I Buried Him for Five Years, Then He Came Back with Another Woman Chapter 04

I Buried Him for Five Years, Then He Came Back with Another Woman Chapter 04

“Calm down, Maren!”

I threw him off.

“He’s my brother!”

Adrian lowered the tablet.

“Withdraw the stop work order.”

“Speak at the engagement party in three days.”

“Then you’ll get one supervised visit with Wesley.”

I looked at him.

“You’re trading my brother for Tessa’s public acceptance?”

Adrian said, “You left me no choice.”

Tessa murmured,

“Wesley is fragile. Don’t provoke Adrian again, Maren.”

I looked at her.

“Say my brother’s name again, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Adrian moved in front of her.

“Fine. You can visit the treatment center this afternoon.”

“Escort Ms. Hale off the yacht.”

That afternoon, I rushed to the private treatment center.

Security stopped me at the entrance.

“You can’t go inside, Ms. Hale.”

I slapped the visitation request on the desk.

“Adrian promised me.”

The guard showed no emotion.

“Mr. Caldwell just updated the care order.”

“Wesley has been transferred to a secure unit.”

“No unauthorized visitors are permitted.”

I called Adrian.

He did not answer.

A video arrived a moment later.

Wesley lay on a hospital bed, still wearing the restraints.

Adrian’s voice came from outside the frame.

“The speech for the engagement party has been delivered to the Caldwell house.”

“Read it exactly.”

“Then you can see him.”

I stood outside the treatment center as rain poured from the edge of my umbrella.

Reid came up behind me.

“Mr. Caldwell is under pressure too, Maren.”

I turned toward him.

“Whose name is on your paycheck now that you defend him?”

Reid pressed his lips together.

“Caldwell Maritime.”

“And where did Caldwell Maritime get that money?”

He said nothing.

I continued,

“Who found the surgeon when your gunshot wound became infected?”

“Who paid for your rehabilitation?”

“Who approved your sister’s tuition?”

Reid frowned.

“Tessa stayed beside my bed.”

“She brought me soup and changed my bandages.”

“She begged the doctors to save me.”

I laughed.

“I ordered the kitchen to make that soup.”

“I hired the nurses who changed your dressings.”

“I flew the specialist in from Boston.”

Reid looked at me.

“Stop making every kindness sound like a business transaction.”

“Tessa is pregnant.”

“Give her some room, and this will all pass.”

Mr. Whitcomb stepped out of a car.

He stood beneath a black umbrella and released a heavy sigh.

“Don’t fight with a pregnant woman, Maren.”

I looked at him.

“Who arranged your bypass surgery?”

“Who hired your home health aide?”

“Who kept your medical bills paid?”

He answered sternly,

“Tessa accompanied me to the hospital.”

“She was gentle and attentive.”

“You were always busy at the docks. When did you have time for an old man?”

I nodded.

“So the person who arranged everything meant nothing.”

“Only the person who showed her face earned your gratitude.”

Mr. Whitcomb flushed.

“You’ve always had a sharp tongue.”

“No wonder Adrian couldn’t tolerate you.”

I walked between them.

The treatment center’s gate closed in front of me.

The lock snapped into place.

That night, Caldwell employees removed five years of financial records from the company archive.

When I arrived, only empty cabinets remained.

Derek stood at the door.

“Mr. Caldwell ordered the books sealed, Ms. Hale.”

I looked at the key in his hand.

“You’re stopping me too?”

Derek lowered his voice.

“Wait until after the engagement party.”

“Reviewing those accounts now would humiliate the Caldwell family.”

I entered my office.

A prepared speech lay on my desk.

The first page read,