Chapter 5 - ASHLEY'S CONFESSION
Ashley disappeared for six days.
Then she called me.
“I need to talk.”
“You should talk to the police.”
“I will.”
“Then do it.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because Brandon will kill me.”
I went silent.
“Where are you?”
She gave me an address.
An old hotel in Queens.
My father refused to let me go alone.
We arrived with Detective Brooks and two security men.
Ashley opened the door.
She looked nothing like the woman I remembered.
Her face was pale.
Her hair was messy.
She had bruises on her wrist.
“Who did that?”
She looked at me.
“Brandon.”
I stared.
“What happened?”
“He found out I was talking to you.”
“Why did you help him?”
Ashley began crying.
“I was stupid.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“I loved him.”
“You slept with my husband.”
“I know.”
“You stole from me.”
“I know.”
“You helped him forge my signature.”
“I know.”
I wanted to hate her.
Part of me did.
But seeing her broken made everything complicated.
“Tell me the truth.”
She sat down.
“Brandon didn't start the plan.”
“Who did?”
“Charles Whitmore.”
My father's expression hardened.
Ashley continued.
“Whitmore approached Brandon two years ago.”
“What did he offer?”
“Money.”
“How much?”
“Enough to make Brandon believe he could become untouchable.”
“And my company?”
“Whitmore wanted your design contracts.”
“Why?”
“Because your clients included developers and investors.”
My father understood immediately.
“Money laundering.”
Ashley nodded.
“Brandon was supposed to use your company to move money.”
“And you?”
“I gave him access.”
I looked away.
“Why?”
She whispered:
“Because he promised he'd leave you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You believed him?”
“I wanted to.”
Then she reached into her purse.
She handed me a flash drive.
“What is this?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Emails. Payments. Messages.”
Detective Brooks took it.
Ashley looked at me.
“But there's one thing you don't know.”
“What?”
“Brandon has been meeting someone.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
The room went silent.
My father stepped forward.
“You're lying.”
Ashley shook her head.
“I saw her.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Where?”
“Manhattan.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
My father grabbed the back of a chair.
“Describe her.”
Ashley did.
The description matched my mother.
Then Ashley said:
“She gave Brandon something.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
My heart stopped.
“The Kane ledger?”
Ashley nodded.
“She told him if he gave it to Whitmore, they'd leave her alone.”
My father stared.
“Where is it?”
“Brandon has it.”
“Where?”
Ashley swallowed.
“He keeps it at the mansion.”
Detective Brooks immediately called his team.
But before they could move, Ashley whispered:
“There's more.”
“What?”
“Brandon knows you're Vincent Moretti's daughter.”
I stared.
“He always knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he marry me?”
Ashley looked at me.
“Because your father has enemies.”
My stomach tightened.
“Brandon thought marrying you would give him access to Moretti's hidden assets.”
The room went silent.
My entire marriage had been a lie.
Not just an affair.
Not just money.
The man I had loved had chosen me because of my blood.
Then Ashley said something that destroyed the last piece of innocence I had left.
“He wasn't trying to leave you.”
“Then what was he trying to do?”
“He was trying to take everything.”
My father looked at me.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“No?”
“He doesn't get to.”
For the first time, I wasn't crying.
I wasn't afraid.
May you like
I was angry.
And anger, I discovered, could be very useful.
