Chapter 6: The Marriage Certificate That Shouldn't Exist
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Vanessa Carter.
Gregory Shaw.
A marriage certificate.
I looked at the woman standing beside me.
“What is this?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I've never married Gregory.””
“Then why is your name on a marriage certificate with his?””
“Daniel, I swear I don't know!””
Richard pushed through the gathering crowd.
“Give me that phone.””
Michael stepped between him and the device.
“Don't touch anything.””
Richard pointed at him.
“You have no authority to interfere with my family's private affairs.””
Michael calmly replied, “The document concerns an attempted property transaction involving my client's estate. That makes it relevant.””
Dad took the phone again.
“Please send everything to Michael. And make sure the police keep those men there.””
“Of course, Mr. Carter.””
The call ended.
Vanessa sank into a chair.
Her wedding dress spread around her like a white curtain.
“Daniel, you have to believe me.””
I stood several feet away.
“I don't know what to believe anymore.””
She began sobbing.
“Gregory was just someone my father hired. I barely knew him.””
Richard turned sharply.
“Vanessa.””
She looked up.
“What? You want me to keep lying?””
The ballroom became silent again.
Richard's expression hardened.
“Watch your mouth.””
She stood abruptly.
“You told me everything was handled!””
My stomach dropped.
“Everything?””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Richard grabbed her wrist.
“Not another word.””
She pulled away.
“You said once Daniel signed the agreement, we'd have enough money to save the company. You said Gregory had everything arranged!””
I looked at Richard.
“Save the company from what?””
He didn't answer.
Michael opened his briefcase and removed another document.
“Mr. Mitchell, would you care to explain these outstanding debts?””
Richard's face went pale.
Michael placed a financial summary on the table.
It showed several large loans connected to Mitchell Development Group.
One was overdue.
Another was secured against a commercial property in Fort Lauderdale.
The total outstanding debt exceeded eleven million dollars.
I stared at the figures.
“Your company is bankrupt?””
Richard's voice became sharp.
“It's a temporary liquidity problem.””
“Then why did you need my father's property?””
“Because the estate was an excellent opportunity.””
“It's not yours!””
Richard slammed his hand against the table.
“Do you think you understand what it takes to maintain a company? Hundreds of employees depend on me. Families depend on me!””
Dad spoke quietly.
“And you thought my son's marriage was a convenient way to save it?””
Richard turned toward him.
“Your son was going to inherit a multimillion-dollar property. We offered him an opportunity to turn that asset into something bigger.””
“You offered him a lie,” Dad replied.
Vanessa approached me.
“Daniel, I didn't know how bad things were.””
I looked at her.
“Did you know about the fake marriage certificate?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Did you know Gregory was using your identity?””
“No!””
“Then why did you write that email saying my father's property would be within your reach after the wedding?””
Her face crumpled.
“I thought we were going to help your father manage it.””
“By borrowing two million dollars against it?””
She said nothing.
I felt exhausted.
The woman I had promised to spend my life with was standing in front of me, and I couldn't recognize her.
Michael received another email.
He opened it and studied the attachment.
“Daniel, this may explain the certificate.””
He placed a printed copy on the table.
It was a document from a private title-services company.
The certificate appeared to have been submitted as supporting documentation for an attempted ownership claim.
But there was a problem.
The date was six months earlier.
At that time, Vanessa and I were already dating.
I looked at her.
“Were you seeing Gregory?””
“No.””
“Were you engaged to him?””
“No!””
Richard suddenly sat down.
His face had turned gray.
Michael examined the certificate again.
“This document appears to have been created using information from an actual marriage record. But the county identification number doesn't match the issuing office.””
“So it's fake?”” I asked.
“Possibly. We'll need official verification.””
Vanessa looked relieved.
“See? I told you!””
But Michael wasn't finished.
“The interesting part is the witness information.””
He pointed to the bottom of the document.
Two witnesses had signed.
One was Gregory Shaw.
The other was Patricia Mitchell.
Vanessa's mother.
I slowly turned toward the front table.
Patricia was standing near the champagne display, clutching her purse.
“Mrs. Mitchell,” I called.
She didn't move.
“Did you sign this?””
She looked toward her husband.
Richard stared at the floor.
“Patricia,” Vanessa whispered.
“Tell them.””
Her mother began crying.
“I didn't know what it was.””
Vanessa stepped toward her.
“You signed a marriage certificate with Gregory?””
Patricia shook her head.
“Your father said it was an authorization document.””
Richard stood abruptly.
“That's enough! We're leaving.””
Michael raised his hand.
“I strongly advise everyone to remain available for the authorities.””
Richard ignored him.
He grabbed his wife's purse and headed toward the ballroom doors.
But before he could reach them, two uniformed officers entered.
One approached Michael.
“Mr. Bennett?””
“Yes.””
“We've been informed about the attempted entry at the Naples property. We need to speak with the property owner and the individuals involved.””
Richard immediately stepped forward.
“This is a private family event.””
The officer looked at him.
“Sir, are you Richard Mitchell?””
Richard hesitated.
“Yes.””
“We'd like to ask you some questions.””
Vanessa began crying again.
“Daniel, please don't let them take my father.””
I looked at her.
“I didn't call the police to punish anyone. I called because someone tried to enter my father's home.””
The officer turned toward Michael.
“There's one more thing. The locksmith provided us with a statement.””
Michael frowned.
“What did he say?””
“He claims he was hired to change the locks and install a new security system. The payment came from an account belonging to a woman named Vanessa Carter.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. That's not possible.””
The officer showed her the transaction.
She stared at it.
Then her face changed.
“I know that account.””
I leaned closer.
“What account?””
She whispered, “It's the account we opened for our wedding expenses.””
My heart sank.
The money we had saved together.
The money I had deposited from my salary.
The money she had told me was safe.
I looked at Michael.
“Can we see the full transaction history?””
He nodded.
The officer handed him another page.
Michael read it.
Then he looked at me with an expression I had never seen before.
“Daniel, there's a withdrawal of $185,000.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“It was transferred yesterday.””
“Where?””
He turned the page toward me.
The destination account belonged to Gregory Shaw Consulting.
Vanessa began shaking her head.
“I didn't do that.””
I looked at the woman I had married two hours earlier.
“Then who did?””
She stared at her father.
Richard didn't look back.
And as the officers approached him, he finally said something that made the entire room go silent.
“Vanessa didn't steal the money, Daniel.””
He pointed toward my father.
“Robert did.””
May you like
My father slowly raised his head.
And for the first time that evening, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.
