CHAPTER 4 The Woman Who Was Never Supposed to Be There
CHAPTER 4 The Woman Who Was Never Supposed to Be There
The words from Emma echoed through the ballroom.
“She said she didn’t mean to hurt Mrs. Westwood.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody even whispered.
The richest people in Chicago stood frozen beneath the same crystal chandelier where Adrian had planned to announce his wedding.
Only hours earlier, the room was filled with celebration.
Now it felt like a courtroom.
And everyone was waiting for someone to confess.
Madison stared at Emma.
Her face was pale.
Her lips trembled slightly.
“That is impossible.”
Her voice was barely audible.
Adrian looked at her.
“Why?”
Madison looked away.
“Because I was never there.”
The answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
Adrian noticed.
“So you keep saying.”
Madison’s eyes returned to him.
“Because it’s true.”
Adrian held the photograph tighter.
“Then why did a child recognize you?”
Madison looked at Rachel.
“She could have seen me somewhere else.”
Rachel immediately shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
Rachel looked nervous.
But she continued.
“Emma has never met Miss Cole before tonight.”
Madison’s expression changed.
“How would you know?”
“Because I always keep her away from private areas of the house.”
Adrian looked at Rachel.
“Private areas?”
Rachel hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The housekeeper lowered her eyes.
“Because Claire’s room was supposed to remain closed.”
The answer created another wave of confusion.
Adrian stepped closer.
“Rachel.”
She looked up.
“I need you to tell me everything.”
Rachel swallowed.
For years, she had worked inside the Westwood mansion.
She had seen family arguments.
She had heard secrets.
She had witnessed things wealthy people thought nobody noticed.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, silence could no longer protect anyone.
“I didn’t want to get involved.”
Adrian’s voice softened slightly.
“But you already are.”
Rachel looked at Emma.
The little girl was holding her rabbit tightly.
Then Rachel finally spoke.
“Three weeks before Mrs. Westwood died, I saw Miss Cole entering her room.”
Madison immediately interrupted.
“That’s a lie.”
Everyone turned.
Rachel flinched.
“I saw what I saw.”
Madison stepped forward.
“You are accusing me because a child said something ridiculous.”
“No.”
Rachel’s voice became stronger.
“I’m telling the truth because I remember your face.”
Adrian watched Madison carefully.
“What happened when Rachel saw you?”
Madison looked at him.
“I explained it.”
“When?”
“After Claire died.”
Adrian frowned.
“What explanation?”
Madison was silent.
Natalie stepped forward.
“You never told us that.”
Madison looked at her.
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
Natalie laughed bitterly.
“My sister’s best friend sneaking into her bedroom before she died didn’t matter?”
Madison’s expression hardened.
“I was worried about Claire.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Worried enough to enter her private room?”
Madison had no answer.
Then Margaret suddenly spoke.
“Enough.”
Everyone looked at her.
She walked into the center of the room.
“This has gone too far.”
Adrian looked at his mother.
“Mom.”
“You are letting grief turn you against everyone.”
“No.”
His voice was calm.
“I am finally listening.”
Margaret’s expression tightened.
“Listening to what?”
Adrian looked around the room.
“To the people who were afraid to talk.”
Silence.
That sentence hit harder than shouting.
Because everyone knew it was true.
There had been secrets in this family.
Too many secrets.
Adrian looked at the photograph again.
“Who gave this to me?”
No one answered.
The security team looked confused.
The guests looked uncomfortable.
Then one of the guards stepped forward.
“Mr. Westwood.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something else.”
The guard pulled out another item.
A small silver flash drive.
“We found this attached to the envelope.”
Adrian took it.
His eyes narrowed.
“Where?”
“Inside the envelope.”
Everyone became silent again.
Adrian looked at the computer table near the ballroom.
“Bring me a laptop.”
Madison immediately reacted.
“No.”
The word escaped before she could stop herself.
Everyone noticed.
Adrian slowly turned.
“No?”
Madison realized her mistake.
“I mean…”
But it was too late.
Adrian walked toward the table.
He connected the flash drive.
The screen appeared.
One video file.
Created three years earlier.
The date was exactly one day before Claire’s death.
Adrian clicked.
The video loaded.
At first, there was only darkness.
Then Claire appeared.
Sitting inside her bedroom.
Her face looked tired.
But determined.
Adrian stopped breathing.
It was the first time he had seen her since the night she died.
Claire looked directly into the camera.
“If you are watching this…”
She paused.
Her eyes filled with fear.
“Then I was right.”
Adrian moved closer.
Claire continued.
“I discovered the truth about Madison.”
Madison immediately stepped backward.
“No.”
Everyone heard her.
Adrian ignored her.
Claire’s voice continued through the speakers.
“She thinks I don’t know what she has been doing.”
The room became completely silent.
“But I found the evidence.”
Adrian’s hands shook.
“What evidence?”
He whispered the question even though Claire could not hear him.
On the screen, Claire looked toward the bedroom door.
Like she was afraid someone might enter.
Then she said something that made Adrian’s blood run cold.
“The person helping Madison is someone inside my own family.”
Everyone froze.
Margaret’s face changed.
Natalie looked shocked.
Adrian stared at the screen.
Claire continued.
“I trusted the wrong people.”
She reached toward the camera.
Then the video suddenly glitched.
The screen went black.
A message appeared.
FILE DAMAGED.
Only one sentence remained.
A final recorded line from Claire.
A sentence that nobody expected.
“Adrian… if you love me, don’t trust your mother.”
The ballroom exploded into chaos.
And for the first time in his life…
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Adrian Westwood looked at Margaret Westwood and wondered if the woman who raised him had helped destroy the woman he loved.
TO BE CONTINUED…
