Matt checked his watch. If it weren’t so late, he’d call Liv back and let her know he’d solved the mystery.
Or at least part of the mystery. He knew the who but not the why.
Magazines paid well for celebrity pictures, so he understood why some people sold them, even if he disapproved of it. He didn’t know much about Brianna, but the fact that she’d met Theo at Clean Water Matters suggested she wasn’t hurting for money. The Omega watch she’d worn added to that assumption.
Whatever the reason, tomorrow, before the wedding, he’d have words with Theo. He might not be able to remove what was out there, but he could hopefully prevent Brianna from doing it again. It was Adam and Evie’s wedding, not a social event for someone to share on the internet.
Sixteen
After slipping his room key and wallet into his pocket, Matt sent a text message off to Liv and left his room. As part of the wedding party, he needed to be at the beach before the guests for pictures, and he wanted to see Theo before he joined everyone outside.
Theo answered the door dressed in his suit pants and white undershirt, his hair still damp from a shower. “Morning.”
“We need to talk.”
His brother stepped back and gestured for Matt to enter. “Brianna’s in the bedroom getting dressed.”
The suite he entered looked identical to his across the hall. The only difference he saw was the art hanging on the walls.
“What’s up?”
“You need to make sure Brianna doesn’t take any pictures today. Take her phone away if you have to. I don’t care. Just make sure she doesn’t do it.”
“Maybe you tell your girlfriends what to do, but I don’t. People take pictures at weddings, Matt. Unless Adam or Evie tells me taking pictures is banned, you’re out of luck.”
“Do people also sell their photos to the tabloids?” Matt held out his cell phone, which had the Star Report’s website already open.
Crossing his arms, he waited as Theo scanned the article and scrolled through the photos. “Anyone could have sold these.”
“There are more on the Today Magazine website.” Taking back the device, he opened the other website.
“Still doesn’t prove anything. There were a lot of guests and staff members around,” Theo said as he viewed the new page.
“Brianna posted identical ones on CHAT. Check her profile for yourself.”
Crossing the room, Theo picked up the phone lying on a table. “Did you look at every guest’s CHAT profile or just Brianna’s because you don’t like her?”
He understood Theo’s skepticism, but not his apparent animosity. He’d been friendly when they’d stayed at his house, and on Thursday, he’d spent most of his time with other family members, not so much to be away from Brianna, but because he’d wanted to catch up with his cousins. “Neither. I searched for recent posts with my name in them and went through them.”
“The pictures do look similar.”
Similar? Maybe his brother needed to visit an eye doctor. “Theo, the differences are minuscule. If it was just one, I’d accept it was a coincidence, but not five.”
“It doesn’t make sense.” Theo looked at him. “People do that kind of shit because they want the money. Brianna doesn’t need it. Her great-grandfather started Parker’s.”
Matt didn’t shop there, but he recognized the name. A popular store that sold a wide range of products, including women’s clothes, jewelry, and makeup, Parker’s was a staple at malls across the country.
“It’s just a coincidence that her photos look similar to the others. The most likely culprit is one of Evie’s or Adam’s friends. Question them.”
How could his brother deny what was right in front of him?
“I have a better idea, why don’t you go and ask Brianna?” Hell, Matt was tempted to do it himself.
Brianna joined them in time to catch the end of his sentence, dressed in a gown that appeared custom-made for her. “Ask who what?”
Theo looked at Brianna first and then at Matt before rubbing the back of his neck. “Someone sold pictures from the party on Thursday night to some magazines.” Theo shot him a dirty look before he continued. “Matt thinks it was you because some are similar to ones you posted on CHAT.”
Shaking her head, Brianna touched Theo’s shoulder. “I didn’t sell them?—”
