The Wine She Poured on Herself

Daniel read Brielle's message three times.

Then he called her.

She answered before the first ring had finished.

“Daniel, thank God. I've been trying to reach you.””

“What did you mean about my father's money?””

Silence.

“Brielle, answer me.””

“Not over the phone.””

“You've spent the entire night lying to me. I'm done playing your games.””

“I'm not playing games!”” Her voice cracked.

“You don't understand what your mother did.””

Daniel looked toward Evelyn, who sat quietly at the other end of the conference table.

“What did my mother do?””

“I can't explain everything in a text message.””

“Then explain it now.””

Brielle took a shaky breath.

“Your father left money for you. A significant amount. Your mother controlled it after he died, and she never told you the full truth.””

Daniel stared at the phone.

“My father died when I was twenty-four. I handled his estate with a lawyer.””

“Did you see every document?””

“Yes.””

“Every bank statement?””

He hesitated.

“No. My mother handled some of the family paperwork.””

“Exactly.””

Daniel's expression hardened.

“You expect me to believe you discovered a secret about my dead father while planning to steal money from my company?””

“I'm telling you what I know!””

“Where did you get this information?””

Brielle went quiet again.

Then she whispered, “Ask your mother about the account at First National.””

Daniel ended the call.

For a moment, the only sound in Martin's office was the hum of the computer fans.

Evelyn had gone pale.

Daniel noticed immediately.

“Mom?””

She stared at the tabletop.

“Is there an account at First National?””

Her hands tightened around the strap of her purse.

“Yes.””

Daniel stood.

“You knew about it?””

“Of course I knew about it.””

“Why didn't you tell me?””

Evelyn looked up.

“Because it wasn't what you think.””

He let out a disbelieving breath.

“That's exactly what Brielle said before she started stealing from me.””

“Daniel, please.””

“No. I need an answer.””

Evelyn slowly removed her glasses and folded them in her lap.

“Your father opened that account shortly before he died. He wanted to make sure you would have money if something happened to him.””

“How much?””

“Initially, three hundred thousand dollars.””

Daniel sat down again.

The number seemed to land between them like a stone.

“Three hundred thousand?””

“Your father had received a settlement from an old business dispute. He put most of it into the account.””

“Then where is it?””

Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.

“I used it.””

Daniel stared at her.

“You used my father's money?””

“Yes.””

His chair scraped backward.

“For what?””

Evelyn looked toward the dark window.

“For your future.””

“That doesn't mean anything!””

“I know.””

“Mom, you just told me you took three hundred thousand dollars from an account intended for me. How am I supposed to understand that?””

She pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.

“I paid for your first business office. I helped you make the down payment on your first property. When your company nearly collapsed during its first year, I covered several debts so you wouldn't lose everything.””

Daniel froze.

He remembered those months.

He remembered Evelyn telling him that a distant relative had left her money. He remembered his mother refusing to let him repay her.

“You told me Grandma left you an inheritance.””

“She did leave me some money. But it wasn't enough to cover everything.””

“So you lied?””

“I was trying to protect your pride.””

Daniel laughed bitterly.

“My pride?””

Evelyn flinched.

“You were twenty-five years old. You'd just buried your father, and you were determined to prove you could succeed without anyone's help. I knew if you discovered the money came from your father, you would refuse to use it.””

“Maybe I should have been allowed to decide that!””

“You're right.””

Her answer stopped him.

Evelyn wiped her cheeks.

“I made a decision that should have been yours. I thought I was helping you, but I should have told you the truth.””

Daniel lowered himself into his chair.

For the first time that night, his anger had nowhere simple to go.

His mother had kept a secret.

But she had used the money to help him survive.

Brielle, meanwhile, had used the same secret to threaten him.

“Does Brielle know how much money remains?”” he asked.

Evelyn shook her head.

“I don't know how she found out about the account. I haven't touched it in years.””

“Is there anything left?””

“I believe so.””

Daniel stared at her.

“You believe so?””

“I transferred the remaining balance into a separate account after your company became profitable. I haven't checked it recently.””

Martin cleared his throat.

“Mr. Mercer, if the account is connected to your father's estate, we should verify its ownership and transaction history before drawing conclusions.””

Daniel nodded absently.

Then he looked at his mother.

“Why didn't you tell me when Dad died?””

Evelyn took a long breath.

“Because the money wasn't the only thing he left behind.””

Daniel's head lifted.

“What does that mean?””

She reached into her purse and removed a small envelope, yellowed along the edges.

“I found this among his personal papers after the funeral. It was addressed to you.””

Daniel stared at the envelope.

His name was written across the front in his father's familiar handwriting.

“Why are you showing me this now?””

“Because I think Brielle has discovered something about your father that I never understood.””

Daniel opened the envelope carefully.

Inside was a single letter.

He began reading.

My son,

If you're reading this, then I've run out of time to explain something I should have told you years ago.

Daniel stopped.

His fingers tightened around the paper.

He read the next lines silently, then looked up at Evelyn.

“Mom, what did Dad do before he died?””

Evelyn shook her head.

“I don't know what you're asking.””

Daniel turned the letter toward her.

The next paragraph contained a name.

*Adrian Pierce.*

Martin leaned forward.

“That's the same Adrian who's connected to the transfers.””

Daniel continued reading.

I entered into a business arrangement with a man named Thomas Pierce, Adrian's father. I believed we were building something honest. I later discovered that several documents had been altered without my knowledge.

Daniel's breathing became shallow.

His father had known Adrian's family.

And he had left a warning.

If anyone ever approaches you with claims about the settlement, do not sign anything until you speak with an independent attorney. There are people who may believe the money belongs to them.

The letter ended with a sentence that made Daniel's blood run cold.

Your mother knows why I refused to continue the arrangement, but she may not know everything that happened afterward.

Daniel lowered the letter.

“Mom, what arrangement was Dad talking about?””

Evelyn looked at the page for a long time.

Then she whispered, “Your father believed Thomas Pierce had cheated him. He spent months trying to prove it.””

“Did he?””

“I don't know. Your father died before he could finish investigating.””

Daniel stared at her.

“And you never told me any of this?””

“I thought it was over.””

“Why would Brielle know?””

Evelyn shook her head.

“I don't know.””

Martin's computer chimed.

He had been checking the bank records while Daniel read the letter.

“There's something else,” Martin said.

Daniel turned.

“What?””

“The First National account is still active. The balance is considerably lower than the original amount, but there have been no withdrawals in the last three years.””

“How much remains?””

Martin read the figure.

“Approximately one hundred and seventy thousand dollars.””

Daniel looked at Evelyn.

“Then why would Brielle tell me you took everything?””

“Because she wanted you to believe your mother was hiding money from you,” I said.

Daniel slowly nodded.

A false accusation against Evelyn.

A threat involving Daniel's father.

A suspicious account holding a substantial sum.

The pieces seemed connected, but we still couldn't see the entire picture.

Then Martin opened the account's access history.