Chapter 20 - LAUREN’S KEYLauren came to see me two days later.
She looked completely different from the woman at the wedding.
No makeup.
No wedding dress.
Just exhaustion.
“I need to tell you something.”
I let her in.
She placed a key on the table.
“This belonged to Preston.”
“What does it open?”
“I don't know.”
“Why give it to me?”
Lauren lowered her eyes.
“Because I finally understood what he was doing.”
She explained that Preston had used the wedding to create evidence against me.
He wanted to make it appear that I was unstable.
That I was aggressive.
That my daughter was uncontrollable.
Then he planned to use the incident in court.
He wanted custody of Sophie.
Not because he cared about her.
Because whoever controlled Sophie controlled the trust.
Lauren had discovered the plan the night before the wedding.
But Preston threatened her.
He told her he would destroy her family.
I looked at the key.
“Why didn't you stop him?”
Lauren began to cry.
“Because I was afraid.”
I understood that fear.
But I also understood the cost of silence.
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Then she whispered:
“The key opens a room beneath the hotel.”
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