Chapter 3 - The True Price
Rosa and Luis stepped out from the dining room doors, holding clean towels and a warm robe for me.
They had been watching from the shadows, their eyes filled with quiet relief.
I wrapped the plush white robe around my shivering shoulders and handed the secondhand uniform to Luis.
"Luis," Daniel said softly, his head bowed in deep shame.
"I owe you and Rosa an apology."
"I should have listened to you weeks ago."
"It is okay, Mr. Daniel," Rosa said gently.
"We only wanted you to be safe."
Daniel turned back to Vanessa, who was quickly gathering her designer handbag and coat from the couch, her eyes darting around like a cornered animal.
"The wedding is canceled," Daniel stated, stepping between her and the front door.
"Our legal team will reach out tomorrow to handle the return of the engagement ring and the recovery of the wedding deposits."
Vanessa sneered, tossing her hair back despite her disheveled appearance.
"You think you can just throw me away, Daniel?"
"After everything I gave up for you?"
"My reputation—"
"Your reputation?" I interjected, pulling a thin leather folder from the hallway console table where I had placed it earlier that morning.
"I didn't just hire a secondhand shop for a uniform, Vanessa."
"I also hired a private investigator."
Vanessa stopped dead in her tracks.
"Your real name is Vanessa Sterling, isn't it?" I read from the top document.
"You defaulted on three credit lines in Miami, left a trail of unpaid luxury leases in New York, and were named as a co-conspirator in a corporate embezzlement suit involving your ex-fiancé two years ago."
I closed the folder with a sharp snap.
"You didn't fall in love with my son."
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"You fell in love with the Whitmore estate and the safety of our family trust."
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