Chapter 2 - “Your Mother Put It There”For one stunned second, Evelyn actually laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because Preston's accusation was so absurd her mind rejected it.
“You think I put Victoria's necklace in your pocket?”
Preston didn't blink.
“I think you've hated this wedding from the beginning.”
Victoria turned toward her sister.
“Evelyn?”
“Don't.”
Evelyn raised one hand.
“Do not tell me you're considering this.”
Preston stepped closer to Victoria.
“She argued against our engagement.”
“Because she'd known you four months.”
“She questioned my finances.”
“Because you're marrying into a family that owns four hotels.”
“She told you to postpone the wedding.”
“Because you changed your entire life after meeting him.”
Victoria's face hardened.
Old wounds entered the room.
The sisters had been fighting for months.
Preston knew that.
Of course he did.
He had chosen the perfect accusation.
Diane spoke.
“Evelyn, did you touch Preston's jacket?”
Evelyn slowly looked at her mother.
“You cannot be serious.”
“Answer the question.”
“No.”
Preston glanced toward the security officers.
“Check the ballroom cameras.”
Evelyn looked at him.
He seemed confident again.
Too confident.
“If someone planted the necklace, the cameras will show it.”
Hotel security director Martin Cole approached.
He had worked for the Whitmore family for almost twenty years.
“I'll review everything.”
“No one leaves,” Preston said.
Martin looked at him.
“This is still Mrs. Whitmore's hotel.”
Diane nodded.
“No one leaves.”
The ballroom doors closed.
Guests immediately began whispering.
Evelyn hated the spectacle.
Sophie had already endured enough.
She crouched beside her daughter.
“You okay?”
“No.”
At least Sophie was honest.
“Grandma thinks I'm bad.”
Evelyn's heart tightened.
“She is confused.”
“She called me embarrassing.”
Evelyn looked across the ballroom at Diane.
“No.”
“She embarrassed herself.”
Buddy pressed his head against Sophie's leg.
The little girl scratched behind his ear.
“Buddy knew.”
Evelyn glanced at Preston.
“How?”
Sophie shrugged.
“He smelled something.”
Dogs sometimes reacted strangely to people.
But Buddy had gone directly for Preston's pocket.
Not his leg.
Not his hand.
The pocket.
Why?
Victoria retrieved the necklace from the floor.
She inspected the clasp.
“It isn't damaged.”
Preston approached.
“Thank God.”
She pulled it away from him.
“Don't.”
His face tightened briefly.
Then softened.
“Victoria.”
“I need to think.”
“About what? Someone planted it.”
“Who?”
“Evelyn.”
“Why would she?”
“To ruin tonight.”
Evelyn heard.
“So my brilliant plan was to steal a necklace, put it in your jacket, then stand twenty feet away hoping a twelve-year-old dog exposed you?”
A few guests looked uncomfortable.
The logic sounded ridiculous aloud.
Preston remained calm.
“Maybe Sophie was supposed to accuse me.”
Sophie recoiled.
“I didn't!”
“She didn't need to,” Evelyn said. “You accused her first.”
Preston stared.
That landed.
Victoria noticed too.
“You did.”
Preston turned.
“Because she was in your suite.”
“How did you know that?”
Silence.
Preston blinked.
Victoria's voice sharpened.
“How did you know Sophie was in my room?”
“I saw her leaving.”
“When?”
“Before the ceremony.”
“Where were you?”
“Hallway.”
Evelyn stepped closer.
“The groom was walking around the bridal floor?”
“I needed to speak to Victoria.”
Victoria frowned.
“You never came.”
“I changed my mind.”
Another tiny inconsistency.
Evelyn saw it.
So did Victoria.
Before anyone could continue, Martin returned.
His expression was grim.
“We have a problem.”
Preston crossed his arms.
“What?”
“The ballroom cameras don't show anyone putting anything into your pocket.”
Preston nodded.
“Exactly.”
Martin continued.
“But they do show Sophie.”
Everyone looked at her.
Evelyn's stomach tightened.
Martin turned a tablet around.
Security video showed Sophie walking through a corridor approximately forty-five minutes before the ceremony.
She entered the elevator.
Two minutes later, another camera showed her stepping onto the bridal floor.
Then she disappeared toward Victoria's suite.
Preston looked almost relieved.
“There's your thief.”
Evelyn's anger flared.
“No.”
Martin raised a hand.
“There's more.”
The camera outside Victoria's suite showed Sophie entering.
She stayed inside for fifty-three seconds.
Then came out.
Empty-handed.
“Can you zoom?”
Martin did.
Sophie's dress had no pockets.
Nothing in her hands.
Preston frowned.
“She could have hidden it.”
“Where?” Evelyn demanded. “In her shoe?”
Martin continued.
“Six minutes later, someone else entered Victoria's suite.”
Everyone watched.
The hallway camera flickered.
Pixelated.
Then froze.
The timestamp jumped forward twelve minutes.
When the picture returned, the hallway was empty.
Victoria looked at Martin.
“What happened?”
“Someone disabled the camera.”
The ballroom became silent again.
Preston's jaw tightened.
Evelyn watched him.
“Who has access?”
Martin hesitated.
“Hotel security.”
“Anyone else?”
“Executive management.”
Diane stepped forward.
“Meaning?”
Martin looked uncomfortable.
“Family-level access.”
Evelyn's pulse quickened.
Victoria had access.
Diane.
Evelyn herself.
And because of wedding logistics—
Preston.
Victoria slowly turned toward him.
“You asked for temporary hotel access this morning.”
Preston frowned.
“For wedding coordination.”
Martin nodded.
“We issued him an executive guest credential.”
Evelyn stared.
Preston had the ability to disable that camera.
But he wasn't panicking.
Not yet.
Instead, he smiled faintly.
“So did Evelyn.”
Evelyn's stomach sank.
Martin looked at her.
“Your old executive credential is still active.”
Preston spread his hands.
“Interesting.”
Sophie suddenly tugged Evelyn's sleeve.
“Mom.”
“What?”
The little girl stared toward Preston.
“When I was in Aunt Victoria's room…”
Her voice became uncertain.
“I saw something.”
Every adult turned toward her.
Preston's expression changed.
Just slightly.
But Evelyn saw it.
Fear.
“What did you see?” she asked.
May you like
Sophie looked directly at Preston.
“You.”
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