Chapter 6: The Girl Who Was Never Told the Truth
Mia read the message three times.
Her fingers trembled around her phone.
"Mom," she whispered.
"What does he mean?""
Vanessa moved toward her.
"Give me your phone.""
Mia pulled it away.
"No.""
"Mia, please.""
"Who is my real father?""
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
Daniel stepped forward.
"Vanessa, answer her.""
She shook her head.
"This isn't the time.""
Mia let out a broken laugh.
"Apparently, it's never the time!""
She looked at me.
"Did you know?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
Mia turned back toward her mother.
"Is Michael my father?""
Vanessa sat down.
For several seconds, she stared at the floor.
Then she nodded.
"Yes.""
Mia's phone slipped from her hand and landed on the carpet.
"But you told me he died.""
"I thought it was safer.""
"Safer for who?""
Vanessa began crying.
"For you.""
Mia backed away.
"You let me grow up thinking my father abandoned me and died in an accident. You let me hate him for something he didn't do.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"By lying to me?""
Vanessa reached for her.
Mia stepped away.
"Don't touch me.""
I had never seen Mia look so frightened.
The girl who complained about everything, who demanded expensive things, who had laughed when I discovered my stolen savings, suddenly looked like a child who had lost the ground beneath her feet.
Dad picked up the USB drive.
"We're going to the police station tomorrow morning. Until then, nobody contacts Michael.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"You can't.""
"Watch me.""
"He'll hurt us.""
"Then we'll make sure the authorities know.""
Vanessa grabbed Dad's arm.
"You don't understand. Michael has people everywhere.""
Dad pulled away.
"Then we'll let the police investigate that too.""
He turned toward Mia.
"You're coming with us.""
Mia nodded weakly.
But Vanessa suddenly stood.
"No.""
Dad looked at her.
"Excuse me?""
"Mia isn't going anywhere.""
"She's fourteen. She's my stepdaughter, and I'm not leaving her alone in this situation.""
Vanessa moved between them.
"You have no right to take her.""
Dad's voice remained calm.
"I'm not taking her away from you. I'm making sure she's safe.""
Mia looked at her mother.
"Mom, I want to go with Dad.""
Vanessa froze.
Mia corrected herself immediately.
"I mean Daniel. I want to go with him.""
The distinction hurt more than either of them expected.
Dad placed a hand on Mia's shoulder.
"Go pack a bag.""
She went upstairs.
Vanessa sank onto the sofa.
I remained beside the coffee table, staring at my mother's letter.
One thought kept repeating in my mind.
If Michael had been alive for six years, why had he waited until now?
And why had he suddenly become interested in my inheritance?
Dad seemed to be asking himself the same question.
He opened the trust documents again.
"Emily, your grandfather established this trust when you were two. It was supposed to provide for your education and your future.""
"How much was in it?""
"Approximately one hundred and eighty thousand dollars.""
"Was it all stolen?""
"I don't know yet.""
He examined the photocopies.
"The last recorded balance was significantly lower, but your mother may have discovered something after these records were created.""
I looked at the USB drive.
"Can we watch the video again?""
Dad nodded.
We replayed it.
This time, I noticed something in the background.
Behind my mother was a bookshelf.
On the top shelf sat a framed photograph of a building.
I leaned closer.
"Pause it.""
Dad stopped the video.
"What?""
"That building.""
He zoomed in.
It was an old bank building in downtown Dallas.
I recognized the name on the sign.
First National Trust.
"Why does Mom have that picture?""
Dad examined it.
"Your grandfather did some of his business there.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Could the original trust agreement be there?""
Dad considered it.
"Possibly. But the bank changed ownership years ago.""
He picked up his phone and called Robert.
"Robert, I need you to find out whether First National Trust maintained any archived estate records connected to my father-in-law.""
He paused.
"Yes, immediately.""
While Dad spoke, I noticed Vanessa watching us.
She had stopped crying.
Her eyes were fixed on the USB drive.
When Dad ended the call, she approached him.
"Daniel, please listen to me.""
He didn't look up.
"What?""
"Michael isn't the only person involved.""
Dad slowly raised his head.
"What are you talking about?""
Vanessa sat down.
"Before he disappeared, Michael worked with a woman named Patricia.""
Dad's expression changed.
"Patricia who?""
"Patricia Reeves.""
"His sister?""
Vanessa nodded.
"She handled the paperwork. She opened the accounts, arranged transfers, and created the companies.""
Dad's jaw tightened.
"Why are you telling me this now?""
"Because Michael told me she was dead.""
Dad frowned.
"She died in 2021.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"That's what everyone was told.""
I looked between them.
"You're saying she faked her death too?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Michael said she was the one who arranged everything. He said the money from Emily's grandfather was moved through several accounts before it disappeared.""
Dad leaned forward.
"Where is Patricia now?""
"I don't know.""
"Then why bring her up?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"Because she contacted me last week.""
Dad went completely still.
"What?""
"She said Michael was planning to use the money from your company to finance something much bigger.""
"What?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"She wanted the original trust documents.""
I felt my heart pound.
"Why?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"Because they contain a clause that would allow the trustee to reclaim the money if evidence of fraud was discovered.""
Dad stared at her.
"And you knew this?""
"Yes.""
"That's why you took Emily's savings?""
Vanessa began crying again.
"I thought if I helped Michael, he'd leave us alone.""
Dad shook his head.
"You didn't protect anyone. You helped him.""
Before she could answer, Robert called back.
Dad answered immediately.
"Tell me you found something.""
Robert's voice was tense.
"We found an archived reference to the trust. But there's a complication.""
"What complication?""
"The original agreement was transferred to a private legal custodian in 2021.""
"Who?""
Robert paused.
Then he gave Dad a name.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
I could see his hands beginning to shake.
"Are you sure?""
"Absolutely. We have the transfer record.""
Dad ended the call.
I stared at him.
"Who has it?""
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he turned the laptop toward me.
On the screen was a scanned document.
At the bottom was a signature.
The custodian of my grandfather's trust.
*Patricia Reeves.*
My father's expression darkened.
"She didn't disappear in 2021.""
He looked at Vanessa.
"She took custody of Emily's inheritance.""
Vanessa covered her face.
Then she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
"Patricia didn't just take the documents.""
Dad stared at her.
"What else?""
Vanessa looked directly at me.
"She has been paying for your education.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Every school expense. Every academic fee. Even some of the money your father thought he was paying.""
Dad slowly stood.
"That's impossible.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"Patricia told me she was keeping track of Emily. She said she wanted to make sure the money was being used for the right child.""
I felt dizzy.
"Then why did I have to work at the grocery store?""
Vanessa looked down.
"Because she stopped sending the money.""
"When?""
"Six months ago.""
Dad's voice became cold.
"Why?""
Vanessa looked at him.
"Because she said Emily was about to turn sixteen.""
I stared at her.
"What does my age have to do with anything?""
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"Because your grandfather's trust has a special provision. When you turn sixteen, you become eligible to request an independent audit of the entire account.""
Dad looked at the documents again.
"And if the audit reveals fraud?""
Vanessa nodded.
"The money can be recovered.""
For the first time that night, my father looked hopeful.
Then Vanessa delivered the final blow.
"That's why Michael came back. He doesn't want to steal your college fund, Emily.""
She looked at the photograph of my mother.
"He wants to make sure you never discover what happened to the original one.""
Dad's phone buzzed.
A new email from Robert.
He opened it.
The subject line read:
*URGENT — TRUST AUDIT REQUEST ALREADY FILED.*
Dad frowned.
"Who filed it?""
He opened the attachment.
The request had been submitted that afternoon.
The beneficiary's name was mine.
But I hadn't filed anything.
And beneath my name was a signature.
My mother's.
Dad looked at me.
"Emily...""
I leaned toward the screen.
The signature was unmistakable.
My mother had been dead for ten years.
Yet someone had just used her name to request an audit of my inheritance.
And the request included a final instruction:
*All recovered funds must be transferred to the original beneficiary's designated account immediately.*
The designated account wasn't mine.
It belonged to a company called Vantage Lifestyle Consulting.
Vanessa's company.
My stepmother looked at the screen.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"Michael has already started the final transfer.""
