Lethal Wedding (Wedlocked Trilogy Book 2) - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,14

the charges levied against them.

But I have a feeling that my father did not fall into that category.

"She was completely devastated," Franklin steps in to help me out, pulling me closer to him.

"She called me right away, in tears," he continues. And if you know anything about this girl you know that she doesn’t cry easily."

"I can only imagine how difficult it must’ve been for you," Danielle says.

"You don’t even know half of it," Franklin insists. "Even now, bringing it up, this is why she has become so quiet. It was a very scary situation and it's one we prefer not to relive."

"Yes, of course, I totally understand."

"All I can say is that we are relieved that all of the charges have been dropped," Franklin says. "But we are very disappointed in the police department and the prosecutor’s office for bringing them in the first place."

"Some people would say that it was a very uncanny coincidence that the charges were dropped so quickly after the engagement and your announcement that you are interested in buying Tate Media," Danielle points out, looking directly at me.

"Perhaps.” I had underestimated her.

I thought that she was just a wide-eyed girl, happy to write any line of bullshit that Franklin spews, but now I see that perhaps she’s not so stupid after all.

Of course, I can’t justify her point with any sort of affirmative remark.

"Whoever says that is making a connection that simply does not exist," I say.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"Well, Franklin is a family friend and we met and fell in love and he asked me to marry him and I said yes. None of that had anything to do with what happened to my father or his stake in the company."

"So, that was just all one big coincidence?" she asks.

"A coincidence would imply that the events were somehow related and they’re not at all," I say.

"Aurora went through a difficult time and I was there for her and it was during that ordeal that I realized just how much I wanted to marry her," Franklin adds. "I wasn’t sure what she would say but I am eternally grateful that her answer was yes."

Danielle doesn’t look convinced, but whatever doubts she has she lets them go.

9

Henry

I watch the interview on YouTube with my mouth open. It’s all over the news and all over the major gossip outlets.

It is an interview about their engagement, but it has

hundreds of thousands of views.

Aurora is an heiress to a multibillion-dollar fortune and even though she has never had the notoriety of Paris Hilton, her name represents something very important in New York society.

Franklin Parks is an online media darling and the fact that he made an offer on her father's company and that offer has been accepted is a big deal.

Tate Media has a strong foundation and an unwavering reputation. Whatever issues it has encountered in recent months have suddenly all been forgotten.

The interview doesn’t go very deep into any of the rumors, just glossing over and focusing on the wedding planning.

How could I have not known? I wonder.

I had worked with the guy and I had no idea. Franklin is my boss and now I find out that he is actually a founder of one of the biggest online media companies in the world.

Perhaps, I should have done some basic research but he didn't become an actual celebrity until they announced their engagement.

So, what was he doing working in my department? What was he doing hiring me and distributing stories directly to me?

Was this all a power-play?

I shake my head as I try to figure out what has happened.

One part of me keeps thinking that it must be a coincidence.

He worked for Tate Media in order to get better acquainted with how they do things and he started a new department there and wanted to run it himself.

But another part of me goes somewhere darker. Perhaps, Franklin knew that he wanted to buy Tate Media and he knew that he wanted to make Aurora his wife.

But at that time, she was dating me and he wanted to break us up.

Could that be it? Could that be the reason he hired me and sent me away on assignments?

But why?

Could he have been that diabolical?

Besides, why would he even bother with something like that?

There is, of course, another option. We broke up and he pounced.

Aurora was confused and lost and he took advantage of her and now she’s floating on cloud nine thinking that everything‘s gonna be