Chapter 4 - The Blue Folder
|
"What is that supposed to mean?" Caleb demanded, stepping forward as his smile vanished completely.
"It means I need my suitcase," I said calmly.
Dorothea frowned, gesturing toward the dirty roasting pans. "We are not done here, young lady."
"I am."
I turned on my heel and walked out of the kitchen before either of them could react. My heart hammered against my ribs, not with fear anymore, but with a terrifying, crystal-clear focus. Caleb followed close behind, his slippers scuffing against the hardwood floor. His tone shifted from stern to nervously playful.
"Marina, come on," he called out, laughing artificially. "Don't turn our very first morning as husband and wife into a scene! You're just tired."
I reached the hallway, unzipped the front pocket of my suitcase, and pulled out a dark blue leatherette folder bound with a thick elastic band.
When Caleb saw the folder in my hands, his fake laughter died instantly. His footsteps froze in the corridor.
Dorothea appeared at the end of the hallway, her silver eyebrows pulled tight in suspicion. "What is that?"
"The reason you should have been kinder before breakfast," I said coldly.
I carried the folder into the grand dining room and laid it flat on the mahogany table. Three days before the wedding, my corporate attorney and long-time mentor, Elise Gardner, had handed me this exact document across her glass desk.
"Keep it with you," Elise had warned me, her sharp eyes staring intently into mine. "If your intuition is wrong and nothing happens, you never open it. But if something feels off... if they try to trap you, you will thank God you have it."
May you like
At the time, I had felt guilty even taking it. I had accused Elise of being overly cynical about love.
Now, standing across from my husband and his mother, I realized my attorney hadn't been cynical at all. She had been right.
