Chapter 5: The Family Member Who Chose Sides
I looked at the signature again.
Diane Hale.
My wife’s mother.
My children’s grandmother.
The woman who kissed Nia’s forehead every Christmas morning.
The woman who told me she was proud to call me family.
My hands shook as I held the paper.
“Your mother signed this?””
Vanessa didn’t speak.
That was enough.
I turned toward Diane.
She was still sitting at the dining table.
Her untouched plate remained in front of her.
“How long have you known?””
Diane looked exhausted.
“I never wanted it to go this far.””
I walked closer.
“But you helped.””
“I was trying to protect my daughter.””
I stared at her.
“And who protected mine?””
Diane looked away.
That answer hurt.
Because everyone had chosen someone.
And nobody had chosen Nia.
Ethan quietly gathered his things.
“I’ll leave you to handle this.””
“No,” I said.
He stopped.
“You’re staying.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Marcus.””
“I want the truth.””
The room became silent.
Diane slowly stood.
“I made mistakes.””
“Mistakes?””
I held up the custody papers.
“This isn’t forgetting to send a birthday card.””
She wiped her eyes.
“Vanessa was unhappy.””
“So she hurt Nia?””
“She didn’t mean—”
“Don’t.””
My voice stopped her.
“Don’t tell me what she meant. Tell me what she did.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Vanessa sat down.
The fight seemed to leave her body.
“She thought you were going to leave us.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“She found messages between you and your business partner. She thought you were hiding something.””
“I was discussing a company expansion.””
“She didn’t know that.””
“So she punished me?””
“No.””
I looked toward the stairs.
“She punished Nia.””
Vanessa covered her face.
“I didn’t know how to control everything.””
I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You wanted control?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I wanted security.””
“You wanted security so badly you destroyed your own daughter’s trust.””
A small sound came from upstairs.
Everyone froze.
I looked up.
Nia was standing on the stairs.
She had heard everything.
“Sweetheart…”
She shook her head.
“I just wanted Mom to like me.””
Those words silenced the entire room.
Vanessa started crying.
“Nia…”
But my daughter stepped back.
“No.””
Her voice was small.
But stronger than I had ever heard.
“You always said I was difficult.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“I never meant it.””
“You said Ava was easier because she listened.””
Ava appeared behind Nia.
Her eyes were red.
“I heard that too.””
Vanessa looked between them.
The damage was standing right in front of her.
Not papers.
Not recordings.
Her children.
I walked upstairs and hugged my daughters.
Behind me, I heard Ethan speak.
“There’s something else.””
I turned.
“What?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“I found the source of the money transfers.””
Vanessa immediately looked up.
“What money?””
Ethan pulled out his phone.
“I assumed you knew.””
He showed me a bank record.
Several payments.
Large amounts.
Going to an account I didn’t recognize.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who is receiving this?””
She stared at the screen.
“I don’t know.””
Ethan shook his head.
“Yes, you do.””
The room went still.
“Then tell me.””
He looked at Diane.
Not Vanessa.
Diane.
My stomach tightened.
“Diane?””
She froze.
“No.””
Ethan stepped closer.
“The account belongs to a private investigator.””
I frowned.
“So?””
He looked at me.
“The investigator wasn’t hired to watch Marcus.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“Then who?””
Ethan turned his phone toward me.
“The investigator was hired to watch Nia.””
Nobody moved.
Vanessa looked at her mother.
“What did you do?””
Diane’s face changed.
For the first time all night, she looked truly afraid.
“I was trying to find out if…”
She stopped.
“Find out if what?””
Her lips trembled.
May you like
Then she said the one sentence I never expected to hear.
“If Nia was really your daughter.””
