He Thought He Married an Office Auditor—Then He Learned I Investigated Financial Fraud

I read my father's name three times before the letters made sense.

Thomas Bennett had been dead for six years.

He had never worked for Carter Meridian. He had been an electrician, then a union maintenance supervisor, then a man who spent the last years of his life angry at a retirement fund that somehow lost nearly half of what he had earned.

"Where did this come from?" I asked.

Evelyn shook her head. "Harold kept a separate index in his office safe. I copied only what I could."

"Why is my father in it?"

"I don't know."

The hospital-room door opened.

A nurse stepped in, followed by a uniformed officer.

"Claire Bennett?"

"Yes."

"Officer Mina Patel. I need to take your statement about tonight."

Evelyn looked toward the hallway.

"Is Harold here?"

"No, ma'am. Another officer is speaking with him."

I gave my statement clearly. Harold struck Evelyn. Daniel grabbed me. Daniel struck me. I blocked his second attempt and used a wrist release that put him on the floor.

Officer Patel wrote everything down.

"Daniel says you attacked him without warning."

"Of course he does."

"The penthouse has cameras?"

Evelyn nodded. "Hallway, elevator, entry. Harold refused cameras in the living room."

After the officer left, Maya texted me a secure link.

I opened it.

The postnup metadata showed it had been drafted by Carter Meridian's outside counsel six weeks before Daniel proposed.

"Six weeks before he proposed," I said.

Evelyn stared at me.

"Daniel told me the proposal surprised everyone."

"Apparently not everyone."