Chapter 6 - The Wedding That Was Still Happening.
At 2:05 a.m., Claire did something that made everyone in the bridal suite uncomfortable.
She told the wedding planner to change nothing.
The flowers would arrive at six.
The ballroom would open at four.
The string quartet would rehearse at five.
And every guest would believe the wedding was still happening.
Vivian paced in front of the windows.
"You cannot seriously be considering marrying him."
Claire looked at her mother.
"I'm not."
"Then why continue the ceremony?"
"Because Ethan thinks tomorrow gives him access to something."
Naomi tapped the false reception schedule.
"The voting authorization."
"Maybe."
Claire's gaze moved to the payment document.
"But two hundred and eighty thousand dollars already moved before the wedding."
That was the part no one could explain.
The family trust required two approvals for a payment that large.
Claire's electronic signature appeared on one line.
Grant's appeared on the other.
If Claire's approval had been copied or misused, Grant's authorization was still real.
Unless his had been misused too.
Vivian called him again.
This time, he did not answer.
At 2:14 a.m., Ethan called Claire.
She let the phone ring twice before answering.
"Where are you?"
His voice was sober now.
"In my suite."
"Can I come down?"
"No."
"Claire, we need to talk before this gets out of control."
She almost smiled.
"I thought it was a stupid joke."
Silence.
Then Ethan softened his voice.
"I was showing off."
"Why?"
"Because the guys were giving me a hard time about marrying into your family."
"So you defended yourself by humiliating me?"
"I didn't know you could hear me."
The answer was so revealing that Claire did not need to respond.
Ethan realized it too.
"That's not what I meant."
"Goodnight, Ethan."
"Wait."
Claire paused.
His next words came carefully.
"Did Noah give you anything?"
Claire looked at the hotel key card on the table.
"Why would he?"
"He's been acting strange."
"Maybe he's tired."
"Claire."
For the first time, fear entered Ethan's voice.
"Stay away from Blake's room."
Claire's eyes met Naomi's.
"Why?"
Ethan ended the call.
No one spoke for several seconds.
Then Daniel, who had been monitoring the corridor, stepped inside.
"Grant Holloway just entered the hotel through the service garage."
Vivian's face hardened.
"He told me he was home."
Marcus checked the security feed.
Grant had not gone toward the elevators used by guests.
He had taken a service lift to the twenty-eighth floor.
Claire thought immediately of Blake's room.
"Can security stop him?"
Naomi answered first.
"If he tries to enter a room that isn't his, yes."
They watched the hallway camera on a tablet.
Grant stepped out of the service elevator and walked directly toward room 2806.
He did not knock.
He removed a master key from his pocket.
Before he could use it, two hotel security officers approached.
Grant froze.
He smiled, said something, and turned away.
Then he looked directly into the hallway camera.
Even through the grainy feed, Claire could see his expression change.
He knew someone was watching.
Her phone buzzed almost immediately.
A message from Grant appeared.
We need to talk alone.
Claire typed back only three words.
Breakfast at seven.
His reply came seconds later.
Do not trust Noah.
Claire stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived from an unknown number.
It contained a single photograph.
May you like
Noah was sitting in a bank lobby beside Ethan.
The timestamp was from eight months earlier.
