Chapter 2 — The Fortune Behind His Success
Chapter 2 — The Fortune Behind His Success
At 2:07 a.m., I walked back into the mansion Andrew had ordered me to leave.
But this time, I didn't feel like a wife returning home.
I felt like an owner inspecting property that had been occupied by strangers.
The difference was subtle.
But it changed everything.
The marble floor still reflected the chandelier.
The portraits still hung along the walls.
The furniture Margaret had chosen still filled the living room.
Everything looked exactly the same.
Yet nothing felt the same.
Because now I knew the truth.
This mansion wasn't Andrew's.
Neither was the company.
Neither were several of the cars in the garage.
Neither was the private jet.
For four years, they had mistaken access for ownership.
And I had allowed them to.
Until tonight.
I walked farther into the house.
No servants greeted me.
No one asked whether I wanted tea.
The staff had already been dismissed.
Good.
I didn't want witnesses.
Not yet.
I wanted answers.
The study door was open.
I stepped inside.
Andrew's desk was covered with papers.
Financial statements.
Contracts.
Bank documents.
A half-empty glass of whiskey.
His laptop was open.
I walked toward it.
The screen showed a banking portal.
At the top was a warning:
ACCOUNT ACCESS RESTRICTED.
I smiled.
He had already discovered the freeze.
A notification appeared.
Corporate Credit Facility Suspended.
Then another.
Personal Credit Card Declined.
Another.
Private Aircraft Account Restricted.
I sat in his chair.
For four years, this had been the chair from which Andrew gave orders.
Tonight, I sat in it.
And for the first time, I understood how much of his confidence had come from numbers on a screen.
Without those numbers, he was simply a man sitting alone in an expensive room.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway.
I turned.
Andrew appeared in the doorway.
He looked nothing like the man who had slapped me earlier.
His shirt was untucked.
His hair was disheveled.
His face was pale.
He looked exhausted.
And afraid.
His eyes found mine.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he said:
“You came back.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
His expression tightened.
“I came for answers.”
“Mariana, I—”
“Don't.”
He stopped.
I stood.
“Do you know how much of this house belongs to you?”
He frowned.
“Of course.”
“No.”
I walked toward him.
“You don't.”
He stared at me.
“This property was purchased through Escalante Meridian Holdings.”
His face changed.
“What?”
“The company that financed your real estate portfolio.”
He shook his head.
“That doesn't mean you own it.”
“I don't.”
I paused.
“My family does.”
Andrew laughed nervously.
“Your family?”
“Yes.”
He stared at me.
“You're lying.”
I reached into my purse.
Pulled out a document.
And handed it to him.
He read the first page.
Then the second.
His hands began to shake.
“This isn't possible.”
“It is.”
“This says the beneficial owner is—”
“Me.”
He looked up.
I held his gaze.
“Mariana Elena Escalante.”
He took a step backward.
“But you told me your family just had investments.”
“They do.”
“How much?”
I said nothing.
“How much, Mariana?”
“That doesn't matter anymore.”
“It matters to me!”
His voice echoed through the study.
I remained calm.
“For four years, I tried to make it not matter.”
He dropped the document onto the desk.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew this entire time?”
“Yes.”
“And you let me believe this was my house?”
“You wanted to believe it.”
His jaw tightened.
“You deceived me.”
I almost laughed.
“That's what you want to call it?”
“You hid millions of dollars from your husband.”
“I hid my family's wealth because I wanted to know whether you loved me.”
His face hardened.
“I did love you.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you hit me?”
He froze.
I continued.
“Why did you humiliate me?”
Silence.
“Why did you tell me to kneel?”
He looked away.
I stepped closer.
“Why did your mother call me worthless?”
He swallowed.
“Why did Brenda stand beside you while you did it?”
He had no answer.
I nodded.
“That is why I hid it.”
Andrew sat down.
For the first time since I had known him, I saw something different in his eyes.
Not anger.
Fear.
“How much?”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“How much do you own?”
I didn't answer.
He laughed bitterly.
“You expect me to believe you're some kind of billionaire?”
“I don't expect you to believe anything.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn't matter.”
“It matters!”
He slammed his hand against the desk.
I didn't move.
He lowered his voice.
“How much of my company?”
I looked at him.
“Seventy-four percent.”
His face went white.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“The shares were acquired through three Escalante holding companies.”
“You're lying.”
“I can show you the documents.”
He stood.
“You own my company?”
“I control it.”
He stared at me.
“All this time?”
“Yes.”
His breathing became heavier.
“Then why did you let me run it?”
“Because I thought you could.”
He looked away.
“And?”
I answered quietly.
“You almost destroyed it twice.”
He turned back.
“What?”
“You nearly lost the manufacturing division in your second year.”
He stared.
“You told me we were expanding.”
“We were.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You were trying to cover losses.”
His face tightened.
“How do you know?”
“Because I paid them.”
Silence.
“I paid the suppliers.”
I continued.
“I paid the bank.”
“I paid the settlement.”
“And when your board was preparing to remove you, I bought enough shares to keep you in control.”
Andrew stared at me.
“You did that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were my husband.”
He lowered his head.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him.
Then I remembered his hand against my face.
The sympathy disappeared.
“Why didn't you tell me?” he asked.
“Because I wanted to know whether you could succeed without knowing you were being carried.”
He laughed bitterly.
“So everything I've accomplished—”
“Wasn't fake.”
I paused.
“But it wasn't entirely yours either.”
His eyes met mine.
“You think I owe you?”
“No.”
“Then what do you want?”
I looked at him.
“Nothing.”
He seemed confused.
“I don't want your company.”
“You just froze it.”
“I froze the money I put into it.”
“You're going to destroy me.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You did that yourself.”
A sound came from the hallway.
Andrew looked toward the door.
“Who is here?”
“No one.”
“You came alone?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I held up the photograph of Brenda.
His face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“That's my question.”
He stared at the image.
Brenda entering the vault.
The emerald necklace in her hand.
The small device attached to the back.
Andrew's expression became unreadable.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Then explain this.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“No.”
“Andrew.”
He looked at me.
“What is the necklace?”
He said nothing.
I stepped closer.
“Why did your mother accuse me of stealing it?”
He looked away.
“Because she believed you had it.”
“Why?”
Silence.
“Andrew.”
He finally said:
“Because someone told her.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
I didn't believe him.
“You're lying.”
“I swear.”
“Then why was Brenda carrying it?”
His eyes widened.
“You found Brenda?”
“No.”
I showed him the picture.
His face became pale.
“That's impossible.”
“What is?”
“She was supposed to destroy it.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
He immediately realized what he had said.
I stared at him.
“What was she supposed to destroy?”
He said nothing.
“Andrew.”
He rubbed his face.
“I don't know.”
“You just said she was supposed to destroy it.”
“I was angry.”
“You weren't angry.”
I stepped closer.
“You were scared.”
He looked at me.
And I knew.
Whatever was on that necklace, Andrew knew something about it.
Before he could speak, headlights swept across the windows.
A car had arrived.
Andrew looked outside.
“Who is that?”
I moved toward the window.
A black sedan stopped near the entrance.
Two men stepped out.
Neither was familiar.
Andrew whispered:
“They shouldn't be here.”
“Who are they?”
“I don't know.”
I turned toward him.
“You know exactly who they are.”
“No.”
“Then call security.”
He hesitated.
I watched him.
“Call them.”
He didn't.
That told me everything.
I took out my phone.
Before I could make the call, the front door opened.
One of the men walked inside.
He wore a dark suit.
No tie.
He looked around the mansion.
Then his eyes found me.
He smiled.
“Mrs. Escalante.”
I froze.
Andrew looked at him.
“You're early.”
The man's smile disappeared.
“You told me she wouldn't be here.”
I turned slowly toward Andrew.
“You knew they were coming.”
Andrew swallowed.
“I can explain.”
The man reached inside his jacket.
I stepped backward.
Then a voice came from behind me.
“Don't.”
I turned.
Daniel Reed stood in the doorway.
Two security officers were behind him.
The man in the suit froze.
Daniel's voice was calm.
“You are trespassing on Escalante property.”
The man smiled.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
He glanced at Andrew.
Then at me.
“Then perhaps you should ask your client what he promised us.”
I looked at Andrew.
“What did you promise them?”
He didn't answer.
The man laughed.
“You really don't know.”
My heart began pounding.
“Know what?”
He reached into his pocket.
Pulled out his phone.
Pressed a button.
A recording played.
Andrew's voice filled the room.
“If I get control of the Escalante assets, you'll get your share.”
Silence.
I stared at my husband.
He closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
“Mariana won't know until it's finished.”
I felt something inside me go cold.
I looked at Andrew.
“You planned to take my family's money.”
He opened his mouth.
“Mariana—”
I raised my hand.
“Don't.”
The stranger smiled.
“That was only the first recording.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Leave.”
The man shrugged.
“We'll be back.”
He looked directly at me.
“And next time, Mrs. Escalante, you may want to ask your husband who he was planning to sell you to.”
Then he walked out.
The door closed.
Nobody spoke.
I turned toward Andrew.
He looked broken.
But I wasn't interested in his fear anymore.
I wanted the truth.
“How long?”
He stared at me.
“How long have you been planning this?”
“Mariana…”
“How long?”
He finally whispered:
“Six months.”
My chest tightened.
Six months.
While I had cooked dinner with him.
While I had slept beside him.
While I had defended him.
He had been planning to take everything from me.
I nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
He looked confused.
“For what?”
“For finally telling me the truth.”
I turned toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“This is your home.”
I stopped.
Then looked back.
“No.”
I smiled coldly.
“This was never my home.”
I walked out.
At headquarters, the forensic team was already working.
Daniel met me at the elevator.
“We found something.”
“What?”
He handed me a tablet.
“Three offshore accounts.”
“Andrew?”
“Yes.”
“Brenda?”
“One.”
“Margaret?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
I looked at him.
“What about the fourth?”
His expression changed.
“There is a fourth account.”
“Whose?”
“We don't know.”
“Find out.”
“We're trying.”
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
I looked at the screen.
The account had been receiving money for nearly three years.
Millions.
And every transfer originated from Andrew's company.
“Three years,” I whispered.
“Yes.”
“That means this started before Brenda.”
Daniel nodded.
“There was someone else.”
I stared at the numbers.
Someone had been stealing from my company long before I knew Andrew was betraying me.
Someone inside his organization.
Someone I had trusted.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A woman's voice whispered:
“Mariana.”
“Who is this?”
“I know what happened to the necklace.”
My heart stopped.
“Who are you?”
“I worked for Andrew.”
“Where are you?”
“I don't have much time.”
“Tell me your name.”
The woman breathed shakily.
“Clara.”
“Clara what?”
“Clara Bennett.”
I looked at Daniel.
The name meant nothing to me.
Then she said:
“I know why they wanted you to kneel.”
My blood ran cold.
“Why?”
“Because the person who owns the necklace…”
She paused.
“…owns the evidence that could destroy the entire Escalante family.”
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Daniel looked at me.
“What did she say?”
I slowly lowered it.
“She said the necklace contains evidence.”
“Evidence of what?”
I looked toward the glass walls surrounding the executive floor.
The city was beginning to brighten.
Morning was coming.
And with it, the first day of the war.
“I don't know yet.”
I closed my hand around the phone.
“But I'm going to find out.”
Because Andrew had spent four years believing my fortune made me powerless.
He had mistaken silence for weakness.
Patience for stupidity.
Love for dependence.
Now he was about to discover the truth.
I had never been trapped in his world.
May you like
He had been living inside mine.
And by sunrise, I was going to take it back.
