Chapter 9: The Brother Who Had His Own Secrets
I stepped away from Michael.
"You're telling me you stole my father's documents?""
Michael didn't deny it.
"Yes.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"Because Daniel was about to destroy them.""
"That's convenient.""
"I know how it sounds.""
"Do you?""
My voice rose.
"My father trusted you. I trusted you. And now you're standing here telling me you took something from his office?""
Michael looked genuinely ashamed.
"I was trying to protect what he left you.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was afraid you'd tell Daniel.""
I shook my head.
"You don't get to decide what I deserve to know.""
Evelyn stepped between us.
"Olivia, please. Michael made mistakes, but he never wanted to hurt you.""
I looked at her.
"That's what everyone keeps saying. Daniel says he loved me. Vanessa says she trusted him. Now Michael says he protected me.""
I wiped my cheeks.
"Nobody seems to understand that I never asked any of you to make decisions for me.""
The room fell silent.
Then I picked up my father's letter.
"I want the truth. All of it. No more secrets.""
Michael nodded.
He pulled out a chair.
"Eight years ago, after your father died, I went to his office to collect some business records. I discovered Daniel had already been there.""
"What did he take?""
"The original trust deed and several financial ledgers.""
I looked at him.
"And you stole them back?""
"I recovered some documents. But Daniel caught me.""
"What happened?""
Michael looked toward Daniel.
"He attacked me.""
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"You attacked me first.""
Michael continued.
"We fought. I left with the documents, but Daniel had already called the people he owed money to. They were waiting outside.""
I held my breath.
Michael's voice dropped.
"I was forced to disappear. Daniel told me that if I returned, he would make sure you and your daughter suffered.""
I felt cold.
"Did he threaten Sophie?""
Michael nodded.
"He said he could make it look like an accident.""
Evelyn covered her mouth.
I turned toward Daniel.
"Did you threaten your own daughter?""
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
"Michael is twisting everything.""
"Then tell me what happened.""
He stared at me.
"You're making this worse than it needs to be.""
I almost couldn't believe him.
"Worse? Our daughter has been living in a house with a man who has apparently been threatening her safety for years.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"I never touched Sophie.""
"That's not the question.""
He looked away.
Michael removed another document.
It was a handwritten inventory of my father's office.
At the bottom was a note:
Original trust deed and audio recording stored in safe deposit box 418.
I looked at the number.
"Where is this?""
"At the old bank downtown," Michael replied.
"Do you have the key?""
He shook his head.
"No. Daniel took it.""
I turned toward my husband.
"Where is the key?""
Daniel smiled faintly.
"You think I'm going to hand it over?""
Before anyone could respond, Robert returned with two uniformed police officers.
A detective entered behind them.
"Daniel Bennett?""
Daniel straightened his jacket.
"Yes.""
"I'm Detective Harris. We need to speak with you regarding suspected financial fraud and identity theft.""
Daniel raised his hands.
"You're making a mistake. This is a family dispute.""
The detective glanced at the documents on the table.
"That's for us to determine.""
He turned toward me.
"Mrs. Bennett, are you willing to provide a statement?""
I nodded.
"Yes.""
Daniel immediately interrupted.
"Olivia, think carefully. Everything we own could be frozen.""
I looked at him.
"Everything you stole, you mean.""
The detective asked the officers to secure the documents.
As they began collecting the papers, Vanessa suddenly stood.
"I want to cooperate.""
Daniel turned toward her.
"Sit down.""
She ignored him.
"I have messages. Bank transfers. Everything.""
Michael looked surprised.
Vanessa reached into her handbag and removed a small silver USB drive.
"I saved copies of the conversations Daniel and I had about the company.""
Daniel's expression changed.
"Vanessa, give me that.""
She stepped behind the detective.
"No.""
The detective took the drive.
"What's on it?""
"Emails, voice recordings, and copies of the original transfer instructions.""
Daniel's face turned pale.
I watched him carefully.
For the first time, he seemed to understand that the people he had manipulated were no longer willing to protect him.
Then Vanessa looked at me.
"There's something else you should know.""
I didn't respond.
She swallowed.
"Daniel didn't choose your anniversary dinner randomly.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
She glanced at him.
"He wanted you to sign the divorce and business transfer documents in front of witnesses.""
"Why?""
"Because he planned to claim you had agreed to everything voluntarily.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"He wanted to humiliate me into signing?""
Vanessa nodded.
"He told me that if you refused, he'd show you something that would make you cooperate.""
I looked at Daniel.
"What?""
He didn't answer.
Vanessa continued.
"Photographs. Documents. Something involving your father.""
Michael suddenly stepped forward.
"Vanessa, what exactly did he say?""
She hesitated.
"He said Olivia would never risk letting the truth about her father's death become public.""
The room went silent.
I looked at the photograph of my father.
My father had died eleven years earlier.
The official cause was a sudden heart attack.
I remembered the hospital.
The doctors.
Daniel holding my hand as I cried.
I remembered him telling me there was nothing anyone could have done.
I looked at my husband.
"What truth about my father's death?""
Daniel closed his eyes.
The detective turned toward him.
"Mr. Bennett, do you know anything about this?""
Daniel remained silent.
Then Michael spoke.
"Olivia, your father didn't die of a natural heart attack.""
My entire body went cold.
"What?""
Michael looked directly at me.
"Someone altered his medical records.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Who?""
Michael pointed at the photograph of the three men.
Then he said the words I would never forget.
"The doctor who signed your father's death certificate was Victor Shaw's brother.""
I looked at the detective.
"Can we investigate this?""
He nodded slowly.
"We'll need to examine the original medical records.""
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
It contained a photograph of Sophie standing outside her school.
Beneath it were nine words.
Stop investigating your father's death, or your daughter pays the price.
I screamed.
Michael grabbed my phone.
The detective immediately called for backup.
And Daniel, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation, suddenly whispered:
"They found her.""
I turned toward him.
"Who found my daughter?""
May you like
He looked at me with terror in his eyes.
"The people who paid me to keep Michael dead.""
