Chapter 9: The Daughter They Tried to Steal
Marcus didn't tell Jasmine about the adoption papers immediately.
He needed to understand why Linda had been so determined to prevent the adoption.
He also needed to know whether Jasmine had any idea what her mother had been planning.
The next morning, he met Michael in his office.
He placed the adoption petition on the desk.
"Can you explain this?""
Michael read the first page.
His eyebrows rose.
"Where did you find it?""
"In Linda's old documents.""
"Did you ever discuss adopting Jasmine?""
Marcus nodded.
"Several times. Linda always said we should wait until Jasmine was older.""
Michael examined the date.
"This was prepared two months before your accident.""
"Why would she prepare it if she didn't want me to sign it?""
Michael continued reading.
"Because she may have been preparing for a legal arrangement that would give her control over the process.""
Marcus looked confused.
Michael turned the page.
"The proposed declaration would make Jasmine your legal heir. But this additional document appears to contain a separate financial condition.""
Marcus leaned forward.
"What condition?""
Michael pointed to a paragraph.
"If the adoption was completed, certain assets would become protected for Jasmine's benefit. Linda would no longer have the same ability to transfer them without legal scrutiny.""
Marcus stared at him.
"So she wanted to stop the adoption because she wanted control of the money?""
"That's one possibility.""
"Then why make Jasmine hate me?""
Michael closed the file.
"Because if Jasmine believed you were the problem, she might refuse to support the adoption herself.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
He remembered every argument.
Every insult.
Every time Jasmine had accused him of ruining her life.
Linda hadn't simply allowed the resentment to grow.
She might have deliberately cultivated it.
That afternoon, Marcus asked Jasmine to meet him in the garden.
She came outside carrying a blanket and sat beside him.
For several minutes, they watched the wind move through the trees.
Then Marcus spoke.
"Jasmine, do you remember when I asked you whether you'd ever wanted me to adopt you?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
"What did Mom tell you?""
Jasmine looked down.
"She said you only wanted to adopt me because you wanted control over Dad's inheritance.""
Marcus stared at her.
"Your biological father's inheritance?""
She nodded.
"She said you wanted to replace him and take everything he left me.""
Marcus felt his throat tighten.
"Did you believe her?""
"I didn't know what to believe.""
"Jasmine, I never wanted your father's money.""
She looked at him.
"I know.""
He reached into his pocket and removed a folded document.
It was a copy of the adoption petition.
"I wanted to adopt you because I loved you. Because you were already my daughter in every way that mattered.""
Jasmine read the document.
Then she noticed the date.
"Mom prepared this?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't she let you sign it?""
Marcus looked toward the house.
"Because she had other plans.""
Jasmine's eyes filled.
"Did she really want you to die?""
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
He didn't want to lie.
"We're still investigating exactly what she intended. But the evidence suggests she was willing to put both our lives at risk.""
Jasmine covered her mouth.
"I was sitting right next to you.""
"I know.""
"She knew I was there.""
Marcus reached for her hand.
"None of this was your fault.""
Jasmine began crying.
"I told you I wished you had died.""
He looked at her.
"And I still love you.""
She leaned against his shoulder.
For the first time in months, Marcus felt the distance between them begin to disappear.
But the moment didn't last.
His phone rang.
Michael.
"Marcus, we have a major development.""
"What happened?""
"We found the person who sent you the anonymous photographs.""
"Who?""
"Daniel's former wife. Her name is Emily Carter.""
Marcus sat upright.
"Why is she contacting me?""
"Because she has been investigating Westbridge for two years.""
Michael paused.
"And she claims Linda was involved in her mother's death.""
Emily agreed to meet them at a law office the following morning.
She was in her late thirties, with dark hair and tired eyes.
When Marcus entered, she stood up.
"Mr. Carter.""
"You're the one who sent me the photograph?""
Emily nodded.
"I've been trying to reach you for months.""
"Why didn't you contact me directly?""
"Because I didn't know whether your wife was monitoring your communications.""
Marcus looked at Michael.
Emily placed a thick folder on the table.
"My mother was Margaret Lewis.""
Marcus felt a chill.
"I've seen her name.""
Emily nodded.
"She was a successful businesswoman. She owned several commercial properties and had a substantial investment portfolio.""
"What happened to her?""
"She died in the hospital after a sudden medical complication.""
Marcus studied her.
"Was Evelyn Shaw involved?""
"Yes. She was one of the nurses assigned to my mother's room.""
Emily opened the folder.
"After my mother died, I discovered that several of her accounts had been transferred into a trust. I was listed as the beneficiary, but I never received the money.""
"Who controlled the trust?""
"Daniel.""
Marcus leaned forward.
"Your former husband?""
Emily nodded.
"He convinced my mother to sign financial documents while she was ill. After she died, he told me everything had been arranged according to her wishes.""
"What did you discover?""
"That the documents were forged.""
She slid a bank statement across the table.
Westbridge Consulting appeared repeatedly.
Emily continued.
"I started investigating. That's when I discovered that Daniel and Linda had been working together.""
Marcus stared at her.
"How long?""
"At least four years.""
The number hit him.
Linda and Daniel had been connected long before the accident.
Emily opened another document.
"This is a recording transcript from a conversation between Daniel and my mother.""
Michael leaned forward.
"How did you obtain it?""
"My mother recorded almost everything because she was suspicious of him.""
Emily pointed to a highlighted passage.
Daniel's voice was transcribed beside a sentence that made Marcus's skin crawl.
Once the family believes the patient is incapable of making decisions, the assets can be transferred without resistance.
Marcus looked up.
"How many people were involved?""
Emily shook her head.
"I don't know. But I found records involving three families. Yours is the latest.""
Michael studied the folder.
"Do you have the original recordings?""
"Yes.""
"Where?""
Emily hesitated.
"Somewhere Daniel can't find them.""
Marcus noticed her expression.
"You're afraid of him.""
Emily nodded.
"He threatened me after I discovered the trust documents.""
"What did he say?""
"That if I went to the police, he'd make sure I lost everything.""
Marcus looked down.
It was the same pattern.
Threats.
Financial manipulation.
Forged documents.
And people who were too frightened to speak.
Then Emily reached into her bag and produced a small USB drive.
"This contains the recording of the conversation that made me leave him.""
Michael took it.
"What's on it?""
Emily looked at Marcus.
"Linda explaining why she needed your accident to happen.""
The recording was played in Michael's office.
At first, there was only background noise.
Then Daniel's voice.
"Are you certain the timing is right?""
Linda answered.
"Yes. Marcus will be driving Jasmine home after the competition.""
Daniel asked, "What if she gets hurt?""
Linda replied without hesitation.
"Then we'll deal with that.""
Marcus stopped breathing.
The recording continued.
Daniel said, "You said he was the only target.""
Linda responded, "He is. But the girl is the reason I need this finished before the adoption.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
Then came another voice.
A voice he recognized.
Dr. Miller.
"Once he's hospitalized, I can document his incapacity. But I won't guarantee how his recovery will progress.""
Linda answered.
"That's why Evelyn is involved.""
Marcus felt physically sick.
Dr. Miller had been there.
He had known.
Michael paused the recording.
Nobody spoke.
Then Marcus whispered, "Play the rest.""
The recording resumed.
Daniel asked, "And if Marcus wakes up?""
Linda replied:
"By then, he'll have no money, no legal control, and no reason to fight me.""
A brief silence followed.
Then Linda said something that made Jasmine, who had been listening beside Rebecca, burst into tears.
*"He isn't Jasmine's father. He never will be. I only needed him to sign everything before he started believing he was.""*
The recording ended.
Marcus stared at the table.
He had never expected Linda to love him more than Jasmine.
He had never demanded that she choose between them.
He had only wanted to be part of their family.
And now he understood that, to Linda, his love had been useful.
His money had been useful.
Even his willingness to sacrifice his body to save Jasmine had become part of a plan she wanted to exploit.
Michael contacted the authorities immediately.
The recording was secured as potential evidence.
Emily agreed to provide a sworn statement.
Dr. Miller was asked to explain his presence in the recording, and his attorney later confirmed that he would cooperate with the investigation.
But the biggest surprise came that afternoon.
Jasmine received a message from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of a legal document.
She showed Marcus.
The document was a guardianship agreement.
It had been signed by Linda three years earlier.
Beneath Linda's signature was the name of a second guardian.
*Daniel Carter.*
Jasmine looked confused.
"Why would Daniel be listed as my guardian?""
Marcus stared at the document.
He noticed the date.
It was signed four days after the accident.
Michael examined the photograph.
"This is not a standard guardianship arrangement.""
"What does it mean?"" Marcus asked.
"It appears Linda was attempting to appoint Daniel as an emergency legal representative for Jasmine.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
"Could she do that without my consent?""
"Not automatically. We need to inspect the original.""
Jasmine began shaking.
"Mom told me Daniel was just a family friend.""
Marcus placed his hand over hers.
"That's what she wanted you to believe.""
Then Jasmine looked at the second page.
A paragraph had been highlighted.
It stated that if Linda became unable to exercise parental authority, Daniel would assume temporary custody.
Jasmine stared at the wording.
"Marcus?""
"Yes?""
"Why would Mom give Daniel control over me?""
Marcus didn't know how to answer.
But Michael had noticed something else.
At the bottom of the document was a reference to a separate trust.
A trust created in Jasmine's name.
One that had never appeared in the earlier financial records.
Michael opened the attached registration number.
His face changed.
"Marcus, this is bigger than the money from your father's estate.""
"What now?""
Michael turned the screen toward him.
The trust held assets worth approximately $2.4 million.
The original source of the money was listed as a life insurance settlement.
Marcus looked at the beneficiary information.
Then he felt the world fall away.
The policyholder wasn't him.
It was Jasmine's biological father.
And the beneficiary was Linda.
Marcus looked at Jasmine.
"Did you know your father had a life insurance policy?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Michael opened the payment record.
The settlement had been paid shortly after her biological father's death.
But there was a second entry.
A later amendment.
The amendment had been submitted just six months before Marcus's accident.
It changed the ultimate beneficiary structure and transferred control of the proceeds into a trust administered by Daniel.
Marcus stared at the date.
Then he noticed the final note.
*"Trust distribution upon legal incapacity or death of Marcus Carter.""*
He slowly looked up.
Linda hadn't just been trying to steal Marcus's inheritance.
She had been using Jasmine's biological father's insurance money to finance the operation.
And the trust was designed to release its assets only if Marcus died or became permanently incapable of managing his affairs.
Jasmine began crying.
"Why would she do this?""
Marcus looked at the document.
He had no answer.
But one question remained.
If Linda had been planning to take control of Jasmine's inheritance all along, why had she waited three years to finish the transfer?
His phone vibrated.
Michael had received a new message from the investigator.
He read it.
Then his expression hardened.
"Marcus, we have a problem.""
"What?""
"Linda has disappeared.""
"And Daniel?""
Michael looked at the screen again.
"He's gone too.""
Then he turned the phone around.
A photograph showed Linda entering a private airport terminal that morning.
Beside her was Daniel.
May you like
And in Linda's hand was a passport.
A passport bearing Jasmine's photograph.
