Chapter 5: The Man Who Knew My Husband First
At seven the next morning, I arrived at the Riverside property with Daniel.
The building stood on a busy Manhattan street, its brick exterior weathered by decades of rain and winter storms.
My father had bought it when I was twelve.
Back then, it had been a struggling commercial property with three empty storefronts and an old elevator that made terrifying noises.
He had spent years renovating it.
Now it housed a restaurant, several offices, and a small architectural firm.
I had always considered it his greatest achievement.
“Morning, Denise,” said Thomas, the building manager.
He came out of the lobby holding a set of keys.
“I heard you were coming.””
“Did Marcus come by yesterday?””
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
“Yes.””
“What did he want?””
“He asked for access to your father's old office.””
Daniel immediately looked at him.
“Did you let him in?””
“No. I told him the office was locked under your father's instructions.””
“Good,” Daniel replied.
Thomas handed me the keys.
“There was something else.””
I waited.
“Mr. Carter came back around six in the evening. He wasn't alone.””
“With whom?””
“An older gentleman. Gray hair. Expensive suit.””
Robert Hale.
My stomach tightened.
“Did they go inside?””
Thomas shook his head.
“They argued outside. I couldn't hear everything, but I heard the older man say, 'You promised me the property would be transferred before the end of the month.''”
Daniel exchanged a look with me.
“Did Marcus answer?””
Thomas nodded.
“He said, 'I need more time. Denise has started asking questions.''”
I closed my eyes.
So Marcus and Robert were working together.
Or at least, they had been.
“Thank you, Thomas,” I said.
He lowered his voice.
“Mrs. Carter, forgive me, but your father told me something before he passed away.””
I turned.
“What?””
“He said if you ever came here without your husband, I should give you something.””
Thomas reached into his jacket and produced a small brass key.
It had a number engraved on the handle.
*217.*
Daniel examined it.
“Do you know what it opens?””
Thomas nodded toward the elevator.
“Storage room two-seventeen. Your father kept a private cabinet there.””
We took the elevator to the second floor.
The storage room was at the end of a narrow hallway.
Dust covered the door, and a faded brass sign hung above the handle.
Inside, there were old architectural drawings, property records, and several cardboard boxes.
Thomas unlocked a metal cabinet.
I found a small wooden box on the top shelf.
My father's handwriting was on the lid.
For my daughter.
I opened it.
Inside were three envelopes, a photograph, and a small leather notebook.
The photograph showed my father standing beside a much younger Marcus.
They were outside a restaurant.
Marcus looked to be in his early twenties.
I stared at it.
“Daniel, what is this?””
He leaned closer.
“Do you recognize the restaurant?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Look at the back.””
I turned the photograph over.
Three names had been written in blue ink.
Robert Hale. Edward Carter. Marcus Carter.
Edward Carter was Marcus's father.
I looked at Daniel.
“Why would my father have a photograph with Marcus's father?””
Daniel slowly picked up the notebook.
“Perhaps we should read this before drawing conclusions.””
The first page contained a date from twenty-three years earlier.
My father had written:
Today, Edward brought his son to meet me. Marcus is young, ambitious, and desperate to prove himself. Edward says the boy has been through a difficult childhood. He wants me to give him an opportunity.
I frowned.
My father had never mentioned this.
Daniel turned the page.
Another entry.
Edward says Marcus has a natural talent for business. Robert believes he could become a good manager. I agreed to give him a position at the company.
I stopped.
“Wait.””
Daniel looked up.
“What?””
“Marcus worked for my father before we met?””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Apparently.””
I continued reading.
The next entry was dated four years later.
Marcus has become increasingly interested in Denise. I don't know whether I should be concerned. He seems attentive, respectful, and genuinely fond of her. Edward insists that Marcus has changed.
My hands went cold.
I turned another page.
I asked Marcus why he wanted to marry my daughter. He said he loved her. I asked him whether he loved her more than the money she would inherit. He became angry.
I stopped reading.
The room seemed to tilt.
Daniel gently took the notebook from me.
“Denise, there's more.””
He turned to the final pages.
My father's handwriting became increasingly shaky.
I discovered today that Marcus has been asking Robert about the Riverside property. He believes Denise's inheritance will make him untouchable. Robert says he can help arrange a transfer before the marriage becomes official.
Daniel looked at me.
“Before the marriage?””
I nodded.
The entry continued.
I confronted Edward. He denied knowing anything about the plan. But he gave me one warning: Marcus has always believed that everything he touches should eventually belong to him.
I sat down on an old wooden chair.
Eight years.
Had Marcus pursued me because he loved me?
Or because my father owned valuable properties?
Daniel placed the notebook beside me.
“There's one envelope left.””
I picked it up.
My name was written across the front.
Inside was a single handwritten letter.
My dearest Denise,
If you are reading this, I have failed to protect you from something I saw coming.
I need you to understand that Marcus did not enter our lives by accident.
His father, Edward, approached me years before your wedding. He wanted to settle an old financial dispute involving our families. I refused.
After that, Marcus began spending more time around you.
At first, I believed it was coincidence.
Then I discovered that Robert had been arranging meetings between Marcus and several people who were interested in acquiring my properties.
I could not prove that your relationship was part of their plan. I wanted to believe it wasn't.
But there was one thing I could not ignore.
Marcus once asked me what would happen to my assets if you died before me.
My hand flew to my mouth.
I read the sentence again.
Then again.
Daniel looked genuinely disturbed.
“Denise, are you all right?””
I shook my head.
The letter continued.
I told him the inheritance would pass according to the trust documents. He smiled and said he was only curious.
That night, I changed the beneficiary provisions.
I looked up.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel's expression tightened.
“It means your father may have changed the way your inheritance would be handled if something happened to you.””
“Why?””
“I'm not sure yet.””
A loud noise came from the hallway.
Someone had opened the storage-room door.
We both turned.
Marcus stood there.
His tie was loose, his hair disheveled, and his face was flushed.
“What are you doing here?””
I slowly stood.
“Reading.””
His eyes landed on the notebook.
Then the letter.
He took one step forward.
“Give me that.””
“No.””
“Denise, you have no idea what you're looking at.””
“Then explain it.””
He looked at Daniel.
“You had no right to bring her here.””
Daniel stood between us.
“This is her property.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Her property? You think her father owned everything? You don't know what happened between our families.””
I held up the photograph.
“Why didn't you tell me you knew my father before we met?””
Marcus's face changed.
For a moment, I saw something almost like shame.
Then it disappeared.
“He gave me a chance. I was grateful.””
“Is that why you married me?””
“No.””
“Is that why you started moving money?””
“That's different.””
“Is that why you tried to sell Riverside?””
He clenched his jaw.
“You don't understand what I was trying to do.””
“Then help me understand.””
Marcus looked toward the hallway.
Finally, he said:
“Your father owed my family something. Something he spent twenty years pretending didn't exist.””
I stared at him.
“What did he owe?””
Marcus swallowed.
May you like
Then he said a name I had never heard before.
“Your mother.””
