene.
“Where is Peter?”
“I don't know.”
“Who started the fire?”
“I don't know.”
“Who sent Nora the photographs?”
Selene's face changed.
Roman noticed.
“So you do know.”
Selene whispered, “Julian.”
Nora stared.
“He followed my doctor's appointment?”
“He hired someone.”
“Why?”
“He suspected you were hiding something.”
Nora's stomach turned.
Roman's voice became dangerous.
“Where is he?”
Selene looked at Nora.
“I don't know.”
Then Nora's phone rang.
Julian.
Everyone saw the name.
Roman held out his hand.
Nora shook her head.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Julian sounded calm.
Too calm.
“Nora.”
“What do you want?”
“You found the will.”
She didn't respond.
“I know you did.”
“How?”
“Because Vincent finally told you where the room was.”
Nora looked at Vincent.
He shook his head.
Julian continued.
“You have something that belongs to me.”
“Nothing belongs to you.”
“Seventy-eight million dollars says otherwise.”
“That debt is fraudulent.”
“Prove it.”
“We will.”
Julian laughed.
“Maybe.”
Nora's hand tightened around the phone.
“What do you want?”
“Celeste's flash drive.”
“No.”
“Then someone you care about has a problem.”
Nora's heart stopped.
“Who?”
Julian sent a photograph.
Marjorie.
Celeste's oldest friend.
The woman who had witnessed Nora's marriage to Roman.
She was sitting in a chair inside an unfamiliar room.
Alive.
Terrified.
Nora stopped breathing.
Julian's voice returned.
“Bring me the drive.”
Roman saw the photograph.
His face became stone.
Julian continued.
“And Nora?”
“Yes?”
“No Roman Calder.”
The line disconnected.
Nora looked at Roman.
“No.”
He knew what she was going to say.
“Absolutely not.”
“Marjorie is seventy-two.”
“And Julian wants you.”
“He wants the drive.”
“He wants leverage.”
“He already has it.”
Roman stepped closer.
“You are not meeting him alone.”
“Then we figure out how to make him think I am.”
Roman stared at her.
Nora lifted her chin.
“You said I get to make decisions.”
“Yes.”
“This is my decision.”
Roman shook his head.
“This is different.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you.”
The words came out before he could stop them.
Nora froze.
So did Roman.
He closed his eyes briefly.
“I know that isn't enough.”
Nora couldn't answer.
Roman continued.
“But I will not stand somewhere waiting while you walk into danger.”
Nora's eyes filled.
“Then don't wait.”
She stepped closer.
“Help me walk out again.”
Roman looked at her for a long moment.
Then nodded.
May you like
And for the first time since their marriage shattered, they began planning something together.
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