Chapter 8: The Attorney's Other Client
Daniel stared at the hospital document.
For several seconds, he didn't speak.
Then he carefully placed it on the table.
"Mrs. Carter, where did you get this?""
My mother looked frightened.
"Robert gave it to me at the hospital.""
Daniel's expression remained controlled.
"What exactly did he say?""
"He told me to keep it safe. He said Daniel knew what happened.""
I looked between them.
"Are you saying Daniel was involved in my father's death?""
My mother shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Daniel exhaled.
"Nia, I can explain.""
I laughed without humor.
"That's becoming the most common sentence in my life.""
He opened his briefcase.
From inside, he removed a second folder.
"Six years ago, I was not representing Marcus. I was working for your father.""
My mother looked shocked.
"What?""
Daniel nodded.
"Robert contacted me shortly before his death. He believed someone was manipulating the company's records. He wanted an independent review.""
Richard immediately interrupted.
"That's nonsense.""
Daniel ignored him.
"Your father suspected that Richard had been using false invoices to move money between several companies. He also believed that someone inside his household was providing information about his financial decisions.""
My mother looked down.
Daniel continued.
"I investigated. I found several suspicious transactions. But before I could finish, Robert died.""
I stared at him.
"Then why did you represent Marcus afterward?""
Daniel's eyes lowered.
"Because Marcus hired me to handle the property transfer. I believed the transaction was a legitimate settlement of outstanding debts.""
"Did you know my signature had been obtained under false pretenses?""
"No.""
"Did you know about the trust?""
"Not until today.""
I looked at the hospital document.
"Then why does your name appear here?""
Daniel took a long breath.
"Because I was the attorney who arrived at the hospital after Robert was admitted.""
My mother nodded.
"That's right.""
I felt a chill.
"Why were you there?""
"Your father had called me before the meeting with Richard. He asked me to come to his office at eight.""
Daniel paused.
"When I arrived, the office was empty. I learned that Robert had been taken to the hospital.""
"What happened there?""
Daniel looked toward my mother.
"Your father asked me to protect the original trust documents.""
My mother began crying.
"He also asked you to tell the police what happened.""
Daniel nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you?""
He didn't answer immediately.
And I knew.
I knew before he said anything.
"No," he whispered.
My mother covered her mouth.
Daniel continued.
"Richard threatened to expose a series of financial transactions involving several clients. He claimed Robert had authorized them. I was worried about my career and the possibility of being accused of professional misconduct.""
"So you stayed quiet," I said.
"Yes.""
"And then you worked for Marcus?""
Daniel nodded.
"I thought I could correct the situation from inside the company. I believed I could recover the property without exposing the original dispute.""
"Instead, you helped prepare the documents that would have transferred it to him.""
His face tightened.
"Yes.""
I looked at him.
"You were supposed to protect my father.""
"I know.""
"You were supposed to protect his daughter.""
"I know.""
He didn't make excuses.
For some reason, that made me angrier.
I turned toward Vanessa.
"Did you know about Daniel?""
She shook her head.
"No. I thought he was working for Marcus from the beginning.""
Daniel looked at her.
"That was the mistake. I should have told everyone what I knew years ago.""
Richard laughed.
"Wonderful. A confession from a disgraced attorney. What exactly do you think this proves?""
Daniel turned toward him.
"That you were involved in an unauthorized transfer of property.""
"Prove it.""
Daniel opened the second folder.
"I can.""
He placed several printed emails on the table.
They were dated six years earlier.
One was from Richard to Daniel.
Robert is becoming difficult. Make sure the original trust documents are removed before the audit begins.
Another was from Daniel to Richard.
I cannot guarantee this will remain confidential if Robert decides to proceed.
Richard looked at the emails.
For the first time, he seemed genuinely speechless.
My mother leaned forward.
"Why did you keep those?""
Daniel answered quietly.
"Because I knew one day someone would ask.""
I looked at him.
"Why didn't you give them to the police?""
He lowered his eyes.
"Because I was afraid.""
I walked toward the door.
Brielle followed.
"Nia, wait.""
I stopped.
She took my hand.
"You don't have to solve everything today.""
I looked at her.
"I don't know who to trust anymore.""
She squeezed my fingers.
"Trust what you know. You know your father loved you. You know you didn't sign those documents knowingly. And you know you don't have to marry that man.""
I looked back at Marcus.
He was standing alone near the table.
His expensive suit was wrinkled.
His hair was disheveled.
He looked nothing like the man who had walked into the church that morning.
"Nia," he said.
I turned.
"Don't.""
"I just want you to hear one thing.""
I didn't move.
"I didn't know my father was going to leave yours without medical help.""
I stared at him.
"You knew your father was trying to steal from him.""
"Yes.""
"You knew about the property.""
"Yes.""
"You knew the wedding was part of a plan.""
He looked down.
"Yes.""
"And you still stood beside me at the altar.""
His eyes filled.
"I thought I could fix it.""
"You didn't want to fix anything. You wanted to own it.""
He shook his head.
"That's not true.""
I pointed toward the documents.
"Then explain the transfer.""
He had nothing.
Daniel's phone rang.
He answered, listened, and slowly turned pale.
"What happened?"" I asked.
He covered the microphone.
"The bank's security department has reviewed the access logs from the trust account.""
"And?""
He looked toward Richard.
"Someone accessed the original records three days ago.""
Richard's expression changed.
"That's impossible.""
Daniel continued.
"The access was made using an authorization code belonging to the original trustee.""
My mother frowned.
"Who was the original trustee?""
Daniel looked at the document.
Then he read the name aloud.
"Robert Carter.""
I stared at him.
"That doesn't make sense.""
Daniel nodded.
"It gets worse.""
He turned the laptop toward us.
A digital access record showed the date and time.
Three days before my wedding.
And beneath the authorization details was a scanned identification document.
The photograph was unmistakably my father.
But the signature was recent.
I leaned closer.
"Who submitted this?""
Daniel enlarged the screen.
The name appeared beneath the electronic authorization.
*LAUREN CARTER.*
My cousin.
The same woman who had apparently been attacked.
The same woman who had warned us about Richard.
I felt the room spin.
"How could Lauren access my father's account?""
Daniel looked troubled.
"Because she was listed as an alternate trustee.""
My mother shook her head.
"That was never supposed to happen.""
Daniel turned toward her.
"Mrs. Carter, did you authorize Lauren to become an alternate trustee?""
My mother didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at the floor.
I stepped closer.
"Mom?""
She whispered:
"Your father didn't appoint Lauren.""
"Then who did?""
My mother looked toward Richard.
He was smiling again.
"Your mother did," he said.
May you like
I stared at her.
And this time, she didn't deny it.
