Chapter 14 - The Wedding Week
Julia’s blue glass lighthouse had vanished after her funeral. Daniel found it in a cabinet in Sloane’s dressing room.
He found it that evening in a storage cabinet in Sloane’s dressing room.
He photographed it, then found a folded sheet beneath its felt base, listing account numbers, dates, and payments matching the suspicious invoices.
The final line read: “Ask Calvin why the same children were billed twice.”
Daniel’s phone rang. Sloane’s name appeared on the screen.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“At home.”
“I need to see you. We have to stop this before it gets worse.”
“You can speak to my attorney.”
“Daniel, please. I know I made mistakes, but I did it because the foundation was collapsing. Julia left a mess, and you were barely functioning.”
“Do not use my wife to excuse what you did.”
“You don’t understand the pressure I was under.”
“Then explain it to the investigators.”
She was silent for a moment. “The wedding is in four days. If you cancel it now, everyone will assume the worst.”
“The wedding is canceled.”
The words seemed to surprise them both. Daniel had spent months avoiding the decision because he hated the thought of another public failure. But there was no marriage to save. There was only a performance he had mistaken for love.
Sloane’s voice dropped. “You cannot do this to me.”
“I didn’t do this. You did.”
She hung up.
Daniel canceled the ceremony, paid vendors for completed work, and told the trustees an investigation was underway.
Sloane did not come back to the house. She sent a driver for her clothes, then a message saying she would see him in court. Asha advised him not to respond.
Oliver listened while Daniel explained that there would be no wedding and no trip to Vermont.
“Does that mean she can’t come back?” he asked.
“Not without my permission.”
Oliver thought for a long time. “Can we take Mommy’s picture out of the box?”
Daniel looked toward the mantel. “Yes. We can put it wherever you want.”
May you like
That night, Daniel returned to the study to secure Julia’s papers. The drawer was open, though he was certain he had locked it.
The blue glass lighthouse was gone.
