“How?”
Daniel answered.
“Marcus wasn’t only tracking Eleanor.”
He pointed toward the image of the man resembling me.
“He may have been trying to connect you to her.”
“Why?”
“To create a narrative.”
I felt cold.
“What narrative?”
Claire whispered the answer.
“That you were involved.”
The pieces began locking together.
If Eleanor experienced a serious medical episode…
If confidential Halston files were discovered on my laptop…
If a photograph showed someone resembling me near Eleanor before the incident…
Then perhaps I wasn’t a random Good Samaritan.
Perhaps I looked like someone connected to a deliberate scheme.
And because I was secretly a Vale heir…
Marcus could argue I had financial motives.
My mouth went dry.
“He framed me.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“He tried.”
I remembered Gavin planting the files.
“Gavin.”
Everyone turned.
“Marcus used Gavin.”
Richard frowned.
“How?”
Gavin had financial problems.
Everybody knew about his expensive divorce.
