Chapter 13: The Secret Before the Wedding
I stared at Mark.
Someone I trusted before Julian ever met Richard.
Those words bothered me more than anything else.
Because Julian had always been complicated.
He was my brother.
He hurt me.
He betrayed me.
But I understood where his weakness came from.
Mark was different.
Mark was someone I chose.
Someone I hired.
Someone I trusted with the company I built.
"Who was it?"" I asked.
Mark looked uncomfortable.
"I don't know if I should say.""
I leaned forward.
"You already helped them destroy my company. You don't get to protect anyone now.""
He lowered his eyes.
"Your first investor.""
I froze.
"What?""
"Before Richard. Before me. Before Julian.""
My mind immediately went back years.
When my company was nothing.
When I was working out of a small rented office.
When I had one idea and no guarantee it would succeed.
My first investor had been Andrew Cole.
He believed in me when nobody else did.
He helped me grow.
He introduced me to important connections.
He was the person who always told me:
"Never let anyone make you feel small because you started with nothing.""
I looked at Mark.
"Andrew?""
He nodded.
"Richard approached him first.""
I couldn't believe it.
"Why?""
Mark hesitated.
"Because Andrew knew your company better than anyone.""
That hurt.
Because it meant someone who helped me build the foundation had also been studying how to take it away.
"What did Andrew give him?""
"Information.""
"What kind?""
Mark looked down.
"Your weaknesses.""
The room went quiet.
I didn't feel angry immediately.
I felt disappointed.
Sometimes betrayal from strangers is easier.
You expect strangers to choose themselves.
But when someone who once stood beside you does it, the pain feels different.
Victoria arrived shortly after.
I explained everything.
She listened carefully.
"Claire, we need to verify before making any move.""
I nodded.
"Find everything.""
That night, we reviewed old records.
Investment agreements.
Emails.
Meeting notes.
And then we found it.
A hidden communication chain between Andrew and Richard.
The first message was from almost a year ago.
Before the wedding.
Before Chloe.
Before Julian's humiliation.
*She trusts us. She won't see it coming.*
I stared at the sentence.
My hands went cold.
Victoria looked at me.
"Claire.""
I closed the laptop.
"I need to talk to him.""
The next morning, I met Andrew at the same restaurant where we celebrated my company's first major success.
He arrived smiling.
"Claire.""
I looked at him.
"Andrew.""
He sat down.
"You seem serious.""
"I found something.""
His smile disappeared slightly.
"What?""
I placed the documents on the table.
His eyes moved across the pages.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
"I hoped you wouldn't find out this way.""
That sentence was all I needed.
"You did it.""
He looked away.
"I made decisions.""
"You betrayed me.""
His expression hardened.
"Don't make this emotional.""
I almost laughed.
"Emotional?""
I pointed at the documents.
"You used my trust to give someone access to my company.""
Andrew leaned back.
"Your company was becoming bigger than you could control.""
There it was.
The same excuse.
Everyone who betrayed me believed they were helping me.
"You mean bigger than you could control.""
His face changed.
"You don't understand how business works.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"I understand perfectly.""
I stood.
"Business requires strategy.""
I looked at him.
"This was betrayal.""
He didn't apologize.
That told me everything.
Before I left, he said:
"You think you're safe because you exposed us.""
I stopped.
"What does that mean?""
His voice became quieter.
"You still don't know everything.""
I turned around.
"What else?""
He smiled sadly.
"Ask your father why Richard chose your family.""
I felt a familiar anger.
"My father?""
Andrew nodded.
"You think Richard wanted your company because it was successful?""
I waited.
"He wanted it because of something your father did years ago.""
I walked away with more questions than answers.
That evening, I confronted my father again.
He looked exhausted when he opened the door.
"I know about Andrew.""
His face changed.
"Claire...""
"No.""
I stepped inside.
"This time, I need the truth.""
He sat down.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he whispered:
"Your company was never the first thing Richard wanted.""
My heart tightened.
"Then what was?""
May you like
He looked at me.
"Our family.""
