Chapter 8: My Stepsister's Real Inheritance
I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the photograph of Vanessa outside the hospital.
I kept thinking about the $75,000.
About the missing inheritance.
About my father's company.
And about Brianna.
The next morning, Rachel arranged an emergency meeting with the trust administrator.
Thomas Bell joined us through a secure video conference.
He appeared on the screen wearing the same charcoal suit he'd worn at the courthouse.
"Miss Carter, I reviewed the new amendment from Mr. Reeves.""
"Does it change anything about the money?""
"Yes. It confirms that your father was never authorized to transfer the beneficial ownership of the trust.""
Rachel interrupted.
"Can we identify the account that received the $640,000?""
Thomas opened a document.
"The transfer was made to a company called Blue Haven Holdings.""
I frowned.
"Who owns it?""
Thomas hesitated.
"The company is registered to Brianna Carter.""
My stomach dropped.
"She was seventeen when the account was created.""
"Correct.""
Rachel leaned closer to the camera.
"Who signed the registration documents?""
Thomas checked his records.
"Robert Carter signed as the responsible adult. Vanessa Carter was listed as the company's financial representative.""
I looked at Rachel.
"So my father created a company in Brianna's name and transferred my mother's money into it?""
"That's what the records indicate," Thomas replied.
I couldn't understand why.
"Did Brianna know?""
Thomas shook his head.
"We cannot determine that from the financial records alone.""
Rachel asked him to continue.
He displayed a transaction history.
The $640,000 had not remained in the account.
Within seventy-two hours, the money had been divided into several transfers.
Some went to a property investment company.
Some went to a private bank account.
And $180,000 had been used to purchase a house in northern Georgia.
Rachel enlarged the property record.
"Who owns this house?""
Thomas answered.
"Robert and Vanessa Carter.""
I stared at the screen.
"They bought a house with my inheritance?""
"Yes.""
My hands trembled.
For years, Dad had told me we couldn't afford to move out of our modest Atlanta home.
He had complained about bills whenever I asked for money for school supplies.
Yet he'd purchased another property with money my mother had left for me.
Rachel turned to Thomas.
"What happened to the remaining assets?""
"Approximately $92,000 remains traceable. The rest appears to have been spent, transferred, or used to repay unrelated debts.""
I closed my eyes.
My mother had worked for years to build that trust.
And my father had treated it like his personal bank account.
"Can we freeze what's left?""
"An emergency preservation order has been requested. We expect a response shortly.""
Rachel nodded.
"Now we need to discuss Brianna's involvement.""
I looked at her.
"She's my stepsister. I don't want her arrested if she genuinely didn't know.""
Rachel's expression softened.
"Then we need evidence of what she knew and when she knew it.""
That afternoon, I received a message from Brianna.
Please meet me. Alone.
I showed Rachel.
She immediately shook her head.
"Don't meet her without someone present.""
I agreed to meet at a coffee shop near the courthouse, with Rachel waiting at a nearby table.
Brianna arrived twenty minutes late.
She wore sunglasses and a baseball cap.
For once, she wasn't dressed like someone attending a fashion event.
She looked exhausted.
She sat across from me.
"Did you tell Mom about the trust?""
"No. I didn't need to. She already knew.""
Brianna removed her sunglasses.
Her eyes were red.
"Emily, I need to tell you something.""
"Then tell me.""
She looked toward the counter.
"Mom showed me the company documents last year.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Which documents?""
"The Blue Haven papers.""
"Why?""
"She said Dad had created an investment account for my future. She told me the money came from a family property sale.""
I stared at her.
"And you believed her?""
"At first.""
"What changed?""
Brianna pulled a folded sheet from her handbag.
It was a bank statement.
"I found this in Mom's office two months ago.""
The account was registered to Blue Haven Holdings.
The transaction description showed a transfer from my mother's trust.
My name appeared in the reference field.
I looked at Brianna.
"You knew the money came from my mother.""
She began crying.
"Yes.""
I couldn't speak.
"How long?""
"Since February.""
"February of this year?""
She nodded.
I pushed the statement away.
"And you still entered my dress in the competition?""
Brianna wiped her cheeks.
"Mom said the trust money was already being handled by Dad. She told me the scholarship would be mine because she had paid for the design.""
"Paid whom?""
"I don't know.""
"You're telling me you believed someone had paid me to make a dress?""
Brianna looked down.
"I wanted to win.""
That answer hurt more than I expected.
She reached into her handbag and removed another item.
A photograph.
It showed my original gown hanging in our house.
Beside it was a sheet of paper containing several handwritten notes.
I recognized the handwriting.
Vanessa's.
One sentence had been underlined.
Make sure Brianna learns the construction details before judging day.
I looked at my stepsister.
"She knew you couldn't make it.""
Brianna nodded.
"Mom made me practice the presentation. She told me to memorize your design story.""
I felt sick.
"Why are you telling me this now?""
Brianna hesitated.
"Because I found another document.""
She slid a photocopy across the table.
It was a letter addressed to my father.
The date was from seven years earlier.
The subject line read:
*CONFIDENTIAL — FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF MARGARET CARTER'S ESTATE.*
At the bottom was a handwritten instruction.
The secondary beneficiary is to receive the remaining studio assets only if Emily Carter's inheritance is successfully transferred.
I looked up.
"Who is the secondary beneficiary?""
Brianna swallowed.
Then she said, "Me.""
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
"Your mother was going to give you my inheritance?""
"That's what the document says.""
"Why?""
Brianna shook her head.
"I don't know. But there's something else.""
She took out her phone and opened a recording.
"Mom left this playing on her laptop. I recorded it because I thought she was talking about the scholarship.""
A woman's voice filled the space between us.
Vanessa.
Once the girl signs the final documents, everything will be clean. Robert can stop pretending he has no access to the money. And Brianna gets the studio.
Then another voice answered.
My father.
What if Emily refuses?
Vanessa laughed.
She won't. She's desperate to leave this house. Give her the New York opportunity, and she'll sign anything.
The recording ended.
I sat frozen.
They hadn't simply stolen my design.
They had planned to use my dream of escaping Atlanta to make me surrender my inheritance.
Brianna covered her face.
"I swear I didn't know about that part.""
I looked at her.
"Did you know Mom was going to use my signature?""
"No.""
"Did you know she was going to put me in a position where I had to choose between my future and my inheritance?""
She shook her head.
I stood.
"Then you need to tell Rachel everything.""
Brianna grabbed my wrist.
"Emily, wait.""
I pulled away.
She looked up at me.
"There's a reason Mom wants the studio so badly.""
I turned.
"What reason?""
May you like
Brianna swallowed.
"Because the studio contains something worth much more than the building.""
