After My Groom Murdered My Parents, I Planned My Escape

I stood before my mother's vanity, fingers trembling as they searched through the ornate jewelry box. The sapphire earrings—deep blue stones set in antique silver—were all I had left of her. They were her something blue on her wedding day, passed down through generations of Harper women.

"They have to be here," I whispered, my voice echoing in the empty bedroom.

Gavin had insisted I move into the master suite with him, but I'd begged for a separate room. "I need space to grieve," I'd pleaded. He'd relented, perhaps thinking it made him appear more compassionate to the staff.

I'd already searched everywhere else. The earrings weren't in the safe, nor in any of my bags from the hotel. I'd even checked Gavin's study, though I knew he'd never keep something so sentimental there.

The breakfast bell chimed downstairs, its cheerful sound a jarring contrast to my mood. I hadn't planned to join them—I rarely did anymore—but something pulled me toward the dining room.

I paused in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat.

There they were—my mother's sapphires—dangling from Nadia's ears as she laughed at something Gavin had said. The morning light caught the stones, sending blue reflections dancing across the white tablecloth.

"Those are mine," I said, my voice barely audible.

Nadia turned, her smile sharpening to a predatory edge. "Good morning, Rosalie. I didn't think you'd join us."

"Those earrings belonged to my mother." I stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Please give them back."

Nadia's laugh tinkled like broken glass. "Gavin gave them to me as a reward for closing the Westridge deal." She touched the earrings possessively. "Consider them a token of appreciation."

"You had no right—" I began, but Gavin's voice cut through the room.

"What's going on here?" He stood in the doorway, coffee mug in hand, his expression darkening as he took in the scene.

"I want my mother's earrings back," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "They're all I have left of her."

Gavin's eyes narrowed. "You're being petty and materialistic, Rosalie. Nadia earned those earrings."

"By stealing them from me?" My voice cracked.

"By securing a deal worth fifty million dollars." Gavin moved to stand beside Nadia, his hand settling on her shoulder. "Something you couldn't possibly understand in your... fragile state."

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Nadia's cheek, right beside the stolen sapphire. "We have more important things to discuss than your trinkets."

---

Three days later, I slipped into the Harper Corporate headquarters through the service entrance. The building still bore my family's name, though Gavin had already begun replacing our logo with his.

I needed proof—something concrete that would expose Gavin's fraud and clear my father's name. The board minutes, financial records... anything that would show the world what he'd done.

I made it to the executive floor before I heard footsteps behind me.

"Mrs. Martinez." Vincent's voice sent ice through my veins. "You shouldn't be here."

Before I could run, Gavin appeared, his face contorted with rage. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm looking for evidence," I said, chin lifted despite my fear. "Evidence that will prove my father was innocent."

"There is no evidence because there was no crime." Gavin grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh. "You're embarrassing yourself."

He dragged me through the corridors, past wide-eyed employees, and into the glass-walled conference room where a dozen executives sat in stunned silence.

"My wife seems to think there's a conspiracy against her family," Gavin announced, his voice dripping with false concern. "She's not well."

The room fell silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioning. I could feel their eyes on me—pitying, judging.

"Rosalie, you need to go home and rest," Gavin said loudly. "This behavior isn't healthy."

He gripped my arm tighter and steered me toward the door. As we passed the conference table, I heard whispers begin—soft at first, then growing in volume.

"Poor thing..."

"Completely unhinged..."

"Such a shame..."

Gavin's fingers left bruises on my arm as he marched me out of the building, past security guards who looked away in discomfort.

---

"The Phoenix Charity Gala is tomorrow night," Gavin announced at dinner, not looking up from his phone. "You'll be attending."

I stared at him across the table. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

He set down his phone slowly, his eyes meeting mine. "You will be there, Rosalie. You'll wear the black Valentino, you'll smile, and you'll play the part of the grateful widow."

"Why should I?"

Gavin's smile was cold as winter. "Because if you don't, I'll have your parents' graves moved to an unmarked pauper's lot in Queens." He reached across the table, his fingers brushing my cheek in a mockery of tenderness. "No one will ever find them again."

My blood turned to ice. "You wouldn't."

"Try me." His voice was soft but certain. "You have until tomorrow night to decide what matters more—your pride or your parents' resting place."

I closed my eyes, imagining my parents' graves—the only place I still felt close to them—desecrated, forgotten.

"I'll go," I whispered, defeat washing over me like a wave.

Gavin's smile widened as he returned to his phone. "Excellent choice."