Chapter 3: The Brother Behind Her
Christian enlarged the image.
The man crossing behind Marnie was Victor Hale—his older brother and the chief financial officer of their family company.
“Why was Victor here?” Christian asked.
Adelaide reached for her handbag.
“He eats in restaurants.
That is hardly a scandal.”
“He handed Marnie something.” Christian turned the screen toward her.
“What was it?”
Marnie put down her tray.
A folded envelope shook between her fingers as she pulled it from her pocket.
“He gave me this before your table was seated.”
Christian opened it.
Inside were five hundred dollars and a typed note: KEEP CHRISTIAN AT THE TABLE UNTIL NINE.
“You took his money?”
“I needed it,” Marnie whispered.
“My mother’s care payment is overdue.
But I didn’t know about the vial.”
Adelaide gave a cold laugh.
“How convenient.
The poor waitress takes a bribe and then points at the woman in the expensive dress.”
“I was going to keep him talking,” Marnie said.
“Then I saw what you put in his glass.”
Christian looked at the restaurant manager.
“Mr.
Bell, save every second of that recording.”
“It’s already copying to two secure drives,” Mr.
Bell said.
“The original cannot be erased from this phone.”
Adelaide’s fingers stopped inside her handbag.
“You’re turning a misunderstanding into public humiliation.”
“You put an unmarked substance in my drink.”
“I put in something to calm you.
You’ve been under pressure.”
Christian stepped closer.
“You don’t secretly ‘calm’ a man before he signs away control of his company.”
Marnie stared at him.
“You were signing something tonight?”
“At nine, Victor planned to bring me the final papers for our hotel sale.”
Mr.
Bell checked the clock.
“It’s eight fifty-three.”
Christian’s phone rang.
Victor’s name filled the screen.
“Answer it,” Adelaide said quickly.
“He’ll explain.”
Christian put the call on speaker.
“Where are you?” Victor demanded.
“The buyer is waiting, and Adelaide said you were ready.”
“Ready for what?”
A pause followed.
“To sign the sale agreement.”
“I haven’t approved the sale.”
“Christian, we discussed this.”
“No.
You discussed it while I refused.”
Adelaide moved toward the door, but Mr.
Bell stood in front of it.
“Please remain until the authorities arrive, ma’am.”
“You cannot hold me here.”
“I can ask you not to leave with evidence in your handbag.”
Adelaide pulled out her phone.
“Victor, tell your brother to stop this performance.”
Christian’s eyes narrowed.
“You knew Victor was listening?”
The line went silent.
Then Victor spoke more softly.
“Chris, do not involve outsiders.
Send the waitress home, pour out the wine, and come to the office.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t sign tonight, the bank calls our loan tomorrow.”
Christian gripped the edge of the table.
“You told me our accounts were stable.”
“They were—until you delayed the sale.”
Marnie looked down at the envelope.
“Mr.
Hale, there’s something written beneath the note.”
Christian held it toward the light.
Faint pressure marks crossed the paper, left by whatever had been written on the sheet above it.
Mr.
Bell brought a pencil and shaded the surface.
A second message appeared:
ONCE HE IS UNSTEADY, GET HIS THUMB ON PAGE NINE.
Christian looked at Adelaide.
“You weren’t trying to calm me.
You were preparing my signature.”
The restaurant doors opened.
Two uniformed officers entered with a paramedic carrying a test kit.
Adelaide backed into the table.
“You have no idea what Victor will do if I speak.”
The paramedic sealed the glass and vial inside separate bags.
“I can run a preliminary test here,” she said.
Minutes later, one strip changed color.
She looked directly at Christian.
“Sir, these drops contain a powerful sedative.”
Adelaide’s face emptied.
Christian’s phone rang again.
May you like
This time, the caller was his company lawyer.
“Christian,” the lawyer said, “Victor just filed documents declaring you medically unfit to control Hale Holdings.”
