Chapter 3

That evening, I returned to the villa to retrieve Mom's identification documents.

The moment I opened the door, I heard laughter in the living room.

Mallory was sitting on the couch in my pajamas and peeling some fruit. When she saw me, she froze for a moment, then got to her feet and smiled.

"Tara, you're back!"

Preston came out of the kitchen carrying two glasses of water.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

I glanced at the suitcases in the room and said, "I came back to get a few things."

Mallory slipped her arm through his.

"Preston, should I leave for a while?"

"No." He patted her hand. "From now on, this is your home, too."

I paused when I saw that.

Mallory deliberately shook her wrist, showing off the emerald bracelet she wore.

It was a wedding gift Mom had left for me. She had entrusted it to me before she was hospitalized. I had locked it in my bedroom drawer the day before.

"Take off the bracelet."

Mallory's expression shifted.

"Preston gave it to me."

"I said, take it off."

Preston frowned.

"Tara, it's just a bracelet. Must you make a big deal out of this?"

"It belongs to my mom."

"Your mom is in the hospital. It's not like the bracelet is doing her any good sitting there."

He said it so casually, as though he were talking about some insignificant trinket.

Mallory slipped her hand behind her back.

"Tara, I didn't know it belonged to your mom. I thought Preston gave it to me as a wedding gift."

"Then, give it back," I demanded.

"But Preston gave it to me."

I turned to Preston.

"Did you take it from my room?"

I pulled out my phone and called the police.

Mallory's face went pale.

"Are you calling the police?"

"Why shouldn't I? Someone took my belongings without my permission and is refusing to give it back."

Preston clamped a hand around my wrist.

"Tara, don't take this too far."

I looked down at his hand.

"Let go!"

"Can't you at least show some dignity?" he said.

"You put my mom's wedding gift on another woman's wrist, and you dare tell me to have some dignity?"

Preston's face darkened instantly.

"Mallory isn't the other woman."

"Then, what is she?"

"She's my lawfully wedded wife."

A flash of triumph crossed Mallory's face when he said it. I found it absurd.

"You came into my home, took over my bedroom, and wore my mom's bracelet."

I looked at Mallory.

"Is that what you consider lawful?"

The police arrived soon after, and I showed them the proof of purchase for the emerald bracelet, along with old photographs Mom had left behind.

With the police mediating, Mallory had no choice but to take off the emerald bracelet. Her eyes were red as she insisted that it had all been a misunderstanding.

I ignored her and went into the study.

Inside, I turned on an old computer I had not used in a long time. It contained records from the company's early days.

I had only intended to look for Mom's insurance documents, but I found a financial transaction in a hidden folder.

Three million dollars had been transferred from the company's medical R&D account, with Preston Guest listed as the account holder.

The memo had a note.

[Startup funding for Mallory Vaughn.]

I stared at the memo.

Half the money in that account was the three million dollars I had invested, while the other half came from what I had put into developing the system after selling my car, my house, and my investments funds.

Preston had taken my money and used it to make a personal investment in Mallory.

I copied the transaction record onto a flash drive.

The moment I walked out of the study, Preston blocked my way.

"What did you look at?"

"Take a guess."

His gaze flickered before he said coldly, "You can't just meddle with the company's financial records."

"Is that so?"

I slipped the flash drive into my bag.

"I'll see you in court."