THE BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACT WIFE

Chapter Four: The First Lie

Adrian's POV

Lena!" The scream came from upstairs, Lena froze beside me, I didn't. I drew my gun and moved toward the staircase.

"Stay behind me."

"Adrian—"

"Now."

Something in my voice made her obey, we climbed the stairs quickly, the house was dark, except for the faint glow coming through the windows.

Another sound came from the hallway, a door slammed, I moved faster. When I reached the corridor, I found an empty room, no woman, no attacker, nothing.

Lena came up behind me. "Where did she go?"

I scanned the room. "Whoever it was wanted us to hear her."

Lena's breathing became uneven. "That was my name."

"I know."

"Then someone knows I'm here."

I turned toward her. "That's exactly what they wanted you to think."

She stared at me. "You're saying the scream was a distraction?"

"Yes."

"From what?"

I didn't answer, something had been bothering me since we entered the house, the scene was too clean, the broken lamp, the scattered papers, the open drawers, someone had staged the entire room.

I walked toward the desk, there were no signs of forced entry, no blood except the small smear on the floor, I crouched beside it, fresh, I touched it with my glove.

Then I noticed something beneath the desk, a tiny black device, I picked it up, a tracker, my blood ran cold.

"Adrian?"

I stood. "We need to leave."

"Why?"

"Because whoever took your father wanted us to find this."

Her eyes widened. "And now they know where we are?"

"Probably."

I grabbed her hand, she looked down at our joined hands, neither of us spoke, I pulled her toward the stairs.

We had barely reached the bottom when the windows shattered, Lena screamed, I pulled her against me and covered her body with mine as glass exploded across the room.

"Down!"

We dropped behind the sofa, another shot struck the wall, Lena clung to my jacket.

"Are they shooting at us?"

"Yes."

Her fingers tightened. "You said you could protect me."

"I can."

Another bullet struck the wall above us. "Then do something!"

Despite everything, I almost smiled, she was terrified, but still fighting.

"Stay here."

"No."

"Lena."

"I said no."

I looked at her. "You're not going outside."

"I'm not staying here waiting to be killed."

"You'll do exactly what I say."

She glared at me. "You're not my husband yet."

"Tomorrow you will be."

"Then tomorrow I'll start ignoring you."

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it, she stared. "What?"

"Nothing." I reached beneath my jacket. "Stay behind me."

We moved through the back door, my security team was already arriving, within minutes, the gunfire stopped. Two men were captured, one escaped.

I walked toward the nearest attacker. "Who sent you?"

He said nothing, I grabbed his collar. "Who?"

He smiled. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"That she isn't who you think she is."

My eyes narrowed. "Lena?"

He laughed. "Ask your wife about the night her mother died."

Before I could question him again, he bit down hard, his body went limp, poison. I stared at him, another dead end, another secret.

I turned, Lena was standing several feet away, she had heard everything.

"What did he mean?" she asked.

I didn't answer immediately, she walked toward me. "Adrian."

I looked into her eyes. "Did your mother ever tell you why she was afraid of my family?"

"No."

"Did she ever tell you where she was the night my parents died?"

"No."

"Did she ever mention Evelyn Black?"

Lena shook her head. "No."

I studied her face, she was telling the truth, at least, I thought she was. Then I remembered the voice on the phone, you married the wrong Carter, I needed answers, and there was only one person who could give them to me.

"Tomorrow's wedding is cancelled."

Lena's eyes widened. "What?"

"Until I know who is behind this."

"You said the wedding was happening."

"I changed my mind."

Her expression hardened. "You don't get to change your mind whenever you want."

"This isn't about the contract."

"Then what is it about?"

"You."

She went silent, I stepped closer. "You're being watched."

"I know."

"Someone wants you dead."

"I know."

"And I won't put you in a public wedding until I know why."

Her eyes softened slightly. "You're protecting me?"

"I'm protecting my investment."

The softness disappeared. "Of course." She stepped away.

I hated the disappointment on her face, I didn't know why, perhaps because it reminded me that I was lying. The truth was simpler, I didn't want anything to happen to her, that realization irritated me more than it should have.

My phone vibrated, Ethan, I answered. "Tell me."

"I found something."

"What?"

"The transfer documents."

"Which documents?"

"The ones proving Victoria Carter received the money."

My gaze moved toward Lena. "What about them?"

"They were forged."

My stomach tightened. "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Then Victoria didn't steal the money."

"No."

"Who did?"

Ethan hesitated. "We traced the original transaction."

"And?"

"It came from an account belonging to Blackwood International."

I went completely still. "What?"

"One of our corporate accounts."

Impossible, I looked around the room, someone inside my company had transferred the money, someone with access to my systems, someone close enough to know everything I was doing.

"Ethan," I said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Check Evelyn's accounts."

Silence, then Ethan answered. "I already did."

My heart stopped. "And?"

"There's a transfer from Evelyn's private account."

"To whom?"

"Richard Carter."

I stared at Lena. "What?"

Ethan's voice lowered. "The transfer was made ten years ago."

My grip tightened around the phone. "How much?"

"Twenty million dollars."

Twenty million, ten years ago, the same year my parents died.

I looked at Lena, she was watching me.

"What is it?" she asked.

I couldn't answer, because suddenly the entire story I had believed for ten years was beginning to collapse. My parents, Richard Carter, Evelyn, the money, the deaths, and Lena, all connected.

"Adrian?"

I walked toward her. "There is something you need to know."

Her eyes searched mine. "What?"

"Your father received twenty million dollars from someone in my family ten years ago."

She went pale. "That isn't possible."

"It is."

"My father would never—"

"I haven't finished." I took a breath. "The payment came from Evelyn Black."

Lena stared at me. "Your aunt?"

"Yes."

"Why would she give my father twenty million dollars?"

"I don't know."

She looked away, then suddenly whispered, "My mother knew."

"What?"

"My mother knew about the money."

"How?"

"She told me once that my father had made a deal with someone from the Black family."

My entire body went rigid. "You knew this?"

"I remembered it just now."

"You should have told me."

"I didn't remember!"

"You remembered when it became convenient."

Her eyes flashed. "You think I'm lying?"

"I don't know what to think anymore."

The words hurt her, I saw it, and for some reason, that hurt me too.

She stepped closer. "Then look at me."

I did.

"Do you really think I betrayed you?"

I couldn't answer.

She whispered, "Because if you do, this marriage should end before it begins."

My jaw tightened, she turned away.

Then her phone rang, she looked at the screen, unknown number, I took it from her.

"Don't answer."

She stared at me. "Why?"

"Because whoever is calling wants you frightened."

The phone continued ringing, then a message appeared.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: ASK ADRIAN WHY HIS AUNT PAID YOUR FATHER TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS.

Another message appeared, my blood ran cold.

AND ASK HIM WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MOTHER AFTER SHE FOUND OUT.

Lena looked at me. "Adrian…"

I stared at the screen, then another message appeared.

SHE DIDN'T DIE NATURALLY.

My heart stopped, because I knew something Lena didn't. I'd seen her mother's death certificate, and the cause of death had always been listed as natural causes.

But ten years ago, Evelyn Black was the doctor who signed it.