Chapter 8: The Signature She Never Gave
Maya stared at the document.
Her own name stared back.
A signature.
Her signature.
Except it wasn’t.
“No.””
Her voice was barely audible.
Marcus immediately moved beside her.
“Maya, don’t touch that.””
She looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because we don’t know what happened.””
“But that’s my name.””
Mr. Cole carefully picked up the paper.
“The signature appears to be copied.””
Maya looked at him.
“Copied?””
“Yes.””
Her face changed.
“Someone forged my signature?””
Nobody answered.
They didn’t have to.
The answer was obvious.
Vanessa slowly sat down.
The confidence she had carried all night was gone.
Marcus noticed.
“You knew about this.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“I knew someone was using Maya.””
“Who?””
She looked at the envelope.
“I don’t know.””
Marcus stared.
“You expect me to believe that?””
Vanessa’s eyes hardened.
“You think I planned all of this?””
“You tried to challenge her ownership.””
“Because I knew someone else was already moving.””
The words stopped him.
Maya looked between them.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa took a breath.
“It means I wasn’t trying to steal your house.””
Maya shook her head.
“You threatened me.””
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
“I was wrong.””
Nobody expected those words.
Not Marcus.
Not Maya.
Vanessa had never apologized.
Not once.
“I thought fear would make you tell me where your mother kept the records.””
Maya stared.
“You scared me because you wanted information?””
Vanessa looked ashamed.
“Yes.””
The honesty didn’t fix anything.
But it changed something.
Marcus folded his arms.
“You still hurt her.””
“I know.””
“You made her feel like she had nowhere to go.””
“I know.””
Maya looked away.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Mr. Cole placed the documents on the table.
“We need to focus on the person who forged this.””
Marcus nodded.
“Who had access?””
The attorney looked through the papers.
“The person would need several things.””
“What?””
“Knowledge of the trust. Knowledge of Maya’s identity. Access to her signature.””
Maya’s face tightened.
“My signature?””
Mr. Cole nodded.
“School documents. Medical forms. Anything official.””
Marcus immediately understood.
“Family.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“Exactly.””
The word felt heavy.
Because the list was small.
Too small.
Maya hugged herself.
“Who would do this?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
He didn’t want to say the name.
Because saying it would make it real.
Mr. Cole looked at the old partnership agreement.
“There’s something else.””
Marcus turned.
“What now?””
The attorney pointed to a section.
“This agreement was never completed.””
“So?””
“It means your uncle never legally owned anything.””
Marcus frowned.
“Then why would he risk forging documents?””
Mr. Cole looked at him.
“Because there was another agreement.””
Maya looked confused.
“What agreement?””
The attorney turned the page.
A hidden clause.
A condition.
Something Elena had placed years ago.
Marcus read it.
Then went silent.
“What?””
He looked at Maya.
“Your mother protected the house from exactly this situation.””
Maya frowned.
“How?””
Marcus handed her the paper.
She read the sentence.
Her eyes widened.
“If someone attempts to transfer ownership illegally…”
She looked up.
“What happens?””
Mr. Cole answered.
“The trust automatically activates a security review.””
Maya blinked.
“What does that mean?””
“It means every person connected to the transfer gets investigated.””
Vanessa looked nervous.
“Everyone?””
Mr. Cole nodded.
“Everyone.””
Marcus looked at the document.
“That includes me.””
“Yes.””
Maya looked at her father.
For a second, she wondered.
Was there something else?
Something even he didn’t know?
Marcus saw the doubt.
And it hurt.
“Maya.””
She looked away.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.””
The words destroyed him.
Because all he wanted was to protect her.
And somehow, every secret had made her feel less safe.
Marcus reached for her hand.
She hesitated.
Then took it.
“I’m going to fix this.””
A phone rang.
Everyone looked.
Mr. Cole pulled his phone from his pocket.
He answered.
“Hello?””
His expression changed.
“What?””
Marcus stood.
“What happened?””
The attorney covered the phone.
“The investigation team found the original transfer file.””
“That’s good.””
“No.””
Mr. Cole looked at Maya.
“It’s not good.””
“Why?””
The attorney’s voice lowered.
“Because the original file has a recording attached.””
Marcus frowned.
“A recording?””
“Yes.””
Maya felt cold.
“Of who?””
Mr. Cole looked at the phone.
“The person who created the transfer request.””
The backyard went silent.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Play it.””
Mr. Cole hesitated.
Then pressed the button.
A voice filled the night.
A voice Maya recognized instantly.
A voice she had trusted her entire life.
Her own voice.
The recording began:
“I, Maya Carter, willingly authorize…”
Maya stepped back.
“That’s not me.””
But the recording continued.
And then came the sentence that made everyone freeze.
“I transfer ownership of the property to…”
The audio cut off.
Mr. Cole looked at his phone.
“Someone deleted the rest.””
Marcus stared.
“Who?””
The attorney shook his head.
“We don’t know.””
Then his phone received another notification.
He looked down.
And his face went pale.
“Marcus…”
“What?””
Mr. Cole turned the screen toward him.
A message.
May you like
One sentence.
*Stop searching, or Maya learns why Elena really died.*
