Chapter 4: The Girl My Mother Knew
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
I read the sentence again.
One day, this girl may be the reason you lose everything.
Then I looked at Nia.
"How did my mother know you?""
Nia's lips parted, but no words came out.
My father stood beside the table, his cane resting against his leg. Evelyn had lowered herself into a chair, staring at the floor as though she had been waiting twenty-three years for this exact moment.
"Answer me, Nia.""
She wiped her cheeks.
"I was a child.""
"How old?""
"Five. Maybe six.""
I looked at my father.
He nodded slowly.
"Your mother met her when she was little.""
"Where?""
Evelyn finally spoke.
"At the hospital.""
I turned toward her.
"What hospital?""
"St. Mary's. Your mother volunteered there before she became ill.
My husband and I were having difficulties at the time. Nia had been sick, and your mother helped us.""
Nia shook her head.
"Mom, that's not the whole story.""
Evelyn looked at her daughter.
"Then tell him.""
Nia pressed her hands against her forehead.
"My father wasn't always the man you knew from photographs. Before he became successful, he was desperate. He had borrowed money from several people, and one of those people was your mother.""
I frowned.
"My mother lent your father money?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because he convinced her he was going to lose everything.""
My father interrupted.
"Your mother believed in giving people second chances.""
Evelyn nodded.
"She helped Daniel establish his first property company. She even arranged financing through her own contacts.""
I looked at the letter.
"Then why did she write that Nia might destroy my life?""
Evelyn's eyes filled again.
"Because she discovered what Daniel had done with the money.""
Nia suddenly stood.
"Mom, stop making it sound like I was involved!""
Nobody answered.
She looked at me.
"Marcus, I was a little girl. I didn't understand any of this.""
I folded the letter carefully.
"Then what happened?""
Evelyn took a shaky breath.
"Your mother discovered that Daniel had used money intended for a hospital expansion project to purchase properties through private companies. When she confronted him, he told her he would return the money.""
"And did he?""
"No.""
My father leaned against the table.
"Instead, he began moving assets and changing ownership documents.""
Richard, who had been listening from the doorway, stepped inside.
"That was when the first fraudulent land transfer occurred.""
I looked at him.
"How do you know?""
He opened his briefcase.
"Because I was a junior accountant at Carter Group at the time.""
Evelyn stared at him.
"Richard, you promised you would never discuss this.""
"I promised I wouldn't discuss it while Daniel was alive.""
He placed several documents on the table.
"After Mr. Carter died, I discovered that the company had been using shell entities to conceal property ownership. Your mother's land was part of the original arrangement.""
I examined the documents.
There were corporate names I didn't recognize, signatures, dates, and transaction numbers.
Then I saw something familiar.
My father's address.
A property description.
And a transfer request dated eleven months earlier.
The same month Nia and I met.
I looked at her.
"Your first date with me was part of this?""
She shook her head.
"Not exactly.""
"What does that mean?""
She looked toward her mother.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Nia finally admitted it.
"My father left instructions before he died.""
I stared at her.
"Instructions?""
"He knew the land would eventually become valuable. He knew your father would refuse to sell. He believed that if someone in our family became close to you, we might be able to negotiate.""
"Someone?""
She swallowed.
"Me.""
The room felt smaller.
"Your father wanted you to marry me?""
"Not necessarily marry you. He wanted me to get close enough to influence you.""
I stepped away from the table.
"And you agreed?""
"I was twenty-two when he died. I was young. I didn't know what he was planning.""
"But you knew when we met.""
She didn't answer.
I laughed bitterly.
"Eleven months of research. Three months of messages. A wedding. And you still want me to believe this was some innocent coincidence?""
Nia began crying.
"I did fall in love with you, Marcus.""
"Then why did you never tell me?""
"Because I was afraid!""
"Of what?""
"Of losing you!""
I stared at her.
She took another step toward me.
"When I first met you, I thought you were going to be like your father. I thought you would be suspicious of everything. But you were kind.
You listened. You made me feel safe.""
"And then?""
"Then I realized I actually loved you.""
I looked at the letter.
My mother had somehow known this moment would come.
My father gently touched my arm.
"There's something else, son.""
I turned.
He removed a small photograph from the folder.
It showed my mother standing beside a young girl wearing a pink cardigan.
The girl was Nia.
On the back, my mother's handwriting read:
Little Nia deserves a better future than the one her father is preparing for her.
I looked at Evelyn.
"Did my mother know what Daniel was doing to Nia?""
Evelyn nodded.
"She tried to help us.""
"Help you how?""
"She wanted to take Nia away from the situation. She offered to pay for her education and protect her from Daniel's business dealings.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Why didn't she?""
Evelyn's voice broke.
"Because Daniel refused. He told your mother that if she interfered again, he would destroy her.""
My father looked down.
"And that was when things became dangerous.""
A sudden knock interrupted us.
A hotel employee opened the door.
"Mr. Bennett?""
I turned.
"Yes?""
"There's a gentleman downstairs asking for you. He says he's an old family friend.""
"What's his name?""
The employee glanced at his clipboard.
"Daniel Carter.""
Nia dropped her phone.
Evelyn stood so quickly that her chair fell backward.
"That's impossible.""
I looked at the employee.
"Are you sure?""
He nodded.
"He says he has been waiting twenty minutes.""
My father slowly reached for his cane.
Then he looked directly at me.
"Don't go downstairs alone.""
I swallowed.
"Who is he?""
May you like
Arthur's expression hardened.
"The man who was supposed to have died twelve years ago.""
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