Chapter 4: The Secret Their Mother Had Kept
“Give me that document,” I said.
Vanessa moved toward the stairs.
“Call the bank if you want a copy.”
Evelyn blocked her path.
“You are not leaving with company records.”
“Move.”
“No.”
Vanessa turned to Daniel.
“Tell her, Daniel.
If Claire is innocent, why did your bank recognize both signatures?”
Daniel held out his hand.
“Give me the paper.”
“You believed me at the hotel.”
“I listened to you,” he said.
“That was my mistake.”
Vanessa’s mouth hardened.
“Your bigger mistake was marrying her.”
I stepped closer.
“You ruined my gown, forged my name, and sent me that photograph.
What exactly did you think would happen?”
“You would finally stop pretending you were better than me.”
“I never wanted to be better than you.”
“That makes it worse,” she said.
“You got everything without even fighting for it.”
My mother caught Vanessa’s arm.
“How did you get Claire’s electronic signature?”
Vanessa looked down at her hand.
“Let go.”
“Answer me.”
“You helped me get it.”
The room went still.
My mother released her.
“No.”
Vanessa tilted her head.
“Christmas Eve.
You opened Claire’s desk because I said Daniel needed her tax file for a surprise.”
I stared at my mother.
She pressed both palms against the vanity.
“You said it was for the house deposit.”
“And you believed me,” Vanessa replied.
“Mom?” My voice cracked.
“You went through my desk?”
“I thought I was helping Daniel.”
“You didn’t call him?”
Vanessa gave a small laugh.
“She never calls when I give her something important to do.”
My mother’s knees weakened.
Evelyn caught her elbow and guided her into the chair.
“I’m sorry,” my mother whispered.
“Claire, I am so sorry.”
Daniel’s phone rang again.
He looked at the screen.
“It’s Marcus, my business partner.”
“Answer it,” Mr.
Hale said through my phone.
“Put him on speaker.”
Daniel obeyed.
“Marcus, what happened?”
“Do not come back to the office,” Marcus said.
“The board has suspended your access while the bank investigates.”
“On whose authority?”
“Mine.
I called an emergency vote.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“You knew about the transfer?”
“I know Claire authorized it.”
“She did not.”
“Then explain her signature.”
Vanessa leaned against the doorway as if she had been waiting for those words.
Mr.
Hale spoke.
“Marcus, this is Adrian Hale.
I’m conducting an independent fraud review.”
Marcus paused.
“You have no authority.”
“I have server records showing someone entered Claire’s profile from your office.”
The call ended.
Daniel stared at the dark screen.
“Marcus helped her.”
Vanessa shrugged.
“Or perhaps Marcus knows what Claire really is.”
Evelyn removed the ivory gown from its case.
“Lena, help Claire change.”
“I’m not walking down that aisle while Daniel’s company thinks I stole from it,” I said.
Daniel reached for me.
I stepped back.
“And I’m not walking anywhere until you tell me everything that happened at that hotel.”
His hand fell.
“Vanessa asked me for fifty thousand dollars,” he said.
The room seemed to tilt.
“For what?” I asked.
“She said your mother owed money and was too ashamed to tell you.”
My mother stood so quickly the chair rolled backward.
“I owe nothing.”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“You showed me documents.”
“Which you accepted without asking Claire,” I said.
“I was trying to protect your family.”
“You were protecting me from the truth.”
Vanessa’s phone buzzed.
She glanced at it and moved toward the stairs.
“Marcus says the investigators are twelve minutes away.”
Mr.
Hale’s voice sharpened.
“Claire, check your secure folder.”
I opened it.
The screen flashed once.
Every recording disappeared.
Lena whispered, “She deleted it.”
May you like
Vanessa stopped on the first stair and looked over her shoulder.
“You should never have used a password your sister could guess.”
