Chapter 6: The Threat My Daughter Had Been Hiding
I reached Nia's school in less than fifteen minutes.
I found her sitting in the principal's office, her backpack resting beside her chair.
Her eyes were red.
A school counselor sat next to her, holding a box of tissues.
The principal, Mrs. Wilson, stood when I entered.
"Mr. Carter, thank you for coming.""
I went straight to my daughter.
"Nia, sweetheart.""
She stood and wrapped both arms around me.
I held her tightly.
"Are you okay?""
She nodded against my chest.
"Vanessa came here," she whispered.
"I know. Did she hurt you?""
"No.""
"Did she say anything?""
Nia pulled away and wiped her face.
"She told me I had to come home with her.""
Mrs. Wilson stepped closer.
"Your daughter told us she was uncomfortable leaving with Vanessa. We followed our safeguarding procedures and contacted you.""
I thanked her.
Then I looked at Nia.
"Why didn't you want to go with her?""
My daughter stared at the floor.
"Because she said I wasn't supposed to tell you everything.""
I knelt in front of her.
"Sweetheart, you can tell me anything.""
She glanced toward the counselor.
The woman gently nodded.
Nia took a breath.
"Vanessa came into my room last night after you went downstairs.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did she say?""
"She told me I was ruining the family.""
I felt my jaw clench.
Nia continued.
"She said Madison and Tyler might have to leave their school if you got angry enough to divorce her. She said it would be my fault.""
I closed my eyes briefly.
"That's not your responsibility.""
"I know, but she kept saying it.""
Nia's voice became smaller.
"Then she told me that if I kept talking about Mom's jewelry, she would send me to live with Aunt Laura.""
I frowned.
"Did she say why?""
"She said you would be happier without me reminding you of Mom.""
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
My twelve-year-old daughter had been carrying that threat alone.
I gently held her shoulders.
"Listen carefully. Nobody is sending you away. You are my daughter, and this is your home. Do you understand?""
She nodded.
"But what if she makes you choose?""
I looked directly into her eyes.
"I don't have to choose between my daughter and a marriage. My daughter comes first.""
Nia began crying.
I pulled her into my arms.
Mrs. Wilson waited until we had settled before handing me a written incident report.
"There's something else you should know," she said.
I looked up.
"Yesterday, Nia spoke to her teacher about a missing photograph. She said she was worried someone might throw away the last picture she had of her mother.""
I turned toward Nia.
"Which photograph?""
"The one from the hospital," she whispered.
"The one Mommy was holding me in.""
I remembered seeing it in Madison's room.
"Didn't we find that one?""
Nia shook her head.
"That was a copy. The original had a little note on the back.""
I frowned.
"What did the note say?""
She looked at me.
"Mommy wrote, 'For my little girl, when she needs to remember who she is.''"
I swallowed.
"Where did you last see it?""
"In Vanessa's bedroom.""
I thanked the school staff and took Nia home.
But when we arrived, Vanessa's car was gone.
The house was unusually quiet.
I checked the master bedroom.
Several drawers were open.
The closet floor was covered with clothes.
A suitcase was missing.
I walked downstairs.
"Vanessa?""
No answer.
I called her phone.
It went straight to voicemail.
Then I noticed an envelope on the kitchen counter.
My name was written across it.
Inside was a single handwritten page.
Daniel,
I cannot continue living in a house where everything revolves around a woman who has been dead for four years. I need time to think. Don't make this worse by involving lawyers.
Vanessa.
I placed the letter down.
Nia stood behind me.
"Did she leave?""
"I think so.""
"Is she coming back?""
I looked at my daughter.
"I don't know, sweetheart.""
She stared toward the staircase.
"Can we look for the photograph?""
I nodded.
We searched the bedroom together.
Under the bed.
Inside the dresser.
Behind the nightstand.
Nothing.
Then Nia noticed a small wooden cabinet near Vanessa's vanity.
"What's that?""
I opened it.
Inside were several envelopes, receipts, and a small black notebook.
The notebook had a rubber band around it.
I opened the first page.
There were dates, amounts, and handwritten names.
Several entries mentioned jewelry.
Others referred to payments.
I recognized the name Robert Miller.
Beside it were three numbers.
$8,500.
$12,000.
$4,200.
My stomach tightened.
I turned another page.
There was a handwritten entry:
Emily account — remaining assets. Need authorization before Harris investigates.
Below it was another note.
Original photograph must be located.
I stared at the words.
Why was Vanessa looking for the original photograph?
I turned the page again.
There was a list of items.
- Gold locket. - Pearl earrings. - Diamond bracelet.
- Grandmother's necklace. - Wooden music box. - Original hospital photograph.
Every item Emily had left behind.
But at the bottom was something I hadn't expected.
Blue envelope — Laura.
I looked at Nia.
"Do you know what a blue envelope is?""
She shook her head.
Then she pointed toward the notebook.
"That's not all.""
"What do you mean?""
Nia reached into her backpack and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"I found this in Vanessa's room two days ago. I was going to show you, but I got scared.""
I opened it.
It was a printed email.
The sender's name was Robert Miller.
The subject line read:
*RE: Original Documents and Final Transfer*
I began reading.
Vanessa,
We cannot proceed without the original document. The copy you provided is insufficient. Mr. Harris has already questioned its authenticity.
You said Daniel had no knowledge of the additional property. If that changes, we need to act quickly.
The photograph may contain the information we need. Find it before Laura arrives.
My hands began to shake.
I read the final sentence again.
If Laura gets the original first, the entire arrangement could collapse.
I looked at Nia.
"Sweetheart, did you know your aunt was coming?""
Nia shook her head.
"No. But Mommy told me something before she died.""
I knelt beside her.
"What?""
"She said Aunt Laura would come to see me when I was old enough to understand the truth.""
I stared at my daughter.
"When did she tell you that?""
"On the last night I slept beside her in the hospital.""
Nia reached into her backpack again.
This time, she pulled out a small folded photograph.
It was Emily holding her newborn daughter.
On the back was a handwritten message.
Daniel, if Laura comes looking for Nia, let her tell our daughter what I couldn't tell you while I was alive.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Emily had never mentioned any secret involving Laura.
I turned the photograph over again.
There was something written beneath the message.
A date.
And a name.
*Robert Miller.*
I stared at it.
The same man who had accompanied Vanessa to the jewelry store.
Before I could say anything, my phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar Oregon number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A woman's voice came through.
"Daniel? It's Laura.""
I gripped the phone.
"Emily's sister?""
"Yes. I've been trying to reach you for weeks.""
"Why?""
Her voice trembled.
"Because Vanessa has been looking for something that doesn't belong to her. And because I think she's been working with the man who helped destroy my sister's life before she died.""
I looked at Nia.
"What are you talking about?""
Laura took a shaky breath.
"Daniel, Emily didn't just leave Nia an inheritance. She discovered something about Robert Miller shortly before she died.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What did she discover?""
Laura went quiet.
Then she said:
"Robert Miller was the man Emily had been trying to protect Nia from.""
A second later, she added:
"And Daniel, there's something you need to know about Vanessa. She didn't meet Robert eleven months ago. They've known each other much longer than that.""
I looked down at the photograph in my hand.
The date written on the back was four years old.
May you like
It was from the week Emily died.
And suddenly, I understood why Vanessa had been so desperate to find the original.
