Chapter 2 - The Wife in the Contract
Angela's body reacted before her mind did.
She backed into Charlie.
Martin Vale closed the door behind him.
The same charcoal suit.
The same carefully combed gray hair.
No sunglasses now.
His eyes were pale blue and disturbingly calm.
“You,” Angela said.
Martin looked at the torn envelope.
“You weren't supposed to find that yet.”
Charlie moved in front of Angela.
“Who are you?”
Martin almost smiled.
“You know exactly who I am, Charles.”
“No. I know the name Martin Vale. I've never met you.”
“That was intentional.”
Angela held up the photograph.
“You paid me.”
“Yes.”
“To marry him?”
“To arrive.”
“You said I was acting.”
“I said you were playing a bride.”
“You deliberately misled me.”
“Yes.”
The simple admission stunned her.
Charlie lunged forward.
Martin didn't flinch.
“Who hired you?” Charlie demanded.
“Nobody.”
“You expect me to believe you spent twenty thousand dollars arranging this for entertainment?”
“The money wasn't mine.”
“Whose was it?”
Martin looked at Margaret.
Margaret lowered her eyes.
Charlie followed his gaze.
“Mother?”
“No,” Margaret said.
Martin's expression hardened.
“Don't blame Margaret for the money.”
Angela felt suddenly exhausted.
“Then whose money?”
Martin looked directly at her.
“Yours.”
Silence.
Angela almost laughed.
“I had eighty-six dollars this morning.”
“You had considerably more than that. You simply didn't know it.”
Charlie said, “Explain.”
Martin walked toward a cabinet and removed a leather folder as though he owned the room.
He placed it on the table.
Angela did not touch it.
“What is that?”
“Your inheritance.”
“My mother isn't rich.”
“I wasn't referring to Susan Parker.”
Angela's pulse quickened.
Martin opened the folder.
Inside were copies of trust documents.
Angelina Rose Parker appeared repeatedly.
Beneficiary.
Twenty-sixth birthday.
Henderson-Rose Trust.
Angela looked at Charlie.
He appeared as confused as she felt.
“What does my name have to do with his family?”
Martin leaned against the table.
“Your biological mother was Eleanor Rose Vale.”
Margaret made a broken sound.
Angela stared at him.
“No.”
“Susan Parker adopted you privately when you were eleven days old.”
“No.”
“She promised never to tell you until—”
“No.”
Angela's voice cracked.
She hated that.
“My mother is my mother.”
“Yes,” Martin said. “She is.”
That answer stopped her.
He continued more gently.
“But she didn't give birth to you.”
Angela looked at the photograph again.
The woman holding the baby had delicate features.
Dark hair.
Angela's nose.
Angela's mouth.
Her stomach twisted.
Charlie said, “What does any of this have to do with me?”
Martin's attention shifted to him.
“Your father.”
Margaret whispered, “Martin, don't.”
“He deserves to know.”
“I said don't.”
Charlie stared at his mother.
“My father what?”
Martin took another document from the folder.
“Your father and Eleanor were engaged.”
Charlie went still.
Angela's eyes moved toward the portrait.
The young man.
Margaret's sister.
“They were going to marry,” Martin continued. “Then Eleanor discovered something about the Henderson company. She disappeared six weeks before the wedding.”
“Died,” Margaret corrected.
“Eventually.”
Charlie looked furious.
“My father married my mother thirty years ago.”
“After Eleanor vanished.”
Margaret slapped Martin.
The crack echoed through the room.
Angela jumped.
Martin slowly turned his face back.
A red mark appeared across his cheek.
“You've had twenty-six years to tell the truth,” he said.
Margaret's eyes filled.
“And you've had twenty-six years to destroy us.”
Charlie stepped between them.
“Enough.”
He turned to Angela.
“I didn't know.”
She searched his face.
“I don't know what to believe.”
“You don't have to believe me. But I'm going to help you find out.”
“Why?”
His answer came quietly.
“Because somebody used both of us.”
Martin laughed softly.
“No, Charles. Somebody used her. You got exactly what your grandfather wanted.”
Charlie turned.
“My grandfather is dead.”
“Dead men can be extremely patient when lawyers are involved.”
Martin pointed to the trust.
Angela reluctantly approached.
A clause had been highlighted.
She read it once.
Then again.
Upon the lawful marriage of Angelina Rose Parker to a direct Henderson heir...
Her throat tightened.
“What happens?”
Martin answered.
“The trust unlocks.”
“How much?”
“Angela—” Margaret began.
“How much?”
Martin's eyes stayed on hers.
“Two hundred and forty million dollars.”
Angela sat down.
Nobody spoke.
She stared at the wedding ring.
Twenty thousand dollars had brought her here.
Two hundred and forty million was waiting on the other side.
She suddenly understood why legal documents had been hidden beneath production releases.
“This marriage was required.”
“Yes.”
“Why Charlie?”
“Because he's the only unmarried direct heir who qualifies.”
Charlie looked at Martin.
“And if she divorces me?”
“The trust remains hers once activated.”
Angela stood immediately.
“Wonderful. Then we annul this nightmare tomorrow.”
“An annulment could void activation.”
She stopped.
“A divorce?”
“After ninety days.”
Angela stared.
“You're saying I have to stay married to him for three months?”
“Legally.”
“No.”
“You can walk away.”
“I intend to.”
“And lose the trust.”
“I didn't have it yesterday.”
Martin's expression changed.
“No. But your mother needs more than an electricity payment.”
Angela froze.
“Don't talk about her.”
“Her mortgage is four months behind.”
“How do you know that?”
“Jennifer's dental procedure isn't the family's biggest problem either.”
“Stop.”
“Susan received a letter last week.”
Angela's anger disappeared.
“What letter?”
Martin reached into his coat.
He produced a sealed envelope.
Susan Parker was written across it.
Angela recognized the handwriting.
Her mother's.
No.
Not handwriting.
Her mother's name was on the front.
The return address belonged to Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Angela snatched it.
“What is this?”
Martin said nothing.
Angela ripped it open.
Medical words blurred together.
Appointment.
Oncology.
Biopsy.
Mass.
She stopped reading.
“My mother would have told me.”
Martin's expression softened.
“She didn't want you giving up your life to save hers.”
Angela grabbed her phone.
She called Susan.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
Jennifer.
No answer.
Angela headed for the door.
Charlie followed.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
“Angela.”
“This is my family.”
He stopped.
Then quietly said, “Yes.”
That respect hurt more than resistance would have.
Angela reached the elevator.
Her phone rang.
Jennifer.
She answered instantly.
“Jen?”
Her sister was crying.
“Angela, where are you?”
“What's wrong?”
“Mom collapsed.”
Angela's knees weakened.
“Where?”
“We're at St. Vincent's. They took her into surgery.”
“Surgery for what?”
Jennifer sobbed.
“I don't know. They wouldn't tell me.”
Angela hit the elevator button again.
Charlie appeared behind her holding her coat.
The doors opened.
Angela stepped inside.
Before Charlie could follow, Martin called from the hallway.
“Angela.”
She turned.
He held another document.
“You should know one more thing before you go.”
“I don't care.”
“You will.”
He unfolded it.
At the bottom was Eleanor Vale's signature.
Beside it was another.
Susan Parker.
Martin looked at Angela.
“Your mother knew about the marriage clause.”
The elevator doors began closing.
May you like
Then Martin said the words that made Angela shove her hand between them.
“She was the one who asked me to find you a Henderson husband.”
