Chapter 4: The Guest in the Front Pew**
James parted the rectory’s velvet blinds just an inch. Through the frosted glass, he spotted his older brother, Richard. Richard looked impeccably polished in his charcoal Armani suit, chatting effortlessly with the local county judge.
For six years, James had leaned on Richard like an anchor. Richard had helped him navigate grief, co-signed mortgages, and stepped in as a surrogate uncle for Lily. The thought that the architect of his greatest tragedy was sitting thirty feet away chilled him to the marrow.
"How did you manage to track me down?" James asked, turning back to Rebecca.
"I didn't plan to fall in love with you, James," Rebecca confessed, wiping a solitary tear from her cheek. "I applied for the drafting position at your firm to see if Lily was safe. But the closer I got, the more I realized Richard was systematically draining your company’s assets while poisoning your legal standing."
"What’s on the flash drive?"
May you like
"Video footage from the dashcam, bank transfer logs, and Claire’s final testament naming legal guardianship," Rebecca said softly. "Richard found out yesterday that the deposit box was accessed. He came to my apartment last night and threatened Lily’s safety if I didn’t proceed with the wedding without causing a scene."
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