Chapter 3 - The Gathering Storm
I returned home that evening to find a bizarre scene playing out in the living room. Janelle was sitting on the velvet sofa, dabbing her dry eyes with a silk handkerchief. Hugo was pacing by the fireplace, looking ten years older. Ryan stood by the bar, pouring himself a generous glass of scotch, looking irritated.
"Charlotte, darling," Ryan said as I walked in, forcing a strained smile. "Thank God you're home. We have a bit of a family crisis."
I took off my coat, acting entirely oblivious. "What happened? Everyone looks terrible."
Hugo stopped pacing, looking at me with profound shame. "Charlotte... I don't know how to say this. Last night, I discovered that Janelle has been... unfaithful."
Janelle immediately let out a loud wail. "Hugo, I told you! It was a moment of weakness! I was lonely! You spend all your time reading in your study, and Ryan is always working so hard. I was targeted by a con artist!"
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. A con artist that she bought a Rolex for?
Ryan sighed, playing the role of the rational peacemaker. "Dad, Mom made a terrible mistake. But we are Ambroses. We don't drag our dirty laundry out in public. A divorce would ruin your legacy. We need to handle this quietly. Mom has agreed to end all contact with the... individual."
"Handle it quietly?" Hugo’s voice trembled. "She was in a muddy lot like a common criminal! And what about the money, Janelle? That boy screamed about a fifty-thousand-dollar watch!"
Janelle panicked, her eyes darting to Ryan. Ryan stepped in smoothly. "Dad, that was my money. I gave Mom an allowance from my investment returns. She foolishly spent it on him. It's a financial hit, but it's my problem, not yours."
The audacity was staggering. He was looking me right in the eye, claiming my stolen money as his "investment returns." I played my part perfectly. I walked over and placed a comforting hand on Ryan's arm.
"Ryan's right, Hugo," I said softly, watching Janelle flinch at my touch. "Family is the most important thing. We have the big Charity Gala this weekend. Janelle is the chairwoman. If we cause a scandal now, the press will eat us alive. We should put on a united front for the gala, and deal with this privately afterward."
Janelle looked at me with immense relief, mistaking my strategy for weak-minded submission. "Oh, Charlotte, you are such a good girl. You understand the importance of keeping up appearances."
"I absolutely do, Janelle," I smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes. "In fact, I'm going to make sure this weekend's gala is one that the Ambrose family will never, ever forget."
May you like
Later that night, while Ryan was in the shower, I unlocked his phone using the passcode I had observed weeks ago. I found exactly what I was looking for: texts between him and Vanessa Sterling. They were planning to fly to Paris the day after the gala, using "the new batch of funds" to buy a villa in the south of France.
Not on my dime, you won't, I thought, forwarding the itinerary and all the financial documents to my private investigator. The storm was gathering, and I was holding the lightning.
