Charlotte felt she understood all there was to know about her husband Leonard and his esteemed Martinez Swimming League. But Charlotte's world collapses when a terrible tragedy lands Leonard in the hospital. Richard Lawson, a mystery board member, seems to have the strings to secrets far more profound than Charlotte could ever dream-secrets that have split apart her marriage and endanger to ruin everything Leonard has created. Driven to find the truth, Charlotte enters a world of treachery, perilous relationships, and sinister secrets buried under the glitz of the club. She untangles the awful facts of Richard's dishonesty and how he turned Leonard into someone pushing her away with the devoted and charming Mason by her side. But Charlotte finds herself ensnared in a high-stakes fight where every action can be her last as she inches near revealing Lawson's lethal plan. Haunted by her history and driven to defend Leonard, Charlotte must resist the strong forces seeking silence for her. Will she be the next victim in their merciless search for control or will she be able to outsmart the adversaries hiding in the shadows? Charlotte's only path to atonement in a society when love is a weapon and loyalty is a lie is her capacity to look past the dishonesty and trust nobody. A heart-stopping story of passion, treachery, and the unrelenting search for truth, "Beneath the Lies" Charlotte has to choose what-and who-she is ready to risk in order to rescue her marriage, her family, and herself as she runs against time.
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE
Late at night, I was used to the solitude of my office; however, the silence was weighty and nearly stifling. Leining back in my chair, I fixed my eyes on the stack of papers on my desk. The office was a refuge of efficiency and order, a far cry from the anarchy that had developed in my life during the last week. Leonard's icy demeanor, the accident, the whispers of betrayal-everything was collapsing around me.
Startled by a loud knock on the door Looking at the clock, 11:45 PM. Whose knock would be at this hour? Curious but reluctant, I opened the door to discover a young manila envelope carrier. He passed it over with a quick nod and disappeared before I could probe any more. I ripped open the envelope and closed the door.
Inside I found one sheet of paper bearing a handwritten note: "Meet me at the old pier." Noon. Bring nothing except yourself. Under the note was a picture of Leonard appearing weary and disturbed. My heart fell. What was this about?
I attempted to arrange it logically. In years, I had not visited the old pier. Far from the busy city, this was a barren area with just the creaking of old wooden planks and distant waves. It was the ideal location for an ambush-or secret conference.
Against better sense, I chose to go. I stepped into the evening grabbing my coat and the envelope. As I drove, the city lights burst past, my thoughts running with ideas. Someone else could be behind this. Their intended plans?
The neighborhood was shockingly quiet when I got to the pier. Long shadows created by the moonlight give everything the impression of a suspense movie scenario. With my feet echoing in the quiet, I parked the car and walked toward the pier's edge.
From the gloom, a voice cried out: "Charlotte." I whirled to find a man walking into the light. Tall with a sculpted jaw and a sharp look that made me uncomfortable, he Though his face from the pictures I had seen was just somewhat familiar, I identified him.
"Who are you?" I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady. And why did you phone me right here?
The man wore a half-smile, his eyes flickering with a trace of entertainment. "I know more about Richard Lawson than you might believe. If you will listen, I am here to assist you.
I held the envelope to my chest and watched him suspiciously. "Why ought I to believe you?"
He sighed and pulled from his jacket a little, leather-bound notebook. "Because I have knowledge that might turn everything around. Lawson's intentions transcend what you know. He is not only after Leonard's team. He is planning a more extensive scheme including influential people who will stop at nothing to fulfill their aspirations.
Opening the notebook, he showed me a sequence of pictures and records, each more damning than the next. Images of well-known conferences, covert negotiations, and coded messages pointing to a network of corruption and manipulation surfaced.
Reading over the papers, I came to see the scope of the plot I had become caught in. Richard Lawson was the recognizable face everywhere; his influence permeated the elite of the city in all directions. This went beyond just commercial rivalry. It concerned authority, power, and a merciless quest of dominion.
The man's voice tore across my mind. "Lawson has been playing behind-the-scenes event manipulator. He built a rift between you two, pushed Leonard away, and now he's setting up a perilous game with larger stakes than you could well fathom.
I got a cold running down my back. "What do you want from me?"
His intensity in staring at me made me uncomfortable. "I need you to grasp the seriousness of this matter. If you want to guard Leonard and your own future, you have to be proactive even though you are in the middle of a fight you did not ask for. You must reveal Lawson's schemes before it is too late.
Footfall echoed down the pier before I could reply. My heart surged as I turned to find several dark figures moving forward. Their faces obscured under masks, they wore dark suits.
Tensed was the man next to me. We have been observed. We have to leave this here.
I reached for the notebook and crammed it inside my coat pocket. Taking my hand, the man drew me down the steps off the pier. Running through the darkness, the sound of our assailants got closer. Every stride seemed as though it were a sprint against time.
When we arrived at my car, my hands shook and I struggled with the keys. Pushing me inside, the man unlocked the passenger door. "Drive." Get us out of this place.
Glancing in the rearview mirror to see the hooded figures vanish into the darkness, I pushed the car into drive and shot away. My head was a whirlpool of ideas and feelings. This man: who was he? He wanted what? And to what depth was the corruption?
The man talked at last as we drove across the empty streets. "My name is Mason. I spent months looking at Lawson. I believe you and together we can knock him down.
Still attempting to sort things, I nodded. "What's our next move?"
Mason fixed me with a fierce glance. "We must compile additional data and identify supporters who will enable us to reveal Lawson's schemes. Though it will not be simple, this is the only approach to stop him and save Leonard.
As we drove into the darkness, the city lights flickering underlined the weight of the work ahead firmly resting on my shoulders. Though I knew there would be risk ahead, I was resolved to see it through. It governed Leonard, the club, and the truth as well.
Looking at Mason, I knew my life had irrevocably changed. I was no longer just a wife entangled in a web. I participated actively in a high-stakes game of power and betrayal. And I would risk everything I had left in order to find the truth.
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