Chương 2 - The Bride’s Story
The island clinic occupied a restored coast-guard cottage less than half a mile from the wedding deck.
Mia sat beside Lily while a physician examined her daughter.
The preliminary news was better than she had feared.
Lily had a badly bruised hip, swelling around one wrist and several abrasions from the sand and wooden edge. No obvious fracture appeared on the initial portable imaging, though the doctor recommended transport to the mainland hospital for a more complete evaluation.
“She was lucky,” Dr. Patel said.
Mia hated the word.
Luck implied chance had protected Lily.
But Lily should never have needed protection from her own aunt.
Outside the examination room, voices rose.
Lauren.
Evelyn.
Grant.
Mia opened the door.
“You are not coming in here.”
Lauren stopped.
Her wedding veil was gone.
Someone had cleaned most of the pink stain from her gown, leaving a pale shadow near the hem.
“I need to explain.”
“No.”
“Mia—”
“My daughter is being examined because you pushed her off a deck.”
“I did not push her off a deck.”
Mia stared at her.
Lauren lowered her voice.
“She backed into me.”
“That is not what I saw.”
“You were twenty feet away.”
“I saw your arms.”
“I reached for her.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“That is exactly what happened.”
Mia looked at her mother.
“You were behind Lauren.”
“I had a clear view.”
“Did you?”
Evelyn’s face tightened.
“Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Turn an accident into some criminal spectacle because you’ve never liked your sister.”
Mia almost laughed.
Instead, she held the forged invoice.
“Then maybe we should talk about something less emotional.”
Evelyn’s gaze dropped.
Only for a second.
But Marcus noticed.
So did Mia.
She unfolded the document.
“What is this?”
Lauren glanced at Grant.
Grant said nothing.
Mia waited.
Evelyn answered first.
“Wedding expenses.”
“Approved by whom?”
“You.”
“No.”
“The signature is right there.”
“I didn’t sign it.”
Lauren crossed her arms.
“Maybe you forgot.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Mia doesn’t forget six-figure expenditures.”
Grant finally spoke.
“Can we discuss business after Lily has been treated?”
Mia turned to him.
“I didn’t realize my business was part of your wedding.”
“It isn’t.”
Marcus looked at Grant.
“Then why is Mercer Coastal Development listed as guarantor on three vendor contracts?”
Silence.
Grant’s eyes shifted.
That was all Mia needed.
“What did you do?”
Grant took a breath.
“Mia, everybody is upset.”
“Answer me.”
“We expanded the event.”
“With my money?”
“Temporary advances.”
“From what account?”
Nobody answered.
Marcus did.
“The Bellweather operating account.”
Mia stared at him.
Bellweather Island Holdings LLC owned the island, the marina, the lodge, twelve guest cottages and the event business.
Mia owned seventy percent of the company and served as sole managing member.
Evelyn owned twenty percent.
Lauren owned ten.
Neither woman had authority to move substantial company funds without Mia’s approval.
At least they were not supposed to.
“How much?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Current total exposure is a little over six hundred thousand if every signed vendor commitment is enforced.”
Mia felt cold.
The wedding itself was not even the full amount.
“Signed by whom?”
“Some by Lauren. Some by an outside planner.”
“And some?”
Marcus looked at the paper in her hand.
“By you.”
“But not by me.”
“No.”
The door behind Mia opened.
Dr. Patel appeared.
“The transport boat is ready.”
Mia nodded.
Lauren stepped forward.
“Mia, please.”
Mia blocked her.
“You are not touching her.”
Lauren flinched.
For the first time, something resembling guilt appeared.
“Mia…”
“You told her she ruined your dress.”
“She did.”
The words escaped before Lauren could stop them.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Grant looked away.
Mia studied her sister.
There it was.
Not remorse.
Resentment.
“You think that matters?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You just did.”
Lauren’s face hardened again.
“She was running around where she shouldn’t have been.”
“She was invited.”
“She’s three.”
“Exactly.”
“She knocked something onto a ten-thousand-dollar dress!”
Marcus stared at her.
Mia spoke quietly.
“If your dress matters more to you than my daughter, you should be grateful the ceremony ended before someone married you.”
Grant’s jaw tightened.
“That’s enough.”
Mia turned.
“No, Grant. It isn’t even close.”
A sheriff’s deputy came through the clinic entrance.
Someone had called law enforcement.
Mia assumed Marcus had done it.
The deputy introduced herself as Dana Foster.
“I need statements from anyone who saw what happened.”
Lauren immediately said, “She slipped.”
Mia looked at her.
Deputy Foster took out a notebook.
“Were you touching the child when she went over the edge?”
Lauren hesitated.
“I reached for her.”
“Before or after she lost her balance?”
“I don’t remember.”
Five minutes earlier she had been certain.
Now she did not remember.
Deputy Foster noticed.
“So you’re saying it was an accident?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Yes.”
Grant said nothing.
Deputy Foster looked toward Marcus.
“Sir?”
“I didn’t have a clear angle.”
Lauren exhaled.
Then Marcus continued.
“But the wedding videographer did.”
Every face changed.
Marcus pointed toward the deck.
“There were four professional cameras running.”
Lauren went pale.
Deputy Foster closed her notebook.
“Then I’ll need the recordings.”
Marcus looked at Mia.
And Mia understood why he still looked worried.
“The professional recordings aren’t the only ones,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“The island security system covers that deck.”
Relief moved through Mia.
May you like
Until Marcus added:
“And the footage from that camera is missing.”
