Chapter 11: The Friend Who Opened the Door
Celeste Morgan entered Claire’s office the next morning.
She had been my closest friend since college.
She had also arranged the dinner where Rowan and I first met.
“You said this was urgent,” she said.
I placed the agreement in front of her.
Her handbag slipped from her shoulder.
“Where did you get that?”
“Selina’s office.”
Celeste sat without being asked.
“Phoebe, I can explain.”
“Start with C.
Bennett.”
“That was supposed to be my name after Rowan divorced you.”
Mara drew in a sharp breath.
I kept my hands flat on the table.
“You and Rowan?”
“It ended before your wedding.”
“The agreement was updated six months after my wedding.”
Celeste looked toward the door.
“He said he was trapped.”
“He pursued me.”
“Because Selina learned who your father was.”
“Did you introduce us for money?”
“At first, it was just a dinner.”
“And later?”
Celeste covered her face.
“Selina offered me twenty percent.”
“Twenty percent of my inheritance.”
“She said Gideon had abandoned you.
She said you would never miss it.”
I pushed the ledger closer.
“Did you help Rowan intercept my letters?”
Celeste’s hands dropped.
“He gave me a key to your old apartment.
I collected the mail twice.”
Dad turned away.
I could barely form the words.
“You watched me cry over my father.”
“I wanted to stop.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Rowan said he’d expose me.”
“For what?”
Celeste opened her handbag and removed a flash drive.
“For helping him create the first false company account.”
Claire held out an evidence bag.
“Put it inside.”
Celeste obeyed.
“What’s on it?” I asked.
“Emails, account drafts, and voice messages.
Rowan kept changing the plan, so I saved everything.”
“You saved yourself.”
“Yes.” Tears ran down her face.
“But it can also prove what they did to you.”
The door opened.
Two investigators brought Rowan into the room for a scheduled interview with counsel.
A new attorney followed him.
Rowan saw Celeste and stopped.
“You promised to keep quiet.”
Celeste looked at me.
“That was before I saw what he did at the hospital.”
“You weren’t there.”
“I saw the pictures Mara posted.
Gideon was holding your son while you were cutting birthday cake.”
Rowan pulled out a chair.
“Phoebe, everyone in this room made mistakes.”
“Mistakes don’t require ledgers.”
His attorney touched his sleeve.
“Do not answer.”
I leaned forward.
“Did you ever love me?”
Rowan’s eyes filled, but he did not look away.
“Yes.”
“More than my father’s money?”
His silence lasted too long.
Celeste began to cry harder.
Rowan whispered, “At first, no.”
My chair scraped as I stood.
“And later?”
“Later, I thought I could have both.”
“You had a wife asking you to come to the hospital.”
“My mother said there was still time.”
“There was time to become Leo’s father.
You spent it becoming Selina’s partner.”
His attorney rose.
“This interview is over.”
The investigator took the flash drive.
Rowan stopped at the door.
“If I could go back, I would drive you to the hospital.”
I held his gaze.
“No.
You would only hide the papers better.”
His face crumpled.
The investigator led him out.
Celeste wiped her cheeks.
“I don’t expect forgiveness.”
“You won’t get it today.”
She nodded.
“But you will testify.”
“Yes.”
“And you will return every dollar Selina paid you.”
“I already brought the cashier’s check.”
She slid it across the table.
Claire looked at the amount.
“This is only half.”
Celeste swallowed.
“The rest is in a house Rowan bought under my name.”
May you like
I looked at the address.
It was the house Rowan had once promised we would buy for Leo.
