Chapter 6 - Her MoneyEmily placed the settlement beside the torn veil.
“You planned to pay me with my father’s money.”
Daniel looked horrified.
“I didn’t know the payment source.”
“That seems to be your favorite sentence today.”
He lowered his eyes.
Evelyn maintained her posture.
“The bridge facility permitted family-stability expenses.”
Mr. Brooks stared at her.
“A secret payment to remove the lender’s daughter?”
“It protected the transaction.”
Emily looked at Evelyn.
“You believed humiliating me protected business.”
“I believed this family required a suitable future.”
“With Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
At least the answer was honest.
Vanessa looked at Evelyn.
“You said I would receive ten percent of the foundation.”
Daniel turned sharply.
“What?”
Evelyn’s face changed.
Vanessa continued.
“And a board seat.”
“You promised her company power?” Daniel asked.
Evelyn remained silent.
The betrayal divided them instantly.
Daniel thought Vanessa had been chosen for love.
Vanessa thought she had been chosen for status.
Evelyn had selected her because she belonged to an old Connecticut banking family and could repair the Prescott public image after Emily’s quiet removal.
Everyone had used everyone.
Only Emily had been expected to disappear.
Emily looked at Vanessa.
“Did you know he planned to push me?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
Emily believed her.
Not because Vanessa was innocent.
Because her restrained smile had vanished the moment Daniel touched Emily.
She had enjoyed taking the chair.
But perhaps she had not expected the fall.
Emily asked:
“Why did you sit?”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“Because his mother told me that if I hesitated, they would blame me too.”
Silence.
Class protected Vanessa only while she obeyed.
Emily understood.
It did not excuse her.
But it explained the fear beneath the smugness.
Then Mr. Brooks received another call.
The Prescott board had scheduled an emergency vote.
Evelyn looked relieved.
“Our directors will stabilize this.”
Mr. Brooks shook his head.
“They cannot.”
“Why?”
“Prescott Hotels pledged forty-nine percent of its voting shares as collateral.”
Evelyn froze.
“To whom?”
Mr. Brooks looked toward Emily.
“The Bennett Family Trust.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Emily did not own the Prescott empire.
May you like
Not yet.
But if the midnight payment failed, she would.
