Chapter 2: My Father's Last Secret
Nobody touched their dinner after that.
The roast beef sat untouched beneath silver serving covers. The candles flickered against the crystal glasses. Somewhere outside, rain began tapping against the enormous dining room windows.
But nobody seemed to notice.
All eyes were on Derek.
"Take off the watch," Grandfather repeated.
Derek swallowed.
"Mr. Carter, I assure you there's been some misunderstanding.""
"Then explain it.""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"This is absurd. Derek bought that watch from a private dealer.""
"Really?"" Arthur asked.
"Yes.""
"Then he won't mind telling us the dealer's name.""
She hesitated.
Derek cleared his throat.
"I don't remember.""
My grandfather gave a humorless laugh.
"Convenient.""
I looked down at the envelope again.
The documents inside were held together by a black ribbon. One bore the seal of a law firm I recognized.
Harrison, Bell & Associates.
My father's lawyers.
I remembered visiting their office as a child. My father had once taken me there after school and introduced me to an elderly attorney named Samuel Harrison.
He had told me, "If anything ever happens to me, Samuel will make sure you're protected.""
I had thought it was one of those things fathers said to reassure their children.
Now I wasn't so sure.
"Grandpa," I said quietly, "what exactly did Dad leave me?""
Arthur pulled out the chair beside him.
"First, sit with me. There's something you need to hear.""
I wheeled closer.
He waited until I was beside him before speaking.
"Your father established a private trust shortly before he died. It included shares in Carter Holdings, several properties, and a substantial investment portfolio.""
I blinked.
"How substantial?""
"At the time of his death, approximately thirty-eight million dollars.""
My mouth went dry.
"What?""
My uncle Richard finally looked up.
"Arthur, perhaps this isn't the place.""
Arthur turned toward him.
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that four years ago.""
I stared at my grandfather.
"Thirty-eight million?""
He nodded.
"Your father wanted you to inherit everything directly when you turned twenty-nine. Until then, I was appointed as trustee.""
"Why am I hearing about this now?""
Arthur looked toward the envelope.
"Because the documents were altered.""
The silence became unbearable.
"Altered by whom?""
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Vanessa.
She folded her arms.
"This is ridiculous. You're accusing me of something without evidence.""
Arthur calmly removed his glasses.
"Did I mention your name?""
Vanessa's lips parted.
Then she looked at Derek.
That small movement told me more than any confession could have.
"Vanessa," I said, "what did you do?""
She laughed nervously.
"Nothing. Don't flatter yourself.""
"Then why are you frightened?""
Her face hardened.
"Because I'm tired of everyone treating you like you're the only person in this family who has suffered.""
I stared at her.
"You think I've had an easy four years?""
"I think everyone has been expected to walk on eggshells around you.""
"Nobody asked you to.""
"You don't understand what it's like.""
I almost laughed.
"What it's like to what?""
"To be forgotten!""
Her voice cracked.
For a moment, I saw something beneath the anger.
Resentment.
Jealousy.
Something that had been growing long before my accident.
Vanessa continued.
"Before everything happened, everyone talked about you. Nia this. Nia that.
Daniel's brilliant daughter. Daniel's future successor. Daniel's little princess.""
I stared at her.
"And?""
"And then you got hurt, and suddenly everyone had to feel guilty for having a normal life.""
My grandfather slammed his palm against the table.
"Enough.""
But I raised my hand.
"No, Grandpa. Let her finish.""
Vanessa stared at me.
I wanted to understand.
I wanted to know how someone could spend years turning another person's suffering into a personal inconvenience.
She leaned closer.
"You want the truth? Your father always planned to leave everything to you. Even before the accident.
You were going to inherit the company, the properties, everything. And I was supposed to stand there smiling while you took it all.""
I looked at the watch.
"Is that why you gave Derek my father's watch?""
Her expression changed.
Derek immediately stepped forward.
"Vanessa didn't give me anything.""
I turned toward him.
"Then how did you get it?""
He looked at the floor.
Grandfather reached into his jacket and produced a small photograph.
"This was taken at Daniel's funeral.""
He placed it beside my plate.
The photograph showed my father standing beside his car, wearing the gold watch.
I looked closer.
There was a small engraving visible on the inside clasp.
Three initials.
D.C.
The same initials I had seen on Derek's watch.
Arthur continued.
"The watch was recovered from your father's belongings. It was placed in his locked office after the funeral.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who had access to the office?""
Arthur's eyes moved toward my uncle.
"Richard.""
My uncle nearly dropped his fork.
"Now wait a minute.""
"You had the office keys," Arthur said.
"Because I was helping manage the estate!""
"And you were instructed not to remove anything.""
Richard pushed his chair back.
"This is outrageous.""
Arthur remained seated.
"Then you should have no problem explaining why several personal items disappeared.""
Richard looked toward Vanessa.
She shook her head almost imperceptibly.
I noticed.
So did my grandfather.
"Security," Arthur called.
Two men appeared in the doorway.
"Nobody leaves until we finish this conversation.""
Vanessa's voice rose.
"You cannot keep us here!""
"Watch me.""
I looked down at the documents.
One page contained a list of assets.
Another was a copy of a letter from my father to Samuel Harrison.
At the bottom was a sentence underlined in red ink.
The accident was not an unfortunate coincidence.
My fingers went cold.
I read it again.
Then again.
"Grandpa?""
Arthur looked at me.
"Yes, sweetheart?""
"What does this mean?""
He glanced at the sentence.
For the first time that evening, his expression looked less like anger and more like grief.
"Your father suspected someone was interfering with his business. He believed the person had access to his private records and knew his movements.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Dad's accident?""
Arthur nodded slowly.
"Your father had reason to believe the brakes on his car had been tampered with.""
The room spun.
I remembered that night.
The rain.
The headlights.
The screaming metal.
My father's hand reaching across the passenger seat toward me.
I had survived.
He hadn't.
For four years, I had believed a truck had crossed the center line and caused the crash.
The police report had said mechanical failure contributed to the collision.
Nobody had ever told me there might have been another explanation.
"Who knew?"" I whispered.
Arthur looked at the table.
"Your uncle. Your aunt. And Vanessa.""
I couldn't breathe.
Vanessa shook her head.
"That's a lie.""
Arthur's voice dropped.
"Then explain why your signature appears on the document transferring Daniel's private assets into an account controlled by Richard.""
My uncle stood abruptly.
"That document was never supposed to be here!""
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Everyone turned toward him.
I stared at my uncle.
"What document?""
He closed his mouth.
Grandfather slowly reached for the final page in the envelope.
"That's what we're going to find out.""
He turned it around.
There was a signature at the bottom.
Vanessa Carter.
And beside it, the date.
Three days after my father's funeral.
My hands began shaking.
"Why did you sign this?""
Vanessa looked at me.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
May you like
Then she whispered something that made the entire room go silent.
"Because your father wasn't supposed to leave you anything.""
