Chapter 13: The Woman at the Door
Nobody moved.
My father stood beside the open safe, staring at the office door as though he had just seen a ghost.
The woman knocked again.
"Richard, I know you're in there. Open the door.""
Grandma grabbed my hand.
"Caroline?""
My father shook his head.
"Nobody says anything. Do you understand?""
I stared at him.
"Why? What are you afraid she'll tell us?""
He ignored me and stepped toward the door.
Brianna moved in front of him.
"No. You've lied enough.""
"Get out of my way.""
"Not until you tell me what happened to Mom's design and why you kept that accident report.""
Vanessa grabbed Brianna's shoulder.
"Stop making this worse!""
Brianna pulled away.
"I spent my whole life believing Nia was the problem. You told me she was jealous, ungrateful, and incapable of succeeding without taking something from me.""
Her voice broke.
"Meanwhile, you were stealing from her, too.""
My father looked at her with disgust.
"You're being manipulated.""
"No, Dad. I'm finally thinking for myself.""
Three more knocks.
"Richard, I can hear everyone arguing. Open the door.""
My father reluctantly unlocked it.
A woman in her early sixties stood in the hallway.
She had silver-blonde hair, a dark green coat, and a leather handbag hanging from her shoulder.
Her eyes immediately found Grandma.
"Margaret.""
Grandma stepped forward.
"Caroline.""
The two women stared at each other.
Then Caroline looked at me.
"You must be Nia.""
I nodded.
She approached slowly.
"You look so much like Elizabeth.""
My throat tightened.
"You knew my mother?""
Caroline nodded.
"I was her closest friend.""
My father interrupted.
"Caroline, this isn't the place.""
She turned toward him.
"You're right. It should have happened twenty-three years ago.""
She placed her handbag on the desk.
Then she removed a thick envelope.
"I've brought the original documents.""
My father lunged forward.
"Give me that.""
Caroline stepped back.
"No.""
"Those documents belong to me.""
"No, Richard. They belong to Elizabeth's daughter.""
She handed the envelope to me.
Inside were photographs, letters, and a small digital storage device.
I picked up the first photograph.
It showed my mother and Caroline standing inside a fashion studio.
Behind them was the Midnight Monarch.
But this photograph was different from the one I'd seen earlier.
My mother was holding a pair of scissors.
Caroline was attaching the final butterfly wing.
Both women were smiling.
I looked up.
"You made the dress together?""
Caroline nodded.
"Your mother designed it. I helped construct the original prototype. Daniel developed the wing mechanism, and Elizabeth created the embroidery.""
I touched the photograph.
"Then why did my father say she abandoned it?""
Caroline's expression hardened.
"Because she refused to give him the rights.""
My father paced toward the window.
"That's enough.""
Caroline continued.
"Richard was drowning in debt. He had borrowed money from investors to expand his construction company. When the business began failing, he learned that Daniel's collection could be worth millions.""
Grandma sat down.
"Why didn't Elizabeth tell me?""
"She was trying to protect you. She believed Richard would eventually stop.""
I looked at the documents.
"Was the accident connected to the collection?""
Caroline took a deep breath.
"Yes.""
My heart seemed to stop.
She explained that on the evening of October 14, my mother had called her.
Elizabeth had discovered that Richard was attempting to transfer Daniel's designs to a private company using forged ownership documents.
She wanted Caroline to help her take the original patterns to Elise's studio.
They arranged to meet at a roadside restaurant.
But Richard found out.
"He followed Elizabeth," Caroline said.
"He wanted her to sign the transfer agreement. She refused.""
My father turned around.
"That's not what happened.""
Caroline looked at him.
"Then tell them what did.""
He said nothing.
Caroline continued.
"There was an argument. Richard took the leather portfolio from her car. Elizabeth tried to get it back. When she pulled away, he grabbed the steering wheel.""
I felt the room tilt.
"What?""
Caroline's eyes filled with tears.
"I was driving the second vehicle. I saw everything.""
My father slammed his hand against the desk.
"You're lying!""
Caroline opened the envelope again.
"I have the original statement I gave the police.""
"That statement was withdrawn!""
"Because you threatened to destroy my career and told me Elizabeth's daughter would grow up without a father if I spoke.""
I stared at my father.
"Did you cause Mom's accident?""
He looked at me.
His lips moved.
But no words came out.
Caroline placed the storage device on the table.
"This contains the recording from a voice memo Elizabeth made during the argument. She had started recording because she was afraid of Richard.""
My hands trembled.
"Can I hear it?""
Caroline nodded.
Maya connected the device to my phone.
A recording appeared.
The sound was faint at first.
Then my mother's voice emerged.
"Richard, give me the portfolio.""
My father's voice followed.
"You don't understand what this could do for us.""
"It isn't yours!""
"Daniel is dead. Someone has to make these designs profitable.""
"Not by stealing them.""
A door slammed.
Then came a struggle.
My mother's voice:
"Stop! Richard, you're hurting me!""
The recording ended with a loud crash.
I covered my mouth.
Grandma began sobbing.
Brianna stood frozen.
My father reached for the phone.
"Turn that off!""
I stepped backward.
"Don't touch it.""
He looked at all of us.
Then he made one final attempt to defend himself.
"It was an accident. I never wanted her to die.""
Caroline's voice was cold.
"Then why did you leave her there?""
My father lowered his head.
Nobody spoke.
Then Caroline removed another document.
"There's something else Nia needs to know. Elizabeth didn't just leave her designs to you.""
She looked directly at me.
"She created a separate trust for your future education. Richard was supposed to manage it until you turned eighteen.""
I stared.
"What trust?""
Caroline placed the document in my hands.
It contained a list of assets and a balance.
<text weight="semibold" color="default" tabularNums={true}>$184,600.</text>
I looked at my father.
"Where is that money?""
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He closed his eyes.
And his silence answered everything.
