Chapter 5 - The Wedding That Had to Happen
They found Samuel’s abandoned car two blocks away.
No Samuel.
No blood.
No sign of struggle.
Only his coat folded neatly on the driver’s seat.
Adrien canceled every meeting the following morning.
Camille discovered this while lying on his guest-room sofa under a blanket she had not requested.
“You kidnapped me.”
“You fell asleep in the car.”
“You could have taken me home.”
“Your apartment is compromised.”
“You have seventeen bedrooms?”
“Nine.”
“That makes this substantially less reasonable.”
Adrien handed her tea.
She tasted it.
Honey.
Lemon.
Exactly how she took it.
She looked at him.
“How did you know?”
“I asked your doorman.”
Something softened inside her against her will.
Then Celeste entered.
The softness disappeared.
Celeste looked from Camille to Adrien.
“I want to speak to you.”
Camille started rising.
Celeste said, “Both of you.”
That surprised everyone.
She sat opposite them.
“I called Margot.”
Adrien’s expression hardened.
“You what?”
“I asked her to meet me.”
“Where?”
“She refused.”
“Did she say why?”
“She said the wedding must proceed.”
Camille set down her tea.
“Exact words?”
Celeste nodded.
“She said canceling would cause consequences my father should have explained years ago.”
Adrien called Henri.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Tomas entered.
“Henri Laurent left his house at six this morning.”
“Where?”
“We don’t know.”
Celeste stood.
“My father doesn’t disappear.”
Adrien’s phone rang.
Henri.
Adrien answered on speaker.
Henri’s breathing was ragged.
“I’m sorry.”
“Where are you?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Henri.”
“I made a deal eighteen years ago.”
Celeste whispered, “Dad?”
Henri broke.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“What deal?”
“If Evelyn’s evidence ever resurfaced, a marriage between our families would combine controlling interests in three companies. The old accounts could be buried permanently.”
Adrien’s voice became deadly quiet.
“You arranged this marriage?”
“No. Not exactly. But Margot encouraged introductions. Social events. Meetings.”
Celeste sank into a chair.
Their romance had been curated.
Not invented.
But encouraged.
Camille felt sick for her.
“Who is Margot?” Adrien asked.
Henri hesitated.
“A Kovac.”
Silence.
“Which Kovac?”
“Your father’s half sister.”
Adrien stood.
“My father had no sister.”
“He did.”
Henri explained.
Viktor’s father had another daughter, Ilona, who had been excluded from the family after accusing the patriarch of fraud.
Ilona disappeared.
Her daughter eventually returned under another name.
Margot.
“She believes the empire belongs to her.”
“Where is Samuel?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where are you?”
Another silence.
Then Henri whispered, “Don’t look for me.”
The call ended.
Celeste cried quietly.
Adrien did not touch her.
Camille noticed.
Celeste noticed too.
Hours later, Camille found Adrien alone in his office.
He stood before the windows.
“You should go to her.”
“She asked to be alone.”
“That has never stopped you with me.”
“You’re different.”
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Camille looked at him.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Say things because you’re scared I’m leaving.”
“I am not scared.”
She almost laughed.
“Of course not.”
He turned.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“You don’t want to replace me.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“No. It isn’t.”
He moved closer.
“What if I know the difference?”
Camille’s breath caught.
She stepped back.
“You’re getting married.”
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
“In eighteen days.”
“Yes.”
“So whatever sentence you’re about to say, don’t.”
He obeyed.
That hurt more.
Camille left.
At the doorway, Tomas nearly collided with her.
He held an envelope.
“Courier.”
“For whom?”
“Mr. Kovac.”
Adrien opened it.
Inside was a copy of his marriage contract.
One clause had been highlighted.
A clause Camille had never seen.
Upon legal union, voting rights associated with Laurent Holdings and Kovac Maritime would temporarily transfer into a joint trust.
Adrien stared at the signature page.
His signature was genuine.
But another page had been inserted afterward.
Camille whispered, “Someone altered the contract.”
Adrien looked toward Celeste’s room.
Then Tomas’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Sir, we found Samuel.”
“Where?”
Tomas swallowed.
“At the cathedral.”
Adrien grabbed his coat.
But Tomas wasn’t finished.
“He’s alive.”
“Then what?”
“He’s sitting in the front pew.”
May you like
Tomas looked at Camille.
“And he says he’ll speak only to the woman Adrien Kovac is actually in love with.”
