“Because the truth is bad.”
“That’s not enough.”
“No.”
Adrian looked toward the ceiling.
Emma slept somewhere above them.
“What did she want from the box?”
“Maybe evidence.”
“Of an eight-year-old fraud?”
“Maybe.”
“She already got away with it.”
“Did she?”
Adrian looked at him.
Jonathan continued.
“If Hannah kept originals and Lauren knew they existed, maybe she never felt safe.”
“Then why marry me?”
“Access.”
The word landed like a physical blow.
Rose looked at Jonathan.
“That’s a serious accusation.”
“I know.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
The Hamilton gala.
Lauren standing beside a silent-auction table.
Her joke about expensive people bidding on terrible art.
Their first dinner.
The way she said she had read about Hannah’s foundation work and admired it.
The way she knew exactly when to speak about grief and when not to.
The way she never pushed when Adrian said he was not ready to introduce Emma.
Patience.
Was it genuine?
Strategic?
Both?
Adrian felt sick.
Jonathan spoke.
“We need to separate what we know from what we fear.”
“What do we know?”
“She lied about her identity history.”
“Yes.”
“She lied about knowing Hannah.”
“Yes.”
“She was connected to a documented fraud investigation.”
“Yes.”
“She was trying to get the blue box from Emma.”
“Yes.”
“She intimidated a child.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
Jonathan continued.
“What we do not know is why she married you.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Yet.”
The next morning Lauren called nineteen times.
Adrian did not answer.
At eight-fifteen, her attorney called.
Adrian forwarded the number to independent counsel.
Jonathan would not represent him personally because of the previous day’s events.
By nine, Adrian had hired Camille Ortiz, a family-law attorney Jonathan trusted.
At nine-thirty, a child therapist arrived.
Not police.
Not investigators.
Adrian’s priority shifted.
Emma.
Dr. Priya Shah specialized in children experiencing family trauma.
She did not interrogate Emma.
That mattered.
Adrian sat in an adjoining room while Emma drew pictures and spoke when she wanted.
The session lasted seventy minutes.
Priya came out alone.
Adrian stood immediately.
“How bad?”
“That’s not the best question.”
“What is?”
“What does Emma need today?”
Adrian sat.
Priya joined him.
“She needs predictability.”
“Okay.”
“She needs to know where Lauren is.”
“Hotel, probably.”
“She needs to know Lauren cannot return without you knowing.”
“I changed the security codes.”
“Good.”
“She needs to know she did not cause the adults’ conflict.”