Chapter 10: The Secret Account With My Name on It
The $850,000 transfer had been made three weeks before my wedding.
I sat in Arthur's conference room, staring at the transaction record while Marcus searched through the accompanying documents.
"Show me the authorization," I said.
Marcus enlarged the scanned page.
There it was.
My name.
My signature.
And beneath it, a reference to a private medical services agreement.
I shook my head.
"I've never seen this.""
Arthur adjusted his glasses.
"That's becoming a familiar problem.""
"Who received the money?""
Marcus turned his laptop toward us.
"Whitmore Medical Holdings. The company owns the private clinic where Vanessa photographed Daniel with the newborn.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"Do you know anything about the clinic?""
She nodded.
"Patricia has been using it for years. It's where she sends executives and family members when they want complete privacy.""
"Was Lauren employed there?""
"No. She was a patient.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Was the baby born there?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"Yes.""
Arthur leaned forward.
"Do you know why Daniel paid for everything through that company?""
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
"Because Patricia arranged it. She told Daniel that everything needed to remain separate from his personal finances.""
Marcus opened another document.
"There's a second transfer.""
I looked at him.
"How much?""
"One hundred and twenty thousand dollars.""
"For what?""
He scrolled.
"An apartment lease, medical expenses, and a private vehicle registered to Lauren.""
I stared at the figures.
The money hadn't simply disappeared.
Someone had been building Daniel a second household using my family's accounts.
For months.
Possibly years.
I looked at Arthur.
"Can we recover it?""
"Potentially. But first we need to establish the full chain of authorization and determine whether the payments were disguised as legitimate company expenses.""
I nodded.
"Then find everything.""
Vanessa shifted in her chair.
"There is something I haven't told you.""
I turned toward her.
"What?""
She looked uncomfortable.
"Lauren contacted me last week.""
"Why?""
"She wanted to know whether Daniel was actually getting divorced.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"What did you tell her?""
"That I didn't know.""
Vanessa opened her handbag and removed a folded piece of paper.
"She gave me this.""
I unfolded it.
It was a handwritten note.
*Vanessa, Daniel promised me the waterfront house after the divorce. He said his wife had already agreed to leave. Patricia told me everything was settled. Please tell me when we can move.*
I read it twice.
Then I placed it on the table.
"She thinks my house belongs to her.""
Vanessa nodded.
"Yes.""
I looked at Arthur.
"Find Lauren.""
Arthur studied me.
"Do you want to confront her?""
"No.""
I touched my stomach.
"I want to know whether she's another person Patricia manipulated, or whether she knew exactly what they were doing.""
Two hours later, Arthur arranged a secure video meeting with Lauren.
She appeared on the screen wearing a gray sweater.
She looked younger than I expected.
Perhaps thirty.
Her dark hair was tied loosely behind her head, and a sleeping baby rested against her shoulder.
When she saw me, she immediately looked uncomfortable.
"You're Nia?""
"Yes.""
She glanced toward Vanessa.
"I didn't know you were going to be there.""
"I didn't know you were planning to move into my house.""
Her cheeks flushed.
"I never meant to hurt you.""
I looked at the baby.
"What's his name?""
"Oliver.""
"How old is he?""
"Four months.""
I nodded slowly.
"Does Daniel see him?""
She looked down.
"Sometimes.""
"Does he know you're planning to move into my house?""
Lauren hesitated.
"Patricia said Daniel would tell you after the divorce.""
I leaned back.
"Did you know he was married when you became involved with him?""
"Yes.""
The answer came immediately.
At least she didn't lie.
"Did you know I was pregnant?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Yes.""
I looked away for a moment.
Then I asked the question that mattered most.
"Did you know they were using my money to pay for your apartment and medical expenses?""
Lauren shook her head.
"Daniel told me everything came from his company.""
I looked at Marcus.
He silently wrote something down.
Lauren continued.
"Patricia said you were wealthy but didn't understand business. She told me Daniel had been waiting for the right time to end the marriage.""
I felt something tighten in my chest.
"Did she tell you I had agreed to give him the waterfront house?""
Lauren nodded.
"She showed me a document.""
"What document?""
"A property transfer agreement.""
Arthur immediately leaned forward.
"Do you have a copy?""
Lauren looked uncertain.
"I think so.""
"Can you send it to us?""
She disappeared from the camera briefly.
When she returned, she held up a printed page.
Arthur asked her to photograph it and send it securely.
A few minutes later, Marcus opened the file.
His expression changed.
"Nia.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"This is another forged document.""
The page claimed I had agreed to transfer ownership of my waterfront home to Daniel following the divorce.
The signature looked like mine.
But there was something else.
At the bottom was a witness signature.
*Evelyn Shaw.*
Arthur removed his glasses.
"She's involved in this far more deeply than we thought.""
Lauren began crying.
"I didn't know.""
I looked at her.
"Did Daniel tell you he was going to take the house from me?""
She nodded.
"He said you wouldn't fight him because you wanted the baby to have a stable relationship with both parents.""
I closed my eyes.
Daniel knew exactly how to use my love for our daughter against me.
When the meeting ended, I asked Marcus to arrange a separate legal review of the property document.
Then I turned to Arthur.
"Tomorrow, I want all of this presented to the board.""
Arthur nodded.
"We can do that.""
That evening, Daniel appeared at my front gate.
Security called before allowing him inside.
I instructed James not to let him through.
But Daniel stood outside the gate for nearly twenty minutes.
Then he called.
"Nia, open the gate.""
"No.""
"We need to talk.""
"We've talked enough.""
His voice became sharper.
"You're speaking to Lauren now?""
I went still.
"How do you know?""
"She called me.""
I almost laughed.
"You're worried about her?""
"She's upset. She's confused. You had no right to involve her.""
I walked toward the window.
Daniel stood beneath the security light, wearing the same expensive coat he had worn at the hospital.
"Daniel, did you tell her she could move into my house?""
Silence.
Then:
"That was never finalized.""
"Did you show her a property agreement with my forged signature?""
He looked toward the camera.
"You're twisting things.""
"Did you pay for her apartment with money from my family trust?""
"Nia, listen—"
"Did you know about Oliver before you told me you wanted a child?""
His silence answered.
I gripped the phone.
"You stood in our nursery and talked about our daughter's future while secretly raising another child.""
Daniel lowered his head.
"I made mistakes.""
"That's what you call it?""
"I never intended to hurt you.""
I looked at the Christmas photograph on the hallway table.
Daniel and me on our wedding day.
His smile had seemed so genuine.
"Then why did you do it?""
He looked up at the camera.
And for the first time, he gave me an answer.
"Because I wanted everything.""
I closed my eyes.
He continued.
"I wanted the company. I wanted the money. I wanted the life I built. And I wanted you to stay out of my business.""
I felt tears gathering.
"Then you should have married someone who didn't own it.""
He stared at the gate.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he said:
"Mom is going to fix this.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
He looked directly into the camera.
"It means you should be careful about what happens next.""
The call ended.
James approached the window.
"Ma'am?""
I looked at him.
"Yes?""
"There's a vehicle parked across the street. It's been there for about ten minutes.""
I followed his gaze.
A black SUV sat beneath a streetlamp.
Its headlights were off.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message appeared from Marcus.
*URGENT: Patricia has filed an emergency application concerning the unborn child's guardianship.*
I stared at the words.
Daniel hadn't been bluffing.
May you like
Patricia was preparing her next move.
And this time, she was coming after my daughter.
