Chapter 4: The Investigation
Over the next two days, Richard moved carefully.
He did not confront Eleanor. He did not speak to Preston. He simply watched and gathered information.
He requested copies of every document related to the lake house transfer. He reviewed the $500,000 wedding check and every additional payment made around the same time. He also asked his private accountant to quietly flag any unusual activity in the joint accounts.
What he found made his blood run cold.
Three weeks before the wedding, Eleanor had opened a new private account under a slightly altered version of her name. Large sums had already been moved into it — some from their joint investments, some from accounts Richard rarely checked.
There were also payments to a private clinic under Harper’s name.
Richard sat back in his chair and stared at the screen.
Harper was pregnant.
But was the baby even Preston’s?
He thought about the way Harper had looked at Eleanor when he handed over the deed.
It had not been the look of a grateful daughter-in-law.
It had been the look of a co-conspirator receiving confirmation that the plan was working.
Richard picked up his phone and called a private investigator he had used several times in the past for business matters.
“I need a full background check,” he said quietly. “On Harper Sterling. And I need you to dig into any connection between her and my wife before the engagement.”
The investigator was silent for a moment.
“This is personal?”
“Very.”
After ending the call, Richard sat alone in his study for a long time.
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He had built an empire by trusting almost no one.
Now he realized he had trusted the wrong person the most.
