Chapter 14: The Last Piece of the Betrayal
Dad put the call on speaker.
"Daniel, where are you?""
A short laugh came through the phone.
"Still asking questions like you own the place.""
Dad's jaw tightened.
"Tell me what you did.""
"I did what your father should have done years ago.""
"Stop playing games.""
Daniel's voice became colder.
"Your father left a property portfolio worth millions. He divided the trust between his granddaughters, but he never told you the whole story.""
I stepped closer.
"What story?""
Daniel paused.
"Who's that?""
"Nia Bennett.""
Another silence.
Then he laughed.
"Of course. The bride.""
I felt my hands tighten.
"You helped Marcus steal from my family.""
"I helped your mother protect herself.""
"From what?""
"From your father.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Daniel, I gave you a job. I trusted you with my business.""
"And I watched you take credit for everything your father built.""
Dad looked stunned.
Daniel continued.
"Your father didn't trust you with the property holdings. He created a separate company and placed the controlling shares under a private agreement.""
Eleanor spoke from the chair.
"That's correct.""
Daniel laughed.
"Still alive, Eleanor? I thought Marcus had finally persuaded you to retire.""
The investigator signaled for Dad to keep him talking.
"Where are the documents?"" Dad asked.
"Safe.""
"Give them to me.""
"No.""
"What do you want?""
Daniel's answer came quickly.
"Immunity.""
David shook his head.
The investigator wrote something on a notepad.
Dad asked, "For what?""
"For everything. The false transfer. The forged amendment.
The account manipulation. All of it.""
I stepped closer to the phone.
"You're asking us to protect you after helping Marcus frame me?""
Daniel laughed.
"You were never supposed to be involved.""
"Then why use my name?""
"Because your name opened the door.""
I felt a wave of anger.
"You could have asked me.""
"Would you have agreed?""
"No.""
"Exactly.""
His voice was almost amused.
I looked at Dad.
He was staring at the floor.
Daniel continued.
"Your mother needed money. Marcus needed access. Your father needed to believe he was still in control. Everyone got something.""
"And what did you get?"" I asked.
"Protection.""
"From whom?""
Daniel didn't answer.
Then I heard another voice in the background.
Marcus.
"End the call.""
My stomach dropped.
Daniel laughed nervously.
"I have to go.""
The line disconnected.
The investigator immediately began tracing the call.
David turned to Dad.
"We need to find out what Daniel meant about the property.""
Dad nodded.
"I have the original company records at home.""
Eleanor interrupted.
"No. You need the ledger.""
"Where is it?""
She looked at me.
"Your grandfather gave it to the person he trusted to maintain the property records. Daniel was only a temporary custodian.""
I frowned.
"Then who has it now?""
Eleanor hesitated.
"Your mother.""
I stared at her.
"Patricia?""
She nodded.
"Your grandfather gave it to her before he died, believing she would preserve it for the family.""
Dad looked furious.
"Why would he do that?""
"Because Patricia was the only person who knew where the original property boundaries had been recorded.""
I remembered the documents Mom had carried into the bridal room.
The ones with her signature.
The ones she had insisted were merely investment papers.
"She has the ledger," I whispered.
David nodded.
"Then we need to recover it.""
We returned to the police station to give formal statements.
Patricia was still there.
She looked exhausted.
When she saw us enter, she stood.
"Nia.""
I stopped.
"Where is the property ledger?""
Her face changed.
"What?""
"Grandfather's original ledger. Where is it?""
She glanced at Dad.
Then at Eleanor.
Finally, she looked at me.
"I don't have it.""
Eleanor spoke firmly.
"Patricia, I gave you the original document when your father-in-law asked you to preserve it.""
Mom's face crumpled.
"I lost it.""
Dad stared at her.
"You lost the most important record in the family?""
"I didn't lose it.""
"Then where is it?""
She started crying.
"Marcus took it.""
I felt a cold wave move through me.
"When?""
"Two weeks ago.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because he threatened me.""
"With what?""
She looked at me.
"With Brielle.""
My sister stiffened.
Mom continued.
"He said if I didn't cooperate, he'd make it look like Brielle had approved the transfers. He had documents with her signature.""
Brielle shook her head.
"I never signed anything.""
"I know," Mom whispered.
I stared at her.
"Then why did you let him?""
She looked down.
"Because I thought I could fix everything before you found out.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You kept saying that.""
She looked at me.
"I was afraid.""
"So was I.""
Her face crumpled.
For a moment, I saw the mother who had once taught me to ride a bicycle.
But I also saw the woman who had helped forge my signature.
I couldn't make those two versions fit together.
David approached.
"Mrs. Bennett, we need the exact details. When did Marcus take the ledger?""
Mom wiped her face.
"October 16. He came to my house after Brielle told him she wanted to end the affair.""
Brielle looked shocked.
"He knew I wanted to end it?""
Mom nodded.
"He said he needed the ledger to protect himself.""
Dad's voice was quiet.
"And you gave it to him?""
"I had no choice.""
I shook my head.
"You always had a choice. You could have told us.""
She didn't answer.
Then she reached into her purse.
"I have something else.""
She pulled out a small flash drive.
"I copied the last pages before he took the ledger.""
David took it carefully.
"What's on this?""
"The property transfers. The original ownership percentages. And the name of the person who received the largest share.""
Dad frowned.
"Who?""
Mom looked at him.
"Your father.""
Dad's expression changed.
"He's been dead for eleven years.""
"I know.""
She lowered her voice.
"He didn't transfer the shares to you, Robert. He transferred them to a private holding company.""
David inserted the flash drive into a secure laptop.
A document appeared.
The company name was unfamiliar.
*Bennett Legacy Holdings.*
The ownership schedule listed three beneficiaries.
Nia Bennett.
Brielle Bennett.
And a third name.
I leaned closer.
The third name wasn't Patricia.
It wasn't Robert.
It wasn't Marcus.
It was Daniel Cross.
Dad stared at the screen.
"How is that possible?""
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"Because your father discovered Daniel had been stealing from the company before he died.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"He didn't remove Daniel from the arrangement. He kept him as a witness and custodian of certain records, hoping he would help expose the theft.""
David scrolled down.
There was a final document.
A signed declaration.
It stated that Daniel's shares would be forfeited if he participated in any fraudulent transfer.
And beneath that clause was a handwritten note from my grandfather.
The girls must never be punished for the mistakes of the adults around them.
I looked at Brielle.
For the first time, we understood the full extent of what had happened.
Marcus hadn't simply wanted my inheritance.
He wanted to take control of a company that could expose his own financial crimes.
And Daniel had been helping him.
The investigator's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
Then he looked at us.
"We found Daniel Cross.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Where?""
The investigator lowered his phone.
"At the airport.""
My heart jumped.
"Is he leaving?""
"Not anymore.""
The investigator paused.
"There's a problem, though.""
"What problem?"" David asked.
"He's carrying a passport under another name.""
I stared at him.
"Which name?""
May you like
The investigator looked at me.
"Marcus Reed.""
