Chapter 3 - THE SECRET ACCOUNT
The investigator found the bank account three days later.
It belonged to Alyssa.
The deposits came from several shell companies.
Parker traced two of them to Connor's business.
The third led somewhere unexpected.
A private fertility consulting firm.
The same firm whose name appeared on the photograph.
"Why would Connor secretly pay for fertility services?" I asked.
Parker shook his head.
"We don't know yet."
"Could Alyssa have been trying to get pregnant with Connor?"
"Possibly."
"But he had a vasectomy."
"Exactly."
That was the problem.
Then Parker found another document.
A consent form.
Connor's signature appeared at the bottom.
But the date was wrong.
The document claimed he had authorized a fertility procedure three months ago.
Connor had been out of the country that week.
His passport proved it.
Parker looked at me.
"That's forged."
I felt a chill.
"Who forged it?"
"We need to find out."
The next morning, Connor called.
"You've been asking questions."
I stayed silent.
He continued.
"I'd advise you to stop."
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
He laughed.
"It's advice."
I looked at Brinley sleeping beside me.
"You've changed."
"What do you mean?"
"When we met, you were terrified of losing everything."
"I still am."
"No."
I smiled.
"You're terrified of losing everything."
He went silent.
Then his voice became colder.
"You don't know what you're dealing with."
"Neither do you."
I hung up.
That evening, I received another message.
A video.
I opened it.
Connor was inside his office.
He was speaking to someone.
The audio was faint.
But one sentence was clear.
"If she discovers the trust, we're finished."
I froze.
Another voice answered.
"Then make sure she signs before the wedding."
I replayed it.
The second voice belonged to Betsy.
His mother.
I saved the video.
Then I forwarded it to Parker.
A minute later he called.
"Don't go anywhere."
"Why?"
"Because I just found something."
"What?"
"The divorce petition was filed six days before Connor ever told you he wanted a divorce."
My heart stopped.
Six days.
He had planned this.
The hospital scene hadn't been spontaneous.
The cruelty had been rehearsed.
The mistress.
The pregnancy.
The divorce.
The wedding.
Everything had been coordinated.
May you like
But there was one thing they hadn't planned for.
Me knowing.
