Chapter 18: The Man Behind The Plan
Nobody spoke.
Not Vanessa.
Not Rachel.
Not even Maya.
The only sound in the room was my phone speaker.
Daniel’s breathing.
“Say that again.””
Daniel hesitated.
“Marcus…”
“My father has been dead for three years.””
“I know.””
“Then explain.””
A pause.
Then:
“Someone has been using his name.””
I looked at Vanessa.
Her face had changed.
She knew.
“How?””
I asked.
Daniel answered:
“Your father created a trust before he died.””
I frowned.
“A trust?””
“Yes.””
“For what?””
Daniel lowered his voice.
“To control your inheritance.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that have to do with Maya?””
Daniel continued.
“Your father didn’t approve of Claire.””
I froze.
“What?””
“He believed she wasn’t the right person for you.””
“That’s ridiculous.””
“He wrote letters about it.””
I remembered.
My father had always been distant after I married Claire.
But I thought it was because he was old-fashioned.
Not because he hated her.
“What does Vanessa have to do with this?””
Daniel sighed.
“She found the documents.””
The room went silent.
“She found them after your father died?””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“She discovered he had written a condition.””
My voice became cold.
“What condition?””
Daniel answered:
“If Maya wasn’t raised by you, the money would go to another beneficiary.””
I felt sick.
“Who?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
I looked at Vanessa.
“No.””
She looked away.
Rachel whispered:
“Vanessa.””
My phone slipped slightly.
“This was about money?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
But her voice lacked confidence.
“No?””
I stepped closer.
“You spent years hurting my daughter because of money?””
Her eyes filled.
“At first, no.””
“At first?””
She looked down.
“Then yes.””
The honesty hurt more than another lie.
Daniel continued.
“Marcus, there’s something else.””
“What?””
“The person managing the trust contacted me.””
“Who?””
A pause.
Then:
“Someone claiming to represent your father’s estate.””
I laughed bitterly.
“My father is dead.””
“I know.””
“Then who?””
Daniel said:
“The person used your father’s private security code.””
My blood went cold.
Only one person knew that code.
My father.
And one other person.
Someone he trusted.
I looked at Rachel.
She looked terrified.
“What?””
She whispered:
“Marcus…”
I turned.
“You know something.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
But her eyes said yes.
“Rachel.””
She closed her eyes.
“The night Claire died…”
I waited.
“Your father came to the hospital.””
I froze.
“What?””
“He visited Claire.””
“Why?””
Rachel looked at Vanessa.
“Because he wanted Claire to sign something.””
My heart pounded.
“What?””
“A document giving guardianship of Maya to someone else.””
I felt sick.
“My father tried to take my daughter?””
Rachel nodded.
“But Claire refused.””
I looked upstairs.
At Maya.
My daughter.
The child everyone had tried to control.
Everyone except Claire.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new email.
From an unknown sender.
One attachment.
A video file.
I opened it.
The screen showed hospital footage.
Ten years old.
The quality was poor.
But the people were clear.
Claire.
Vanessa.
My father.
And a fourth person.
Someone standing in the corner.
Someone I recognized immediately.
The video played.
My father’s voice came through.
“If Marcus refuses, we use another method.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“What method?””
My father answered:
“We make him believe Claire was unstable.””
I stopped breathing.
Then the camera moved.
Revealing the fourth person.
The person who had recorded everything.
The person who had kept the secret for ten years.
The person who had been watching us all along.
The video froze.
May you like
A name appeared on the screen.
*Olivia.*
