I pulled Leo behind me. “Let go of me, Logan. Or I swear I will pull up the company payroll right now on the big screens meant for your wedding slideshow. Shall we show everyone the ‘consulting fees’ you’ve been paying out to Vanessa’s father’s shell company?”
The silence returned, but this time, it was lethal. Vanessa looked like she was about to faint. Logan dropped his hand, his eyes wide with terror. He knew exactly what I was talking about. He had been embezzling from the family company to fund his bride’s lavish lifestyle, thinking I would never notice because I was just the “miserable single mother” in the corner.
“We are leaving,” I said, looking down at my brother and the woman he chose to marry. “You can keep the company. I resign, effective immediately. Let’s see how long the business lasts without the clearance item running it.”
I took Leo’s hand, and together, we walked down the stage steps. The guests parted for us like the Red Sea, their expressions a mix of shock, awe, and horror. Nobody laughed now.
We walked out of the grand ballroom, the heavy double doors shutting behind us, cutting off the sudden eruption of chaotic shouting that broke out inside.
As we stood in the cool air of the hotel lobby, the adrenaline began to fade, leaving me trembling. I looked down at Leo. His eyes were bright, filled with tears, but he was smiling.
“You were awesome, Mom,” he whispered.
“No, Leo,” I said, kneeling down to hug him tightly, burying my face in his shoulder. “You were the brave one. Thank you.”
For the first time in ten years, I felt light. I felt free. We walked out to my old, dented sedan, a stark contrast to the valeted limousines lining the driveway. I unlocked the doors, and we got in.
But as I turned the key in the ignition, my phone, which had been silent in my purse, began to buzz violently.
I pulled it out, expecting a string of furious texts from my mother or Logan. But it wasn’t them. It was an unknown number.
I hesitated, then answered it, putting it on speaker. “Hello?”
“Chloe,” a deep, chillingly familiar voice breathed through the line. A voice I hadn’t heard in nine years. A voice I thought was gone forever. “You shouldn’t have left the party so soon. The real show hasn’t even started yet.”
My blood ran cold. The phone nearly slipped from my fingers. I looked over at Leo, who was happily buckling his seatbelt, completely oblivious to the ghost that had just entered our car through the speakers.
“Who is this?” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard it was painful.
“You know exactly who this is, Chloe,” the man on the other end replied, a low, dark chuckle sending shivers down my spine. “I told your mother nine years ago that she couldn’t keep my son from me forever. Did you really think she bought that wedding venue with company money? Look in your glove compartment.”
With a trembling hand, I reached over and popped open the glove box. Falling out onto the passenger seat was a thick, black envelope that hadn’t been there when we arrived.
I ripped it open. Inside was a legal document—a custody petition for Leo—signed by the billionaire real-estate mogul who had vanished from my life the moment I got pregnant. But attached to the back of it was something much worse: a photo taken just five minutes ago, showing someone standing right outside our car window in the dark, watching us.
Suddenly, a heavy knock rap-rapped against my driver’s side glass.
(The plot thickens and the true danger begins! To find out who is standing outside the car and what dark secret Chloe’s mother has been hiding for nine years, please move on to the next part. Drop a ‘YES’ in the comments below and give us a “Like” to unlock PART 3 immediately! Thank you for your incredible support!)
