Chapter 2 - The Bridal Clutch
The room changed the moment Daniel asked for my clutch.
Until then, half the guests had looked uncomfortable and the other half had looked entertained. But when Daniel stepped toward me, Vincent Cole, the hotel’s director of security, put himself between us.
“Sir, stay back.”
Daniel pointed at me. “That bag contains company property.”
“No,” I said. “It contains my property and copies of records you sent me.”
Patricia went pale.
One of the thirty men at the long table slowly lowered his whiskey glass.
Daniel’s younger brother, Mark, whispered, “What records?”
Daniel ignored him.
“Elena, we can talk upstairs.”
“We’re done talking alone.”
I turned to Vincent. “I want him kept away from me. I also want the hotel to preserve every camera recording from this floor.”
Daniel laughed once, but there was no humor in it. “You’re making a scene.”
“You hit the bride in front of eighty witnesses.”
I walked out through the service corridor because I did not want to cross the ballroom again. My maid of honor, Maya Chen, followed me into a private office near the lobby.
She locked the door.
“Tell me what is on that drive.”
I handed it to her but did not let go.
“Two sets of books, maybe three. Fake vendor certifications. My signature on a bank document I never signed.”
Maya stared at me.
She was not only my best friend. She was an employment attorney.
“Did you know before today?”
“I suspected. Daniel asked me to review a refinancing package on Wednesday. I found inconsistencies, copied the source files, and told him I needed the originals.”
“And then?”
“He told me we would deal with it after the wedding.”
Maya’s phone buzzed.
A message from the hotel manager appeared on her screen.
DANIEL MERCER IS DEMANDING ACCESS TO THE BRIDAL SUITE SAFE.
I looked at my clutch.
May you like
The flash drive in my hand was a copy.
The original evidence was already in that safe.
