Eleanor nodded slowly.
“That photograph makes more sense now.”
I looked at her.
“How?”
Daniel answered.
“Marcus wasn’t only tracking Eleanor.”
He pointed toward the image of the man resembling me.
“He may have been trying to connect you to her.”
“Why?”
“To create a narrative.”
I felt cold.
“What narrative?”
Claire whispered the answer.
“That you were involved.”
The pieces began locking together.
If Eleanor experienced a serious medical episode…
If confidential Halston files were discovered on my laptop…
If a photograph showed someone resembling me near Eleanor before the incident…
Then perhaps I wasn’t a random Good Samaritan.
Perhaps I looked like someone connected to a deliberate scheme.
And because I was secretly a Vale heir…
Marcus could argue I had financial motives.
My mouth went dry.
“He framed me.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“He tried.”
I remembered Gavin planting the files.
“Gavin.”
Everyone turned.
“Marcus used Gavin.”
