MY FIANCÉE ACCUSED MY LITTLE SISTER OF RUINING OUR ENGAGEMENT GALA—THEN A PHONE VIDEO EXPOSED WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON THE STAIRCASE

Chapter 07 - The Photographer's Unopened Folder

Theo Grant contacted Rebecca with more footage. He had recorded arrivals throughout the evening and had captured part of an argument between Vanessa and Harold Pike near the service corridor.

The audio was indistinct, but another camera angle showed Harold handing Vanessa a slim folder. Shortly afterward, she approached Emily at the staircase.

Theo said he hadn't realized the significance until he reviewed the files. “I was hired to film flowers and champagne,” he said. “I didn't expect to document an injury.”

Rebecca arranged for the originals to be preserved. She also warned me that one video would not substitute for proper financial analysis. We needed to separate what it showed from what we suspected.

At the foundation's office, Harold insisted he'd only delivered routine event materials. But he could not explain why Vanessa was shown placing the folder inside her bag when Emily approached.

I asked the board's independent members to commission a review. Several were angry at the possibility of undisclosed conflicts. Others defended Harold's record. I listened instead of trying to force an immediate verdict.

After the meeting, Theo approached me in the hallway.

“Your sister came to me before the gala,” he said.

I frowned. “Why?”

“She asked whether I could photograph the old schoolhouse for a restoration proposal. She wanted images that would make the board see its value.”

I thought about Emily standing alone in that building, trying to protect something Dad had loved.

Theo handed me a small memory card. “These are the photographs. She asked me to give them to you if I got a chance.”

At home, I opened the files. The first image showed sunlight entering the old classroom windows. The last showed a hand-painted mural of children beneath the words WE BELONG HERE.