Chapter 10: The Message From My Father
The room went silent after we saw the name.
Daniel Carter.
My father’s name.
His phone.
His message.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I looked at him.
Then at the screen.
Then back at him.
“No,” I whispered.
My father looked like he couldn’t breathe.
“That’s not possible.””
Madison wiped her tears.
“Dad…”
He took the phone from his hand.
He stared at the message.
His face changed.
Not anger.
Fear.
“Give me your phone,” he said.
Madison hesitated.
“Now.””
She handed it over.
He checked the number.
Then the account information.
Then the login history.
His hands started shaking.
“This isn’t my phone.””
I frowned.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“I never sent this.””
Nobody spoke.
Vanessa slowly walked closer.
“Someone is framing you.””
Dad looked at her.
“You expect us to believe that?””
Her expression hardened.
“Yes.””
The irony was almost painful.
The same woman we accused was now the one defending him.
Dad walked into the living room.
He looked like he was searching through memories.
“Who had access to my accounts?””
Nobody answered.
Then Madison whispered:
“Grandma.””
Everyone turned.
“What?””
She looked terrified.
“I don’t know if it matters.””
“Say it,” Dad said.
She swallowed.
“My grandmother had your passwords.””
My father froze.
“My mother?””
Madison nodded.
“She helped you with paperwork before.””
I stared at Dad.
“Your mother knew about the trust?””
He looked away.
“Yes.””
The answer made my stomach twist.
“How many people knew?””
Dad sat down.
“I thought only your mother, me, and the attorney.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
“She told me.””
I felt anger rise again.
“She told you?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Rachel knew she couldn’t handle everything alone.””
“Why would she trust you?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Because she knew I loved you.””
The words shocked me.
Not because I believed them.
Because a small part of me wanted to.
And that made everything more confusing.
Dad walked back to his office.
“We need to find the original documents.””
Vanessa followed.
“No.””
He stopped.
“What?””
“Not here.””
“Why?””
“Because whoever did this has been inside your office before.””
The room went cold.
Dad looked around.
“Our house.””
“Yes.””
Someone had been inside.
Someone had moved papers.
Someone had created accounts.
Someone had been watching.
That night, my father installed security cameras throughout the house.
Nobody trusted anyone anymore.
The next morning, the bank investigator arrived.
His name was Robert Hayes.
He placed several documents on the table.
“We traced the transfers.””
Dad leaned forward.
“And?””
Robert looked serious.
“The money moved through three different accounts.””
“Can you recover it?””
“We’re trying.””
I looked at the documents.
“Where did it finally end up?””
Robert hesitated.
Then looked at me.
“An investment account.””
“Whose?””
He slid the paper across the table.
I read the name.
My heart dropped.
It wasn’t Madison.
It wasn’t Vanessa.
It wasn’t my father.
It was:
Rachel Carter.
My mother.
I looked up.
“That’s impossible.””
Robert shook his head.
“The account was opened twelve years ago.””
The room went silent.
“Twelve years?””
“Yes.””
“Before she died?””
“Yes.””
Dad looked confused.
“My wife never told me about another account.””
Robert nodded.
“That’s why this is complicated.””
I stared at the paper.
My mother had an account.
A hidden account.
And money had been moved there recently.
“Who accessed it?””
Robert looked at his notes.
“We’re still investigating.””
“Can we see the login?””
He hesitated.
Then handed over another document.
At the top was a timestamp.
The most recent access.
Yesterday.
The day my college fund disappeared.
And beneath it was the name attached to the login.
I felt my entire body go cold.
Because it wasn’t my mother.
It wasn’t Vanessa.
It wasn’t Madison.
It was someone sitting at that table.
Someone who had been defending me.
Someone who had been helping me search for the truth.
My father read the name.
May you like
And whispered:
“No…”
