Chapter 3 - THE WOMAN WHO OWNED THE WEDDING VENUE
I stared at Daniel.
"That's impossible."
He opened the folder.
"Your mother inherited shares from Edward Caldwell before she died. According to the agreement, those shares were transferred into a trust for you."
I shook my head.
"My mother never mentioned owning part of Bellamere."
"She wanted you to build your own business without depending on the Caldwell family."
The documents were unmistakable.
My mother owned thirty-two percent of Bellamere Hospitality Holdings.
The Caldwell family owned the remaining shares, divided among Nathan, Victoria, and several relatives.
But my mother's shares had voting rights.
And because I was her sole beneficiary, those rights now belonged to me.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Your mother instructed the trustees to reveal the arrangement only if someone attempted to claim her intellectual property or interfere with your inheritance."
I looked out the window.
Bellamere Estate stood behind us, glowing beneath the afternoon sun.
The building was more than a wedding venue.
It was the crown jewel of the Caldwell hospitality business.
And I owned a controlling voting position.
"Does Victoria know?"
Daniel shook his head.
"She knows your mother held shares. She doesn't know the trust was activated."
I remembered Victoria's reaction when I opened the crystal clasp.
She hadn't been frightened by the memory card alone.
She had been frightened by what it represented.
My mother had anticipated this.
She had left me a way to uncover everything.
"What's the next step?" I asked.
"An emergency shareholder meeting. We can also freeze any transactions involving the disputed designs."
I nodded.
"Do it."
Meanwhile, at Bellamere Estate, Victoria was having a very different conversation.
Brittany had been taken to a private dressing room.
Her face was red from crying.
"I can't believe she did that to me!"
Victoria paced across the carpet.
"Stop crying."
"Everyone saw the video!"
"Then we will tell them it was fabricated."
"How?"
Victoria stopped.
"By making sure nobody believes Madison."
Brittany looked at her.
"What are you planning?"
Victoria opened her handbag and removed a folded document.
"Your sister has been having financial problems. We can make it appear that she stole money from her own company."
Brittany hesitated.
"That's not true."
Victoria gave her a cold look.
"Truth is only useful when people believe it."
Brittany looked down at the wedding dress.
"She'll want this back."
"Let her try."
Victoria smiled.
"The gown is already registered under a Caldwell subsidiary. Once we establish ownership, Madison will be the one accused of theft."
Brittany frowned.
"But she designed it."
Victoria walked toward the mirror.
"Designing something doesn't mean you own it."
That sentence would eventually destroy her.
The following morning, I entered the conference room at Maison Hayes.
My employees were waiting.
Some had watched the wedding footage online.
Others had heard rumors.
My head designer, Olivia, approached me.
"Madison, are you okay?"
I forced a smile.
"I will be."
She glanced at the gown I was wearing.
"Did you make that?"
"Yes."
"It's incredible."
I looked at the champagne-gold fabric.
It had been my emergency wedding gown, designed after I received an anonymous warning that someone might try to sabotage the ceremony.
I had not expected the sabotage to involve my own sister.
Daniel placed the legal folder on the table.
"We need to discuss the Caldwell situation."
I told my team everything.
Not every personal detail.
But enough.
Then I made an announcement.
"Effective immediately, Maison Hayes will suspend all business with Caldwell Bridal Holdings."
Olivia frowned.
"That will cost us several major contracts."
"I know."
"Victoria controls half the luxury bridal market in this region."
"Then we'll build somewhere else."
I had barely finished speaking when my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Madison Hayes."
A man's voice responded.
"Miss Hayes, this is Thomas Reed. I'm the chief financial officer of Bellamere Hospitality."
"How can I help you?"
"There's been an emergency board meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning."
"By whom?"
He hesitated.
"Mrs. Caldwell."
I glanced at Daniel.
"Why?"
"She's planning to transfer the estate's design licensing division into a new company."
My stomach tightened.
"Without shareholder approval?"
"That's what concerns me."
I looked at the documents in front of me.
Victoria was moving quickly.
Too quickly.
"Mr. Reed, send me the meeting notice and all supporting documents."
"Of course."
Before hanging up, he added something else.
"There's one more thing, Miss Hayes."
"What?"
"Your mother's shares were supposed to be transferred to you five years ago. Someone changed the beneficiary records."
I froze.
"Who?"
May you like
Thomas lowered his voice.
"I believe the alteration was signed by your father."
