Chapter 7 - What Marianne Really HidTessa spent the next hour defending a dead woman.
At four in the morning, she sat at Vanessa’s kitchen island wearing an oversized sweatshirt Eli had grabbed from their apartment.
Rain tapped against the windows.
Her crutches leaned beside the stool.
The photograph lay on the counter.
Nathan had delivered it personally at midnight.
Then, at Tessa’s request, he had left.
Vanessa entered barefoot.
She had removed her makeup.
Without it, the glamorous woman from the restaurant seemed almost unrecognizable.
“Coffee?”
“Yes.”
Vanessa poured two cups.
For several minutes, they sat in silence.
Eventually Vanessa said, “You should know Nathan spent two hours trying to convince Daniel to let him come back upstairs.”
“I’m sure Daniel enjoyed that.”
“He did.”
Tessa looked at the photograph again.
Her mother, Marianne Monroe, stood outside the Queens diner.
Beside her was Graham Vale.
The date stamped on the back was six months after Nathan’s assault.
“What if my mother knew him before?”
Vanessa pulled the photograph closer.
“Possible.”
“She never mentioned him.”
“Parents don’t tell their children everything.”
Tessa looked at her.
“Apparently husbands don’t either.”
Vanessa gave a tired laugh.
“No.”
Something softened between them.
Not friendship.
Not yet.
But perhaps the recognition that both had discovered Nathan Sterling could keep enormous secrets.
“Why did you marry him?” Tessa asked.
Vanessa looked surprised.
“That’s abrupt.”
“I’ve had a strange week.”
“It’s Wednesday.”
“That makes it worse.”
Vanessa smiled despite herself.
Then she stared into her coffee.
“When I met Nathan, he had twenty-three dollars in his wallet and a ridiculous business plan.”
Tessa blinked.
“I thought you met after he was successful.”
“That’s what the magazines say because it fits the image.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I met him at a fundraising dinner when Sterling Capital was basically three laptops and borrowed office space.”
“So you knew him before the money.”
“I helped build some of it.”
Tessa looked at her.
“Seriously?”
“My father introduced Nathan to his first institutional investor.”
“Why doesn’t anyone know?”
“Because eventually everyone decided ‘self-made billionaire’ was a better story than ‘smart man whose girlfriend opened important doors.’”
There was bitterness in her voice.
“Did Nathan erase you?”
“No. That would be easier to hate.”
Vanessa wrapped both hands around the mug.
“I erased myself.”
“Why?”
“At first, I liked being behind the scenes. Then the company grew. Nathan became the person everybody wanted. I became Mrs. Sterling.”
Her smile was humorless.
“People invited me to charity boards because of his name. Designers dressed me because photographers followed me. Everything became appearance.”
“And you liked it.”
“For a while.”
She met Tessa’s eyes.
“Then I started needing it.”
Tessa remembered the handbag.
Vanessa did too.
“That bag was ridiculous,” she said.
“Forty-eight thousand dollars.”
“I know.”
“That’s more than my hospital bill.”
Vanessa winced.
“I know that too.”
“You looked it up?”
“I asked.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to know exactly how terrible I should feel.”
Tessa almost smiled.
“Very.”
“Thank you.”
Silence again.
Then Vanessa said, “There’s something else.”
Tessa looked at her.
“I met Graham more than once.”
Tessa’s body went still.
“How many times?”
“Four.”
“You told Nathan one.”
“I lied.”
“Why tell me?”
“Because I think one of those meetings involved your mother.”
Tessa set down her mug.
“Explain.”
Vanessa disappeared upstairs.
She returned carrying a leather folio.
Inside were handwritten notes.
“Graham gave me these.”
Tessa scanned them.
Dates.
Account numbers.
Names of board members.
Then one phrase:
M. Monroe archive.
Tessa’s heart pounded.
“What is that?”
“I asked him. He said Marianne Monroe had kept records that could destroy Sterling Capital.”
“Did he say how?”
“He claimed Nathan knew.”
Tessa pushed the folio away.
“Did you believe him?”
“No.”
“Then why keep meeting him?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“Because Graham knew something else.”
“What?”
“That Nathan was considering divorce.”
Tessa stared.
Vanessa’s eyes filled with humiliation.
“He told me Nathan had contacted a family-law attorney.”
“Had he?”
“I later discovered yes.”
Tessa didn’t know what to say.
“He never filed anything,” Vanessa continued. “Never spoke to me about it. But knowing he had considered leaving made me desperate to understand why.”
“So Graham used that.”
“Yes.”
“To get access to the charity account.”
“Yes.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I thought I was gathering information to save my marriage. I may have helped someone rob my husband instead.”
Tessa was silent.
Vanessa gave a bitter smile.
“You probably think the slap is the worst thing I’ve done.”
“I think it’s the worst thing you did to me.”
“That’s fair.”
The front door opened.
Nathan entered with Daniel.
Vanessa closed the folio instantly.
Tessa noticed.
Nathan did too.
“What’s that?”
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Tessa did.
“Something you should see.”
Vanessa looked at her.
“You’re giving it to him?”
“This is bigger than your marriage.”
Vanessa stared at her for a moment.
Then pushed the folio across the counter.
Nathan read the notes.
His face changed when he reached Marianne’s name.
“Where did this come from?”
“Graham.”
“You met him again?”
“Four times.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
The disappointment in his face was almost worse than anger.
Vanessa crossed her arms defensively.
“I know.”
“No, Vanessa. I don’t think you do.”
“I was trying to find out why you wanted a divorce.”
Tessa looked at Nathan.
He went still.
Vanessa continued.
“You didn’t think I knew?”
Nathan looked toward Tessa, clearly wishing the conversation were private.
Tessa reached for her crutches.
“I’ll leave.”
“No,” Vanessa said.
Nathan frowned.
“This is between us.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Nothing is between us anymore. Apparently our marriage has accountants, security guards, lawyers, and one injured waitress sitting in the audience.”
Tessa raised a hand.
“I strongly object to being in the audience.”
Nathan rubbed his forehead.
“I consulted an attorney.”
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
“Why?”
“Because we were miserable.”
Vanessa’s voice became small.
“You should have told me.”
“Yes.”
“Were you going to leave?”
“I didn’t know.”
Vanessa nodded slowly.
For once, she did not yell.
That made the moment more painful.
Daniel’s phone interrupted them.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Everyone turned.
Daniel put the call on speaker.
A security analyst spoke.
“We traced the incorporation records for Monroe Holdings.”
Nathan leaned forward.
“To whom?”
“The filing agent used forged credentials. But the initial payment came from an account we’ve identified.”
“Whose?”
There was a pause.
“Marianne Monroe.”
Tessa felt the room tilt.
“That’s impossible.”
The analyst continued.
“The account was opened eight years ago. It remained active after her death.”
Tessa gripped the counter.
“My mother has been dead four years.”
“I understand.”
“Then who’s using it?”
“We don’t know.”
Tessa looked at Nathan.
Nathan looked at the photograph.
And Vanessa whispered the question nobody wanted to ask.
“What if Marianne didn’t create those records to expose Graham?”
May you like
She swallowed.
“What if she was working with him?”
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