“I spent decades ensuring the Caldwell estate grew, even if I had to manipulate every marriage, every lease, and every ledger to do it.”

“I guided Graham’s hand when he signed those papers.”

“I told him to marry you because your family held the deed to this very chapel’s land.”

“We needed that deed to secure the northern border of the estate.”

I felt a cold chill run down my spine as her words settled into the damp air of the church.

“You married me for a land deed?” I asked, looking at Graham.

Graham looked down, his silence confirming the betrayal that had begun long before our wedding day.

“He did what was necessary for his family,” Marjorie said, her voice hard.

“And he would have succeeded if he hadn’t been foolish enough to let his mistress wear the collateral in public.”

Sloane looked at her bare fingers, her hands shaking.

“I want no part of this,” Sloane said, backing away toward the heavy wooden doors of the chapel.

“I didn’t know about the money, and I didn’t know about the deed.”