CHAPTER 3 — MY HUSBAND'S ANNIVERSARY GIFT
CHAPTER 3 — MY HUSBAND'S ANNIVERSARY GIFT
The photograph stayed open on my phone for almost an hour.
I kept zooming in.
Then out.
Then in again.
The man standing behind my father at my wedding was not a stranger.
Not completely.
I had seen him before.
I just hadn't known who he was.
He was the man who had shaken Marcus's hand at our engagement party.
The man who had stood beside Marcus during the opening of my second bakery.
The man Marcus once introduced as an old family friend.
The man who had sent flowers to our house after my grandmother died.
And somehow, I had never once asked his name.
Now I knew it.
Because written beneath the photograph was a single sentence:
ADRIAN VALE.
I whispered the name.
Then another message appeared.
Ask your husband what happened to your father's first company.
My blood went cold.
My father had always told me he had never been interested in business.
He had worked as an accountant for most of his life.
At least, that was the story I knew.
I had never questioned it.
Not until tonight.
I locked my phone.
Then I heard footsteps.
Marcus.
He appeared at the doorway.
“Clara.”
I didn't turn around.
“What?”
“We need to talk.”
I smiled bitterly.
“That's becoming your favorite sentence.”
He walked closer.
“I can explain everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
“Then start with Adrian Vale.”
He stopped.
That was all I needed.
His silence answered more than words ever could.
I turned.
“Who is he?”
Marcus stared at me.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“Answer me.”
He looked toward the hallway.
“Not here.”
I laughed.
“Not here?”
“This house isn't safe.”
I stared at him.
“You're telling me my own house isn't safe?”
“Yes.”
“Because of Adrian?”
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“You knew.”
“Clara—”
“You knew who he was.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Years.”
“Did my father know him?”
“Yes.”
My stomach tightened.
“How well?”
Marcus looked away.
“Too well.”
I sat down at the dining table.
Marcus remained standing.
The anniversary decorations were still everywhere.
White roses.
Candles.
The champagne I had bought.
The unopened gift.
Everything looked grotesquely beautiful.
I pointed toward the chair across from me.
“Sit.”
He did.
“Tell me the truth.”
“I've been trying to protect you.”
I almost laughed.
“You've been having an affair with Chloe.”
“I know.”
“You've been planning to steal control of my companies.”
“I know.”
“You built a surveillance system under my house.”
“I know.”
“And now you're telling me you were protecting me?”
His face tightened.
“You don't understand what Adrian is capable of.”
“Then make me understand.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“He doesn't want your money.”
“What does he want?”
“You.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because of your father.”
I stared at him.
“My father is dead.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What?”
“Your father disappeared.”
“My mother told me he died.”
“She lied.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
“From Adrian?”
Marcus nodded.
I pushed my chair back.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don't care whether you believe me.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because tonight was never supposed to happen.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“The affair.”
I stared at him.
“You're going to tell me you accidentally slept with Chloe?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Chloe was part of the plan.”
My heart stopped.
“What plan?”
Marcus looked at the anniversary table.
“The plan to get you to sign.”
“The transfer?”
“Yes.”
“And you needed Chloe?”
“She was supposed to manipulate you.”
I stared at him.
“She was supposed to become your friend.”
My hands curled into fists.
“She was supposed to earn your trust.”
“And then?”
“Convince you to sign the documents.”
“And the affair?”
He looked down.
“That wasn't part of the original plan.”
I laughed.
“So you developed feelings?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because Chloe discovered something.”
“What?”
“She found the surveillance system.”
I froze.
“And?”
“She threatened to expose me.”
“So you slept with her?”
Marcus rubbed his face.
“I made a mistake.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
He looked up.
“You made a choice.”
He didn't deny it.
For the first time since I had known him, Marcus had no polished explanation.
No charming smile.
No carefully prepared argument.
Just a frightened man sitting across from his wife.
I looked at him.
“Why did you marry me?”
His eyes filled with something I couldn't identify.
Regret.
Maybe.
“Clara…”
“Why?”
He looked down.
“At first?”
“Yes.”
“For your money.”
The words hit harder than I expected.
I knew.
Some part of me already knew.
But hearing them was different.
“And later?”
He didn't answer.
“Marcus.”
“I loved you.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“I did.”
“You don't love someone while planning to steal their life.”
“I was trying to get out.”
“Out of what?”
He looked at me.
“The organization.”
“What organization?”
“Adrian's.”
I stared.
“What?”
“Adrian recruited me when I was twenty-seven.”
“You were already working in finance.”
“Yes.”
“For him?”
“Indirectly.”
“Why?”
“Because he controlled the firm.”
I stood.
“So my entire marriage was a business operation?”
“At first.”
“And when did it become real?”
His eyes met mine.
“I don't know.”
I hated that answer.
Because it sounded sincere.
And sincerity from him was almost worse than another lie.
The grandfather clock struck nine.
Nine times.
Marcus looked at it.
“It's late.”
I smiled.
“It's our anniversary.”
He closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“You were supposed to take me to Napa.”
“I know.”
“You were supposed to give me a gift.”
“I bought one.”
I looked at him.
“Where is it?”
He hesitated.
“Upstairs.”
“Bring it.”
“Clara—”
“Bring it.”
He went upstairs.
I waited.
Five minutes later, he returned carrying a long black box.
He placed it on the table.
“This was supposed to be yours.”
I opened it.
Inside was a necklace.
A delicate gold chain.
At the center hung a small pendant shaped like a key.
I stared.
“What is this?”
“The key to the old family vault.”
I looked up.
“My family doesn't have a vault.”
Marcus smiled sadly.
“You don't know your family at all.”
He placed a small envelope beside the necklace.
“Your father left this.”
My hands froze.
“Where did you get it?”
“Adrian gave it to me.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
“Why didn't you give it to me?”
“Because I was supposed to wait.”
“For what?”
“Until the transfer was complete.”
I picked up the envelope.
My name was written across it.
In my father's handwriting.
I knew it immediately.
I hadn't seen it in years.
My fingers trembled as I opened it.
Inside was a single sheet.
Clara,
If you're reading this, Marcus has failed.
I stopped.
My eyes blurred.
I continued.
That means you have discovered the cellar.
My breath caught.
It also means Adrian knows you're awake.
I looked at Marcus.
He looked terrified.
I read on.
Do not trust anyone who tells you that your inheritance is money.
It isn't.
The bakeries are only the beginning.
The house is only a door.
And Marcus is not the man you should fear.
The letter ended with one sentence.
Find the ledger before Adrian does.
I stared at the page.
“What ledger?”
Marcus shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie.”
“I swear.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
“I told you.”
“No.”
I placed the letter on the table.
“You married me because someone told you to.”
He looked away.
“And now you're afraid of that person.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he kills people who fail.”
The room went silent.
I thought about the strange recording.
The hidden facility.
The surveillance.
The documents.
The photograph.
My father's letter.
Everything was connected.
But one thing still didn't make sense.
“Where is Chloe?”
Marcus looked at me.
“She left.”
“When?”
“An hour ago.”
I frowned.
“She didn't go home.”
“What?”
“She called me.”
“From where?”
He pulled out his phone.
The message was still there.
I'M SORRY. I HAD NO CHOICE.
I stared.
“When did she send this?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
I looked at Marcus.
“She knew.”
“What?”
“She knew we were going to discover everything.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Clara…”
“Call her.”
“I tried.”
“No answer?”
“No.”
I stood.
“Then we find her.”
We searched the house.
Every room.
The garage.
The guest suite.
The garden.
Nothing.
Then we checked the security cameras.
At 8:13 p.m., Chloe had entered the garage.
At 8:14, she left.
Alone.
At 8:16, a black SUV appeared at the gate.
No license plate.
It stopped.
Chloe got inside.
Then the vehicle disappeared.
I froze.
“Marcus.”
He stared at the screen.
“That wasn't supposed to happen.”
“What wasn't?”
“She was supposed to leave with me.”
“Where?”
“To the hotel.”
I turned.
“You planned to take her?”
“No.”
“You just said—”
“I was supposed to meet her there.”
“Why?”
“She had the ledger.”
I stared at him.
“What ledger?”
“The one your father mentioned.”
My heart stopped.
“She found it?”
“I think so.”
“And she took it?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would she leave with someone else?”
Marcus didn't answer.
I looked at the screen again.
The black SUV.
The missing Chloe.
The letter.
Adrian.
Everything suddenly became terrifyingly clear.
Someone else had been watching.
And they had taken Chloe before she could tell me the truth.
At 10:03 p.m., the doorbell rang.
Both of us froze.
No one should have been there.
Marcus walked toward the entrance.
I grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
The doorbell rang again.
Then again.
Three times.
A security notification appeared on my phone.
VISITOR DETECTED.
I opened the camera.
A man stood outside.
Older.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
I knew him.
He was in the photograph.
He was at my wedding.
He was standing beside my father.
Adrian Vale.
Marcus whispered:
“Don't open the door.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because if he came here himself…”
He didn't finish.
The doorbell rang again.
Then Adrian spoke through the intercom.
“Clara.”
My blood froze.
“I know you're there.”
I said nothing.
“Your husband has lied to you.”
Marcus stepped backward.
Adrian continued.
“But not about everything.”
I looked at Marcus.
Adrian laughed softly.
“Ask him what happened on the night your father disappeared.”
Marcus's face went white.
I turned.
“What happened?”
He didn't answer.
Adrian spoke again.
“Ask him who was driving the car.”
My heart stopped.
“Marcus?”
He closed his eyes.
I stepped toward him.
“Who was driving?”
His voice was barely audible.
“I was.”
The world tilted.
“What?”
“I was driving.”
“Where?”
“The night your father disappeared.”
I couldn't breathe.
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
“And my father?”
Marcus looked at me.
“He wasn't supposed to die.”
My knees weakened.
I grabbed the table.
“Was he killed?”
“No.”
“Then where is he?”
Marcus looked toward the door.
“I don't know.”
Adrian's voice came through the intercom one final time.
“Yes, you do.”
Then the lights went out.
The house fell into darkness.
The security system screamed.
Every lock engaged.
Every window sealed.
Marcus grabbed my arm.
“Get down.”
“Why?”
“Because he's here.”
A gunshot shattered the front window.
I screamed.
Glass exploded across the floor.
Marcus pulled me behind the wall.
Another shot.
Then another.
The alarm began screaming.
I crawled toward the security panel.
“Clara!”
“What?”
“Don't activate anything!”
“Why?”
“Because he'll gain access.”
I stared at him.
“Who?”
“Adrian.”
I looked toward the dark hallway.
Then I heard footsteps.
Inside the house.
Someone was already here.
I whispered:
“Marcus…”
“I know.”
The footsteps came closer.
Slow.
Calm.
Deliberate.
Then a man's voice echoed through the darkness.
“Clara.”
Adrian.
“You wanted the truth.”
I held my breath.
“Tonight…”
A light flickered on.
Adrian stood at the end of the hallway.
He wasn't holding a weapon.
He didn't need one.
He held something far more dangerous.
A leather ledger.
He lifted it slightly.
“I'm here to give you your anniversary gift.”
My eyes locked onto the book.
“The ledger.”
He smiled.
“No.”
He opened it.
“This is the reason your father had to disappear.”
He turned one page.
Then another.
And finally looked directly at Marcus.
“Tell your wife who she really is.”
Marcus looked at me.
His eyes filled with fear.
I whispered:
“Who am I?”
Adrian smiled.
“You're not the heir to your father's fortune, Clara.”
He closed the ledger.
“You're the woman who was supposed to inherit everything.”
May you like
A pause.
“And your husband was sent to make sure you never did.”
