Chapter 9: The Last Witness
Marcus ran toward the doors.
“Maya, stay here!””
Maya followed.
They reached the hallway just as the doors slammed shut.
Marcus pulled them open.
Nobody was there.
He looked left.
Empty.
Right.
Empty.
Then he heard footsteps.
Fast.
Retreating.
Marcus ran.
Maya followed close behind.
They reached the far end of the ballroom's service passage, where another door stood slightly open.
Marcus pushed it.
Inside was a small preparation room connected to the ballroom.
Boxes of decorations were stacked against the walls.
Extra chairs.
Folded tablecloths.
Nothing else.
Then Maya pointed.
“There.””
A phone lay on a chair.
Marcus picked it up.
The screen showed a live recording.
The camera was pointed directly at them.
Maya stared.
“That's my phone.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
“The phone I lost.””
A voice came from the doorway.
“It's not yours anymore.””
Marcus spun around.
Collins stood there.
The security guard was beside him.
And Derrick stood behind them.
Vanessa appeared several seconds later.
Her face was still streaked with frosting and tears.
Marcus stared at the three men.
“So this was the plan.””
Collins smiled.
“No.””
He glanced at Vanessa.
“This was the backup plan.””
Marcus clenched his fists.
“What do you want?””
Derrick answered.
“The trust.””
“You're not getting it.””
Collins smiled.
“You already gave it away.””
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
Collins held up a tablet.
On its screen was a digital document.
Marcus recognized his signature.
His blood went cold.
“No.””
Collins nodded.
“You signed the authorization.””
“I didn't authorize anything.””
“You did.””
“Vanessa tricked me.””
“That doesn't matter.””
Collins tapped the screen.
“The document was executed the moment you said your vows.””
Marcus stared.
“You forged it.””
Collins laughed.
“Your signature is real.””
Maya stepped forward.
“Because he signed the rehearsal documents.””
Collins looked at her.
“Exactly.””
Marcus looked at Maya.
“The paperwork she gave me…”
“Was legitimate,” Maya said.
“Except it wasn't what she told you.””
Collins smiled.
“Legally, deception is irrelevant unless you can prove intent.””
Marcus looked at him.
“And you think I can't?””
Collins lifted the tablet.
“You have one problem.””
“What?””
“The original recording.””
Maya's expression changed.
Collins nodded toward her.
“She has it.””
Derrick stepped forward.
“Give it to me.””
Maya shook her head.
“No.””
Derrick reached for her.
Marcus shoved him backward.
“Don't touch her.””
Derrick stumbled into a stack of chairs.
He recovered instantly.
“You think you're protecting her?””
Marcus glared.
“I am.””
Derrick laughed.
“You don't know who she is.””
Marcus looked at Maya.
She remained calm.
Derrick pointed at her.
“She isn't just some waitress.””
Marcus already knew.
“She worked for my father.””
Derrick shook his head.
“That's not all.””
Maya's face tightened.
Derrick continued.
“She was there the night your father died.””
Marcus turned toward her.
“Maya?””
She said nothing.
His heart sank.
“Were you?””
“Yes.””
“How old were you?””
“Twenty-one.””
“What were you doing there?””
Maya looked down.
“Working.””
“For my father?””
“Yes.””
Marcus took a step back.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because your father told me never to.””
Derrick laughed.
“He also told her something else.””
Marcus looked at him.
“What?””
Derrick pointed toward Maya.
“She saw who pushed him.””
The room went silent.
Marcus looked at Maya.
“You saw?””
Maya nodded.
“I saw someone enter the office.””
“Who?””
Maya looked toward Marcus's mother.
His mother closed her eyes.
Marcus whispered, “Mom?””
Maya shook her head.
“No.””
Marcus looked confused.
“Then who?””
Maya turned toward Collins.
Collins's smile disappeared.
Maya said, “It wasn't your mother.””
Collins stepped backward.
Marcus looked at him.
“You pushed my father?””
Collins's face hardened.
“He was going to ruin everything.””
Marcus stared.
“You killed him.””
“He fell.””
“You pushed him.””
“He fell!””
“You pushed him!””
Collins suddenly pulled a small knife from inside his jacket.
Maya grabbed Marcus's arm.
“Back!””
Derrick moved toward Collins.
“Put that away.””
Collins shouted, “Stay out of this!””
Vanessa screamed.
Guests began pounding on the ballroom doors from the other side.
Marcus kept his eyes on Collins.
“You murdered my father for money.””
Collins shook his head.
“Your father was going to take everything from us.””
“Us?””
Collins looked at Derrick.
“Derrick was supposed to handle Vanessa.””
Derrick's face hardened.
“And you were supposed to handle the trust.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“And she?””
Collins smiled.
“She was the bait.””
Vanessa started sobbing.
“I didn't know.””
Derrick turned toward her.
“You knew enough.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“You used her.””
Derrick laughed.
“She used herself.””
Then Maya quietly raised her phone.
The red recording light was on.
Collins saw it.
His expression changed.
“You're recording.””
Maya nodded.
“Everything.””
Collins lunged.
Marcus grabbed him.
The knife clattered across the floor.
Derrick rushed forward.
The ballroom doors burst open.
Security guards flooded into the room.
Guests screamed.
Vanessa collapsed against the wall.
Marcus held Collins down until the guards restrained him.
Derrick tried to run.
Rochelle stepped into the doorway.
She blocked him.
“You're not going anywhere.””
Derrick stopped.
For the first time that night, he looked afraid.
Marcus turned toward his mother.
She was crying silently.
He walked toward her.
“Mom.””
She looked up.
“I lied to you.””
Marcus nodded.
“You did.””
“I thought I was protecting you.””
“You protected yourself.””
She lowered her head.
“Yes.””
Marcus looked toward Maya.
She was holding the original recording.
The evidence that could finally expose everything.
But something still bothered him.
He walked over.
“Maya.””
“Yes?””
“My father said you were supposed to protect me.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She hesitated.
“Because he knew something about you that you didn't.””
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
Maya opened the final file on her phone.
A document appeared.
At the top was his father's name.
Below it was Marcus's name.
And beneath that was a line Maya had never shown him.
*SECONDARY BENEFICIARY: MAYA JOHNSON.*
Marcus stared.
His voice disappeared.
Maya whispered,
“Your father didn't just hire me to protect you.””
She looked at Vanessa.
Then at the trust document.
“He made me the person who inherits everything if your marriage is declared fraudulent.””
Vanessa's face went white.
Marcus stared at Maya.
May you like
Then the ballroom doors slammed shut behind them.
And every light in the room went out.
