Chapter 7: The Money That Had Already Disappeared
“Lauren, what money did your father transfer?””
Brandon's question hung in the hallway.
Lauren stared at her phone as though it might suddenly provide an answer that would make everything disappear.
“It's a business matter,” she finally said.
Brandon shook his head.
“Your father just told you not to tell anyone about money he transferred last month. What money?””
Lauren glanced toward Denise.
“Can we please discuss this privately?””
“No,” Brandon replied.
“We've been discussing everything privately for months. And somehow, my mother keeps discovering things she was never supposed to know.””
Denise remained quiet.
She had no intention of rescuing Lauren from a question she needed to answer.
Lauren took a breath.
“My father borrowed some money.””
“From whom?””
She looked away.
“From the event account.””
Brandon frowned.
“What event account?””
“The account we used to organize the engagement party.””
Denise's expression changed.
“There is no joint event account.””
Lauren swallowed.
“Dad said we could use the reimbursement arrangement to cover some expenses temporarily.””
Denise looked at Richard, who had just returned from the office with Monica.
“Richard, did the hotel transfer any money to the Whitmore family?””
Richard shook his head.
“No. The reimbursement request was never approved.””
Lauren quickly interrupted.
“Not from the hotel. From the account I opened.””
Brandon stared at her.
“You opened an account using what money?””
Lauren's voice dropped.
“The money you gave me.””
Brandon went completely still.
Three months earlier, he had transferred $32,000 into an account Lauren said was intended for wedding expenses. He had been saving for the wedding since his promotion to regional operations director.
He had trusted her to manage the arrangements.
“That's our wedding money,” he whispered.
“I know.””
“Where is it?””
Lauren started crying.
“My father needed a temporary loan.””
Brandon's face hardened.
“You gave my wedding savings to your father?””
“He promised to put it back!””
“When?””
“Soon!””
“How much is left?””
Lauren didn't answer.
Brandon stepped closer.
“Lauren, how much?””
She wiped her cheeks.
“Four thousand, eight hundred dollars.””
Brandon stared at her.
“Twenty-seven thousand dollars is gone?””
“It wasn't spent on anything personal!””
“Then where did it go?””
Lauren shook her head.
“My father had some cash-flow problems. He said the money would be replaced before the wedding.””
Denise watched her son.
She remembered him at twenty-two, saving money for his first apartment. He had worked weekend shifts and skipped vacations because he wanted to be financially independent.
Now he stood in a hotel hallway learning that the woman he planned to marry had given away most of his savings without his permission.
“Did you tell him?”” Denise asked.
Lauren looked at her.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew he'd react like this.””
Brandon laughed bitterly.
“You knew I'd be upset because you stole from our wedding account?””
“I didn't steal anything!””
“You transferred it without asking me!””
Lauren turned toward Denise.
“Can you please stop making this worse?””
Denise's voice was quiet.
“I'm not the one who transferred the money.””
Monica stepped forward.
“Ms. Whitmore, we need to clarify something. Was any portion of that money connected to the reimbursement request submitted to our hotel?””
Lauren shook her head.
“I don't know.””
“Did you or your father receive any payment from the hotel?””
“No.””
“Did you submit any other documents using Denise Carter's account?””
Lauren hesitated.
“No.””
Monica looked at Richard.
“We'll need to verify that.””
Robert appeared at the ballroom entrance.
He had apparently noticed the gathering and was walking toward them with his usual confident expression.
“What's happening now?””
Brandon turned.
“Did you take my money?””
Robert stopped.
“Excuse me?””
“The twenty-seven thousand dollars Lauren transferred to you. Did you take it?””
Robert glanced at his daughter.
“Lauren, what have you told him?””
“The truth,” Brandon answered.
Robert sighed.
“Brandon, this is an unfortunate misunderstanding between families.””
“Where's my money?””
“I used it to manage a temporary business obligation.””
“You didn't ask me.””
“Your fiancée gave it to me.””
“That's not an answer.””
Robert's voice became sharper.
“Listen, young man. I have been in business longer than you've been alive. Sometimes money has to move quickly. I was going to replace it.””
Brandon stared at him.
“With whose permission?””
Robert adjusted his watch.
“I don't have to explain every business decision to you.””
Brandon stepped closer.
“You took twenty-seven thousand dollars from my savings.””
“I borrowed it.””
“Without asking.””
“Your future wife authorized it.””
Lauren looked at her father.
“Dad, you told me it was only for two weeks.””
Robert turned sharply.
“Not now, Lauren.””
Brandon shook his head.
“It's been a month.””
Robert raised his voice.
“Because things happen! Do you think running a business is easy?””
Denise finally spoke.
“Robert, may I ask you something?””
He turned toward her impatiently.
“What?””
“Did you also use the money to cover the expenses on those invoices?””
Robert's expression changed.
“That's none of your business.””
“It became my business when my name appeared on an unauthorized payment request.””
Robert pointed at her.
“You've been looking for a reason to embarrass my family since the beginning.””
Denise looked at him calmly.
“No, Robert. I was looking for a seat at my son's engagement party.””
Richard stepped between them.
“Mr. Whitmore, this conversation needs to remain professional.””
Robert glared at him.
“You people are making a terrible mistake.””
Monica closed her folder.
“Sir, we have preserved the submitted documents and notified our legal department. Any further financial questions will be handled through the appropriate channels.””
Robert looked at Lauren.
“Get your things.””
Lauren didn't move.
“Dad, what about Brandon's money?””
Robert's expression hardened.
“I told you I'd handle it.””
“You said it would be back before the wedding.””
“Enough!””
The sharpness of his voice made several guests turn around.
Patricia appeared behind him.
“Robert, please lower your voice.””
He turned toward his wife.
“Stay out of this.””
Patricia didn't retreat.
“For once, you need to answer the questions.””
Robert stared at her.
“You too?””
Patricia looked at Lauren.
“Tell Brandon what your father said about the engagement party.””
Lauren's face went pale.
“Mom, don't.””
Patricia continued.
“He told me he wanted to use the party to introduce his company to potential investors. He said Denise's corporate sponsorship would make the expenses easier to justify.””
Denise looked at Richard.
Monica immediately opened her folder again.
“Did Mr. Whitmore discuss using the hotel's event documentation for his business?””
Patricia nodded.
“Yes.””
Robert's voice exploded.
“Patricia!””
But she continued.
“He said he had done similar arrangements before. He told me the hotel wouldn't question anything because the account was connected to Denise's company.””
Brandon slowly turned toward Robert.
“You planned this?””
Robert's expression became cold.
“Be careful what you accuse me of.””
Patricia looked at her husband.
“You told me this was legitimate. You told me no one would be hurt.””
Robert stepped toward her.
“Go back inside.””
“No.””
The single word surprised everyone.
Patricia took a breath.
“I have spent thirty-four years explaining your behavior to people. I'm not doing it tonight.””
Robert stared at her.
For the first time, he seemed to have lost control of the room.
Brandon looked at Lauren.
“Did you know about this?””
She began crying harder.
“I knew Dad wanted to use the event for business introductions. I didn't know he would use your mother's information.””
“Did you know about the invoices?””
“No.””
“Did you know he was using our money?””
Lauren looked down.
“I thought he would pay it back.””
Brandon closed his eyes.
He had imagined marrying Lauren for months.
He had pictured buying a house together, hosting Thanksgiving dinners, and eventually having children.
Now he couldn't stop thinking about how easily she had hidden $27,000 from him.
Denise touched his arm.
“Brandon.””
He looked at her.
“Come outside for a moment.””
He followed her through the side entrance.
The November air was cool against their faces.
For a while, neither spoke.
Finally, Brandon said, “I'm sorry, Mom.””
Denise looked toward the illuminated hotel entrance.
“I know.””
“I should have listened when you called me about the seating.””
“Yes.””
“I should have defended you.””
“Yes.””
He swallowed.
“Do you think I've become a terrible person?””
Denise turned toward him.
“No.””
He looked surprised.
“You don't?””
“I think you've been afraid of disappointing the wrong people.””
Brandon stared at the ground.
“Dad would have hated tonight.””
Denise's eyes filled.
“Your father would have wanted you to stand up for what was right, even when it cost you something.””
Brandon nodded.
Then he looked at her.
“Are you going to cancel the wedding?””
Denise didn't answer immediately.
“Brandon, I can't make that decision for you.””
“What would you do?””
She touched his cheek.
“I would rather see you walk away from an expensive wedding than walk into an expensive mistake.””
Brandon's eyes filled.
He hugged her.
And for the first time that evening, Denise allowed herself to cry.
But their moment was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.
Monica appeared at the entrance.
“Ms. Carter, Mr. Carter, I'm sorry to interrupt.””
Denise wiped her cheeks.
“What happened?””
Monica held out her phone.
“Our compliance department has located an additional document submitted earlier this week.””
Brandon looked at it.
“What document?””
Monica hesitated.
“A proposed transfer of the original event sponsorship into a separate business account.””
Denise frowned.
“Whose account?””
Monica turned the screen toward them.
The account belonged to a company called Whitmore Legacy Holdings.
Brandon read the name twice.
Then he noticed the person listed as the authorized beneficiary.
His own name.
*BRANDON MICHAEL CARTER.*
He looked up.
“Why is my name on this?””
Monica answered quietly.
“Because someone submitted a request claiming you had agreed to become a financial partner in Mr. Whitmore's company.””
Brandon stared at the screen.
“I never agreed to that.””
Denise felt a chill move through her.
And then Monica revealed the final detail.
“The document also includes a personal guarantee bearing your signature.””
Brandon shook his head.
“I never signed a personal guarantee.””
Denise looked at him.
“Brandon, did you give Lauren access to any of your financial documents?””
He hesitated.
Then his expression changed.
“My laptop.””
“What about it?””
“She used it last month to prepare some wedding paperwork.””
Denise looked at Monica.
“Please preserve that document.””
Monica nodded.
Brandon looked toward the ballroom.
His fiancée was still inside.
May you like
And suddenly, the question wasn't whether Lauren had lied about the party.
It was whether she had been planning to put him in debt long before he ever walked into that hotel.
