The lakehouse came into view, its imposing silhouette dark against the setting sun. Matthew’s car was parked out front along with Brook’s SUV. Through the large windows, I could see movement inside. They were waiting for me. I parked and took a deep breath, checking my phone one last time. A message from Kate. Leah is stabilizing.
We found Doctor Patel. She’s on her way to the hospital with her original records. Go get them, sis. As I walked toward the house, I felt strangely calm. Matthew thought he was drawing me into a trap, but he’d forgotten something crucial about me. Something that Brooke, in all her careful planning, had overlooked.
Before I was Matthew’s wife, before I was a victim of their schemes, I was Leaporter’s sister, and she hadn’t been the only one keeping secrets all these years. I raised my hand to knock, the setting sun casting my shadow long across the porch. What waited for me inside would either be my undoing or my redemption.
But first, I had a story to tell Matthew about another hidden painting, one that Brooke never knew existed, but would bring her entire empire crashing down. The lakehouse door opened before I could knock. Matthew stood there, his usual polished appearance slightly disheveled, his eyes wild. The familiar scent of expensive scotch wafted from him, his father’s brand. How fitting.
