Chương 10
Either he did not know about the restriction, or he knew and believed Robert could be pressured.
Neither possibility made me feel better.
“Does Grant know?”
“He should.”
“Why?”
“Because he asked me that too.”
I went still.
“When?”
“Eleven days ago.”
Jenna slowly stood.
Paul’s voice remained calm.
“He knew enough to ask whether Robert’s approval could be bypassed after marriage.”
The chapel doors opened behind him.
My mother stepped into the hallway.
She had heard the last sentence.
Her face told me she understood exactly what it meant.
My mother closed the door behind her with both hands.
For once, she did not seem interested in keeping it open for anyone else.
“Bypassed after marriage?”
Paul stood.
“Diane.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“What did he ask you?”
Paul glanced at me before answering.
“That was the question.”
My mother’s face went gray beneath her makeup.
“He told me he wanted to make sure Claire wouldn’t have to deal with paperwork if something happened during the pregnancy.”
“He told me something similar.”
“You said Robert had to approve anything involving Lakeview?”
“Yes.”
“And Grant asked how to get around that?”
“Yes.”
She pressed two fingers beneath her lower lip.
I had seen her do that at the hospital while waiting for my father’s final scan.
The gesture frightened me more than tears would have.
“Mom.”
She lowered her hand.
“I didn’t know.”
I wanted to believe her so quickly that I distrusted myself.
“About what?”
“Any of this.”
She looked toward the chapel.
“About Natalie.”
The name came out damaged.
She swallowed.
“About Grant asking Paul for documents.”
“Did you tell him I should sign something?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him I should give him authority?”
“I told him marriage would require you to stop behaving as if every decision involving money was a hostile takeover.”
There she was.
Even in shock, my mother could find the sentence that hurt.
Jenna made a small sound beside me.
My mother immediately looked ashamed.
“That came out wrong.”
“It came out exactly how you usually say it.”
“Claire.”
“No, finish.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t want to fight with you.”
“You told him I needed to trust my husband.”
“Yes.”
“And he heard permission.”
“I see that now.”
“You didn’t see it before?”
“No.”
Her answer was immediate.
I studied her face.
She did not look away.
That made it harder, not easier.
If she had lied badly, I could have put her neatly with Grant and Natalie and moved forward.
Instead, she stood there looking like someone who had opened a door and discovered her own words being used as tools.
“I thought he was good for you,” she said.
I stared at the ring in my palm.
“So did I.”
My mother’s mouth trembled.
“I kept telling you not to be suspicious.”
“Yes.”
“I thought I was helping.”
“Yes.”
“That does not make me part of this.”
“No.”
She flinched anyway.
I looked at her.
“It does make you part of how he got close enough.”
The hallway went silent.
Paul shifted his weight but did not intervene.
My mother’s eyes filled.
She blinked the tears back angrily.
“That’s fair.”
I had never heard her say those words to me.
Not like that.
The chapel doors opened again.
Natalie came through first.
Grant followed her.
Robert was behind them, one hand raised as though he had been trying to stop both without touching either.
Grant saw Paul.
Then my mother.
Then me.
His expression sharpened.
“Great.”
He laughed once.
“The tribunal moved into the hallway.”
Robert shut the chapel doors before more guests could see.
Natalie leaned against the wall.
Her arms were still crossed, but now they looked less defensive than cold.
Grant pointed at my phone in Jenna’s hand.
“I want a copy of the full recording.”
Paul stepped forward.
“You can request one through counsel.”
Grant stared at him.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“We’re talking about my private conversation.”
“We’re talking about a recording Claire made after hearing herself discussed.”
“You don’t even know whether it’s legal.”
Paul’s face remained neutral.
“Neither do you.”
Grant looked at me.
“Claire, can we stop this?”
“No.”
“For five minutes.”
“No.”
“Just you and me.”
“No.”
His jaw flexed.
Natalie gave a bitter laugh.
“You don’t want just her.”
Grant turned.
“Not now.”
“Of course not now.”
My mother looked at Natalie.
“What does that mean?”
Natalie’s eyes closed.
Grant said her name softly.
Too softly.
It was the voice I used to hear through bathroom doors when I thought he was taking work calls.
Natalie opened her eyes.
“Don’t.”
“Natalie.”
“Don’t use that voice with me.”
My mother stared between them.
I could almost see the pattern assembling in her mind.
The hotel hallway suddenly felt too narrow for all of us.
Guests were still talking behind the doors.
Somebody laughed inside, too loudly, probably from nerves.
A server passed at the far end carrying a tray of untouched champagne and looked straight ahead with heroic professionalism.
My mother took one step toward Natalie.
“How long?”
Natalie’s face broke.
Not dramatically.
Her mouth simply lost its shape for a second.
Grant swore under his breath.
My mother stopped.
“Oh, God.”
“Mom.”
“How long?”
Natalie rubbed both hands over her face.
“Don’t make me do this here.”
“You brought it here.”
The cruelty in my mother’s voice made Natalie recoil.
I hated that I felt satisfaction.
I hated it more because it was honest.
Grant moved between them.
“This is not helping.”
My mother rounded on him.
“You do not get to decide what helps.”
“Diane.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“You’re escalating.”
The phrase was so calm that I almost laughed.
My mother did.
It was a hard, disbelieving sound.
“You slept with my daughter and tried to take control of my other daughter’s company, and you’re worried about my tone?”
Grant’s face tightened.
Natalie whispered, “Mom.”
My mother looked at her.
May you like
“No.”
The word came out quieter.
