Chapter 9: The Woman I Trusted
For a few seconds, I could only stare at the photograph.
Adrian stood beside Emily in the picture.
Not smiling.
Not angry.
Afraid.
And between them was a document I couldn't read.
My best friend had one hand resting on Adrian's arm.
Like she was comforting him.
Like she had every right to be standing there.
I looked at Julian.
"Where did you get this?""
He didn't answer.
"Julian.""
"Adrian sent it to me the morning before the rehearsal.""
"The rehearsal?""
"Yes.""
I stared at the photograph again.
The date was printed beneath it.
Three days before the wedding.
I remembered that morning.
Emily had come to my apartment carrying coffee and a box of pastries.
She had laughed because I'd spent twenty minutes worrying that my dress wasn't going to fit.
She had hugged me.
She had told me, "You're finally going to get your happy ending.""
I swallowed.
"What was she holding?""
Julian looked at the photograph.
"Marriage documents.""
My stomach turned.
"That's impossible.""
"No.""
"Adrian wouldn't have signed anything without telling me.""
"That's the point.""
Colleen stepped forward.
"He never signed them.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"The documents in that photograph weren't yours.""
I stared at the paper in Adrian's hand.
"Whose were they?""
Colleen hesitated.
"Victoria's.""
The room seemed to tilt.
"The woman Edward wanted Adrian to marry?""
"Yes.""
I shook my head.
"But why would Emily have those?""
"Because Emily was the person handling your wedding paperwork.""
Julian's voice was quiet.
"And she was also working for Edward.""
I felt something inside me crack.
"No.""
"Meredith—"
"No.""
I backed away.
"You don't get to say that.""
"I'm sorry.""
"She's my best friend.""
"I know.""
"She was there when Adrian died.""
"I know.""
"She came to the funeral.""
"I know.""
"She slept on my couch for two weeks because she was afraid to leave me alone.""
Julian said nothing.
I looked at Colleen.
"You knew?""
She nodded.
"When?""
"Before the funeral.""
My mouth went dry.
"You knew Emily was involved and let her stay with me?""
"I didn't know how deep she was involved.""
"That's not an excuse.""
"No," Colleen said quietly.
"It isn't.""
I looked at Marcus.
"You knew too.""
He didn't deny it.
"Yes.""
My anger exploded.
"You all watched me grieve while knowing she might have had something to do with Adrian's death.""
Marcus took a step toward me.
"We didn't know she was the one who betrayed him.""
"Then what did you know?""
He stopped.
"That Adrian didn't trust her.""
"Since when?""
"The night before the crash.""
I remembered what Adrian had been like that week.
Quiet.
Distracted.
He had kissed my forehead before leaving my apartment.
I'd asked him what was wrong.
He'd smiled.
"Nothing.""
I'd believed him.
God, I'd believed him.
I looked down at the photograph.
"What happened between Adrian and Emily?""
Marcus answered.
"He discovered she had accessed his financial records.""
"For Edward?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"We don't know.""
"You're lying.""
"I swear I'm not.""
I grabbed the envelope Julian had given me.
My hands were shaking as I tore it open.
Inside was a folded letter.
Adrian's handwriting.
My breath caught.
I unfolded it.
Meredith,
If you're reading this, then something happened that I couldn't stop.
I pressed the paper against the table for a second, forcing myself to continue.
There are two things I need you to understand.
First, I never regretted choosing you.
My vision blurred.
I wiped my eyes.
Second, the wedding was never the trap.
I stopped.
Julian stared at me.
I kept reading.
They wanted me married for access to the trust. But I changed the beneficiary before they could use it.
My heart pounded.
I put everything in your name.
I looked up.
"What?""
Nobody spoke.
I read the next line.
That's why they can't let the wedding happen.
The paper trembled between my fingers.
If I die before we marry, the trust stays locked.
I looked at Julian.
"Adrian changed the trust.""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
"Because the moment they knew you were the beneficiary, you became a target.""
I looked back at the letter.
There was more.
Emily knows about the change.
My pulse stopped.
She will try to convince you that the wedding was planned to protect me.
Don't believe her.
Then the final line.
The person who put me in that car wasn't Daniel.
My breath caught.
I read it again.
It was someone who knew I would trust them enough to get inside.
Below that was one name.
*Emily.*
I dropped the letter.
"No.""
Colleen closed her eyes.
I backed away.
"No.""
Marcus reached toward me.
I pulled back.
"Don't touch me.""
He stopped.
"I need to talk to her.""
Julian shook his head.
"It's too dangerous.""
"I don't care.""
"Meredith, listen—"
"I spent three months thinking I was the grieving fiancée.""
My voice broke.
"But I wasn't.""
I looked at the letter.
"I was the person standing between them and the money.""
Nobody spoke.
I picked up my phone.
"Call Emily.""
"Don't.""
"I'm calling her.""
Julian grabbed my wrist.
I jerked it free.
"Get off me.""
"She'll know we're onto her.""
"Good.""
"She might run.""
"Then we find her.""
I dialed.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
She answered.
"Meredith?""
Her voice was warm.
Familiar.
The sound of it made me feel physically sick.
"Where are you?""
A small pause.
"At home. Why?""
"I'm coming over.""
Another pause.
"Right now?""
"Yes.""
"Are you okay?""
I looked at Marcus.
At Colleen.
At Julian.
"No.""
Emily exhaled.
"Meredith, what's happened?""
"I'll tell you when I get there.""
She was silent again.
Then she said,
"Okay.""
The call ended.
Julian stared at me.
"You shouldn't go alone.""
"I'm not.""
He looked at Marcus.
"I'm not going with you.""
"Why?""
"Because if Emily is involved, she'll expect me to be there.""
He looked at Colleen.
"And she won't expect her.""
Colleen nodded.
"I'll stay here.""
I looked at Marcus.
"You come.""
He hesitated.
"All right.""
We left the apartment through the rear entrance.
The rain had stopped.
The streets were slick and empty.
During the drive, I kept looking at Adrian's letter.
Every word felt like another knife.
He had known.
He had changed everything to protect me.
And I had spent the last three months believing he died because of a random accident.
We reached Emily's apartment ten minutes later.
Her curtains were open.
The living room light was on.
Everything looked normal.
Marcus parked half a block away.
"You stay here," he said.
I shook my head.
"Come with me.""
"Meredith—"
"I don't trust anyone anymore.""
He looked at me.
Then nodded.
We walked to her building.
I pressed the buzzer.
Emily answered immediately.
"Who is it?""
"It's me.""
The lock clicked.
We entered.
Her apartment smelled like vanilla candles.
A Christmas photograph of the two of us sat on the hallway table.
We had taken it last year.
Both of us were laughing.
I almost couldn't look at it.
Emily opened the apartment door.
She was wearing gray sweatpants and a white sweater.
Her hair was pulled into a loose bun.
She smiled.
Then she saw Marcus.
Her smile disappeared.
"Marcus.""
"Emily.""
She looked at me.
"What is he doing here?""
I stepped inside.
"We need to talk.""
Her eyes moved between us.
"About what?""
I pulled Adrian's letter from my bag.
She saw it.
Everything changed.
Her face went completely still.
I whispered,
"You knew.""
Emily didn't speak.
"You knew Adrian changed the trust.""
Nothing.
"You knew he put everything in my name.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Meredith...""
"You knew he was in danger.""
She shook her head.
"I didn't know he'd be killed.""
"Then why were you with him three days before the wedding?""
Her lips parted.
She looked at Marcus.
"Who told you?""
I laughed.
"That's your first question?""
Emily wiped her cheek.
"You shouldn't have come here.""
The words sent a chill through me.
"I heard that before.""
"From Colleen?""
I froze.
"How do you know?""
Emily looked down.
"Because she's the reason Adrian is dead.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"Don't.""
Emily stared at him.
"You've been lying to her since the beginning.""
"So have you.""
Her expression broke.
I looked between them.
"What is she talking about?""
Emily started crying.
"Meredith, I wanted to tell you.""
"Then tell me.""
"I couldn't.""
"Why?""
"Because Adrian made me promise.""
"Promise what?""
She looked at me.
"That if he died, I would make sure you left the Parker family.""
"Why?""
"Because he knew they would blame you.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"Who?""
"Everyone.""
I stared at her.
"Who killed him?""
Emily's lips trembled.
Then she whispered,
"I didn't.""
Marcus said nothing.
I looked at Emily.
"You gave him the documents.""
"Yes.""
"You met him before the wedding.""
"Yes.""
"You knew about the trust.""
"Yes.""
"You worked for Edward.""
Her silence confirmed it.
"Then why didn't you kill him?""
She looked at me through tears.
"Because somebody else got to him first.""
"Who?""
She took a trembling breath.
"Your fiancé wasn't alone in the car.""
"I know.""
"No.""
She shook her head.
"You don't.""
She reached for something behind her.
Marcus immediately stepped between us.
"Don't move.""
Emily stopped.
"I wasn't reaching for a weapon.""
"Then what?""
"A photograph.""
She slowly lifted a small envelope from the table.
Then she looked directly at me.
"I kept this because I knew someday you'd come looking.""
She held it out.
I took it.
Inside was a photograph.
Adrian was sitting in the driver's seat of his car.
The passenger was visible.
His face was turned toward the camera.
I knew him.
I had known him for years.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Because the man beside Adrian wasn't Marcus.
Wasn't Daniel.
Wasn't Julian.
It was the person I had trusted enough to plan the most important day of my life.
May you like
And written on the back of the photograph were six words:
*He asked me to kill him.*
