PART 5 — JASMINE WASN'T MY ENEMY
I didn't sleep that night.
I kept thinking about Jasmine.
The woman I had hated.
The woman I had blamed.
The woman whose name I had written publicly at 3:17 in the morning.
What if Aaron had been telling the truth?
At nine the next morning, Jasmine came to my house.
I almost didn't let her in.
She stood outside wearing a simple black coat.
No makeup.
No designer clothes.
No smug smile.
Just exhaustion.
“I owe you an explanation,” she said.
I stepped aside.
“Come in.”
She sat across from me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she pulled a folder from her bag.
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
I looked at her.
“You slept with my husband.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I never slept with Aaron.”
I stared at her.
“Then why were you always with him?”
“Because he asked me to help.”
“With what?”
She opened the folder.
Photographs.
Bank transfers.
Emails.
Internal company documents.
I recognized several names.
Executives.
Lawyers.
Board members.
And one name appeared again and again.
Richard Prescott.
Aaron's father.
Jasmine spoke quietly.
“Your grandfather discovered that Richard had been using Prescott Global to move money through shell companies.”
I stared at the documents.
“Why?”
“Your grandfather threatened to expose him.”
“And then?”
“He died.”
I swallowed.
“What does Aaron have to do with it?”
“Aaron discovered pieces of it after joining the company.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he didn't trust anyone.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Not even his wife?”
“He wanted to protect you.”
“By cheating on me?”
“He knew what you would think.”
“That doesn't make it right.”
“I know.”
She lowered her eyes.
“I told him to tell you.”
“And?”
“He said if Richard discovered you knew, you'd become a target.”
My chest tightened.
“Why didn't you come to me?”
“Because Richard was watching me too.”
I looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
Jasmine pulled out her phone.
She showed me a photograph.
Her apartment.
The door had been broken.
Inside, everything was destroyed.
“This happened two weeks ago.”
I stared.
“Someone was looking for these documents.”
“Why did you keep them?”
“Because my father worked for Richard Prescott.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He was the man who handled the offshore accounts.”
Jasmine's voice cracked.
“He died seven years ago.”
I finally understood.
She hadn't been Aaron's lover.
She had been investigating her own father's death.
And Aaron had been helping her.
I stood.
“I owe you an apology.”
She shook her head.
“You were protecting your marriage.”
“I accused you publicly.”
“I understand.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“I should have listened.”
She gave a small, sad smile.
“Most people don't.”
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
“There is one thing you still don't know.”
“What?”
“Your grandfather knew Richard would come after you.”
“I know.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“He knew Richard would come after you through Aaron.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He predicted that Aaron would eventually be pressured to marry you.”
I stared at her.
“But Aaron said he loved me.”
“He probably does.”
“Then why would my grandfather think—”
“Because your grandfather didn't trust Richard.”
She pulled out another document.
It was an old letter.
The signature belonged to my grandfather.
But this time, the recipient was Richard Prescott.
I read it.
My grandfather had accused Richard of stealing millions.
Then came the final paragraph.
If anything happens to me, Claire will inherit everything. You will never control what belongs to her.
I felt dizzy.
My grandfather hadn't merely protected me financially.
He had prepared for a war.
And apparently…
that war had finally arrived.
That evening, Aaron came to my house.
I let him in.
He looked different.
Not like the powerful executive everyone feared.
Just a tired man.
“I owe you the truth,” he said.
“Yes.”
He sat down.
“My father knew about your inheritance before I met you.”
My heart sank.
“And he asked you to get close to me?”
Aaron nodded.
“Initially.”
I closed my eyes.
“How long?”
“Three months.”
I looked at him.
“Three months?”
“He wanted information about your grandfather's trust.”
“And you agreed?”
“Yes.”
The word cut deeper than I expected.
“Why?”
“I was twenty-nine. I wanted his approval. I wanted the company. I thought I could control the situation.”
“And then?”
“I met you.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“And everything changed.”
I looked away.
“I believed you.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe our marriage was real.”
“It was.”
“Was?”
“No.”
He stood.
“It is.”
I didn't respond.
Aaron took a breath.
“I loved you. I still love you. But I made a terrible mistake.”
“Your mistake lasted three years.”
“I know.”
“And Jasmine?”
“She helped me uncover the truth.”
I nodded slowly.
Then my phone rang.
Nathan.
I answered.
“Claire, you need to come to my office immediately.”
“What happened?”
“We found the original trust agreement.”
“And?”
His voice became very quiet.
“Your grandfather named you the sole controlling beneficiary.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He paused.
“There is another beneficiary.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who?”
Nathan said one name.
“Marcus Hale.”
The missing CFO.
The man everyone thought was dead.
* * *
