Chapter 14 - The Disposable WomanMara did not speak for nearly a minute.
Then she asked Detective Ortiz, “Am I going to be arrested?”
Ortiz did not soften the answer.
“I can’t give you immunity. You participated in conduct that may matter to this investigation.”
“I took documents.”
“Yes.”
“I gave them to Bryce.”
“Yes.”
“I had the affair.”
“The affair itself is not the issue I investigate.”
Mara nodded shakily.
“I didn’t forge anything.”
“That will be evaluated based on evidence.”
Celine watched Mara’s fear.
There was a dangerous temptation to become generous when someone else was hurting.
Celine resisted it.
Mara had not earned absolution simply because Bryce intended to sacrifice her.
After the meeting, Mara followed Celine into the hallway.
“Can I say something?”
Celine stopped.
Hannah remained nearby.
Mara whispered, “I know you don’t owe me anything.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m going to cooperate.”
“You should.”
“Even if it hurts me.”
“You should.”
Mara’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
Celine looked at her.
“Do you want to know what I need from you?”
“Yes.”
“Stop trying to make your apology produce something for you.”
Mara flinched.
Celine continued.
“If you’re sorry, tell the truth because it’s the truth. Not because you want me to forgive you.”
Mara nodded slowly.
“All right.”
“That may be the first honest thing we can do for each other.”
Mara wiped her eyes.
Then reached into her bag.
“There’s something else.”
Hannah immediately said, “If it’s evidence connected to the investigation, give it to Detective Ortiz.”
“It’s not an object.”
“What is it?”
“A conversation.”
Celine waited.
Mara continued.
“Bryce talked about Julian a lot.”
Celine’s body tightened.
“What did he say?”
“That Julian would always be a problem because he could make you question things.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I didn’t think it mattered compared to the loan.”
“It matters to me.”
Mara nodded.
“One night Bryce said something I didn’t understand. He said, ‘The brother was almost useful once.’”
Celine frowned.
“Useful how?”
“I asked. He told me to forget it.”
Julian, who had been walking toward them from the parking area, heard the last sentence.
“Useful for what?”
Mara looked startled.
Celine repeated it.
Julian’s face changed.
“What?”
“You know?”
“I might.”
They returned to Ortiz’s office.
Julian explained.
A year after Celine’s mother died, he had considered buying Celine’s minority interest in a piece of undeveloped land inherited jointly through a family investment entity.
Bryce had already begun dating Celine.
Julian eventually abandoned the idea because Celine wanted to keep the land.
“Did Bryce know?” Hannah asked.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Celine told him.”
Celine remembered.
A casual dinner.
Bryce had asked why Julian wanted “her property.”
He framed the offer as proof Julian was trying to consolidate control.
Celine had defended Julian at the time.
Months later, during their fights, Bryce brought it up again.
He’s always trying to take something from you.
Another real event transformed into evidence of a fake motive.
Julian said, “Maybe Bryce thought he could use that old offer to challenge something.”
Hannah shook her head.
“Not the mansion. Different asset.”
“But emotionally,” Celine said, “it made Julian look greedy.”
Everyone looked at her.
She understood Bryce’s method now.
He rarely invented lies from nothing.
He selected facts.
Moved them.
Changed context.
A debt became temporary.
A protective brother became controlling.
A housemaid became a thief.
A fraudulent loan became paperwork Celine had forgotten signing.
A planned meeting became an accident.
His lies survived because each contained a real object.
Hannah said, “That insight matters outside the legal case too.”
Celine nodded.
It explained why she had believed him for so long.
That evening, Bryce’s attorney sent a proposed separation agreement.
Hannah opened it at the kitchen table.
Celine almost laughed at the speed.
Bryce offered to waive any claim to the mansion.
In exchange, Celine would pay him $750,000.
Each party would release the other from financial claims.
Both would agree not to make “disparaging statements.”
Celine stared.
“He tried to take six hundred thousand from a fraudulent loan and now he wants seven hundred fifty thousand to leave?”
Hannah turned another page.
“There’s more.”
Bryce wanted Celine to agree that financial transactions connected to Redhaven were “authorized marital investments.”
Celine’s expression hardened.
“He wants me to sanitize the fraud.”
“That’s what this language could do.”
“Can I say no?”
“You can say nothing.”
Celine smiled faintly.
“Even better.”
Hannah closed the proposal.
Then her phone rang.
Detective Ortiz.
Her expression changed while listening.
“What happened?” Celine asked.
Hannah put the call on speaker.
Ortiz said, “Nolan Pierce came in with counsel this afternoon.”
Celine sat straighter.
“He talked?”
“He wants to.”
“Why?”
“He knows Elise and Tessa have already given statements.”
Julian asked, “What does he want?”
“A cooperation agreement.”
Celine almost laughed.
“Of course.”
Everyone was beginning to sacrifice everyone else.
Mara whispered, “What is he saying about Bryce?”
Ortiz answered.
“Nolan claims Bryce designed the entire plan.”
Celine’s heart beat harder.
“And Bryce says Nolan did.”
“Yes.”
“Who’s telling the truth?”
“Probably neither completely.”
Celine looked toward the dark hallway leading upstairs.
For weeks—perhaps years—Bryce and Nolan had relied on secrecy.
Now secrecy was disappearing.
Ortiz continued.
“Nolan brought documents.”
“What kind?”
“A private agreement between him and Bryce.”
Robert leaned closer.
“About Redhaven?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell us the key term?”
Ortiz paused.
“The agreement divided expected proceeds from the Atlas Crest loan.”
Celine closed her eyes.
“How?”
“Nolan would receive repayment of Redhaven obligations and development funding.”
“And Bryce?”
“Six hundred thousand dollars.”
Celine already knew that.
But Ortiz continued.
“There was also a second payment.”
Celine opened her eyes.
“How much?”
“One-point-two million.”
“For what?”
May you like
Ortiz’s answer made the room silent.
“According to the agreement, it would be paid to Bryce after he filed for divorce.”
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