I shook my head.
“If what you heard is true, you may have saved my son from making the biggest mistake of his life.”
Neither of us spoke again.
Minutes crawled by. Every second felt heavier than the last.
Finally, my phone vibrated.
Margaret.
“I found something,” she said without greeting.
“What is it?”
“Three years ago, Amelia was engaged to a man named Gregory Bennett.”
I frowned.
“She never mentioned another engagement.”
“It gets worse.”
I held my breath.
“After the engagement ended, Gregory filed a civil lawsuit asking for nearly $50,000 that he claimed he’d transferred to her during their relationship.”
My heart sank.
“What happened?”
“They settled the case privately.”
“No criminal charges?”
“No.”
“Anything else?”
“I couldn’t find proof of fraud,” Margaret admitted. “But I found enough to notice a pattern. The engagement ended suddenly, the lawsuit disappeared after the settlement, and shortly afterward, Amelia moved to another city.”
I closed my eyes.
It wasn’t proof that she planned to deceive Adrien, but it wasn’t nothing either.
“Can you send me everything?”
“I already have.”
Seconds later, screenshots appeared on my phone.
There it was.
Court records. Case numbers. Dates.
Nothing illegal had been proven. Yet together, they painted a picture that was impossible to ignore.
Oliver studied my face.
“Bad?”
“I don’t know.”
“You do.”
I looked up.
“You’re right.”
The ceremony was less than 30 minutes away. There was only one person who deserved to hear this before anyone else.
My son.
I couldn’t embarrass Amelia publicly. I wouldn’t stand in the middle of the ceremony shouting objections like scenes from old movies.
If I was wrong, I’d destroy two lives. If I was right, Adrienne needed the chance to make his own decision.
I walked toward the entrance. An employee greeted me with a welcoming smile.
“Can I help you?”
“I need to speak with the groom privately.”
“I’m afraid he’s getting ready.”