Chapter 5: The Voice Behind the Smile
Wesley placed his phone on the desk and pressed play.
Malik’s recorded voice filled the room.
“Once Mom signs, the house moves into my company.
After the wedding, Naomi’s place goes in too.”
A chair scraped behind me.
Malik lunged for the phone, but Wesley caught his wrist.
“Don’t touch it.”
“That recording is illegal.”
Delia lifted her eyes.
“You were in Wesley’s home.
He participated in the conversation.
Let’s allow the proper authorities to decide.”
The recording continued.
A second voice—Wesley’s—said, “Do they know what you’re doing?”
Malik laughed from the speaker.
“They don’t need to know until it’s finished.”
Harold covered her mouth.
On the recording, Wesley asked, “What if Naomi refuses?”
“She won’t.
By then, canceling the wedding will cost her too much.
She’ll choose me over losing everything.”
I pressed stop.
“Was any part of our relationship real?”
Malik pulled free of Wesley.
“Of course it was.
But love doesn’t pay bills.”
“You told me your investments paid for this wedding.”
“They would have, eventually.”
Harold looked at him through tears.
“You came to my kitchen and said Naomi’s parents would have wanted her to have a beautiful day.”
“They would.”
“You said you were too proud to ask her for money.”
“I was protecting her.”
“You were using me.”
Malik’s voice hardened.
“I am your only child.
Everything you have comes to me eventually.”
“I’m still alive.”
The room went still.
Harold took the ring from my palm and placed it on the desk.
“My husband and I built our cleaning company from one borrowed van.
We worked nights for twenty-eight years.
That money was meant to keep me safe and help the family after I was gone.”
“You lived in a tiny house and dressed like you had nothing,” Malik said.
“I dressed for comfort.
I kept the house where your father and I raised you.”
“You made me look poor.”
“No.
Your behavior made you look small.”
Malik turned to me.
“Naomi, tell them to leave.
We can still save this.”
“Save what?”
“Our future.”
“You just admitted my home was part of a plan.”
“Wesley edited the recording.”
Wesley unlocked the screen again.
“The complete file is forty-seven minutes long.
It’s backed up in three places.”
Malik’s eyes moved toward the office door.
Delia stepped in front of it.
“You’re not leaving with Harold’s phone or documents.”
“You can’t hold me here.”
“No one is holding you.
But the bank’s investigator is on her way, and running will answer questions you haven’t been asked yet.”
Malik pulled out his phone.
“I’m calling my banker.”
Harold took a step toward him.
“Ask him about the three hundred thousand dollars missing from my retirement account.”
Delia turned sharply.
“What three hundred thousand?”
Harold’s voice broke.
“I checked the balance before I called you.
It was gone.”
Malik stopped dialing.
I watched his thumb hover over the screen.
“Where is her money?” I asked.
“It was moved for investment purposes.”
“Moved where?”
“Into a short-term account.”
“In whose name?”
He looked toward the window instead of answering.
Delia opened her case and removed a bank statement.
“MC Holdings received three hundred thousand dollars at 9:12 yesterday morning.”
Malik’s uncle appeared in the doorway.
“I gave you the contact at that bank,” he said.
“You told me it was for your mother’s medical planning.”
Malik squared his shoulders.
“Uncle Graham, stay out of this.”
Graham walked into the office and shut the door behind him.
“No.
I introduced you to a senior officer because I trusted you.”
Malik’s phone lit up.
He glanced at the message, and a faint smile returned.
“You’re all too late.”
Delia stepped closer.
“What did you do?”
“The money has already left MC Holdings.”
Harold clutched my hand.
“Where did you send it?”
May you like
Malik slipped the phone into his pocket.
“Somewhere none of you can reach.”
