“The clause was never meant to trap you in marriage,” Eleanor told me. “It was meant to give you power. If Ryan tried to profit by hurting you, he would lose what he valued most.”
Before leaving, Eleanor handed me another sealed envelope.
“Margaret told me to give this to you only if Ryan tried to force a divorce within the twelve-month period.”
I opened it that night.
Margaret wrote that Ryan had done exactly what she feared. She told me to protect the truth. Then she mentioned a place I had never heard of.
Cedar Lake.
The answers are not in the bank accounts, Harper. They are at Cedar Lake. Look beneath the center drawer of the oak desk in the study. You will find a brass key. It opens a blue lockbox hidden behind the false panel in the pantry. Find it before he does.
The next morning, Victor, Eleanor, and I drove two hours north.
