Chapter 4 - The Woman At The Door
I stepped out of the bedroom holding the envelope.
Julian stood in the hallway.
Beside him was the woman from the vacation photos.
Young.
Confident.
Twenty-eight years old.
She looked at me and immediately looked away.
Julian didn’t even pretend.
“This is Vanessa.”
I stared at him.
“You brought her here?”
“She’s part of my life.”
I almost laughed.
After twenty years of marriage.
After Evelyn’s funeral.
He stood there introducing another woman like he was announcing a business partner.
Vanessa looked uncomfortable.
Unlike Julian.
She still had shame.
“You don’t understand,” Julian said.
“No.”
I held up Evelyn’s envelope.
“I’m starting to.”
His eyes moved to the paper.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
“What is that?”
I folded it.
“Something your mother wanted me to have.”
Julian stepped forward.
“Give it to me.”
I moved back.
“No.”
His face hardened.
That was when I knew.
The key wasn’t about money.
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It was about something Julian desperately wanted hidden.
📖 Chapter 5 exposes Julian’s first dangerous move to take back Evelyn’s secret before Clarissa discovers the truth. 👇
