Chapter 3: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Daniel arrived twenty-seven minutes later.
I knew his car before I saw him.
A black Mercedes.
He had once told me he hated driving expensive cars because they attracted attention.
Apparently, that was no longer a concern.
Marcus waited in the living room with Ethan beside him.
I sat on the sofa, my hands folded tightly in my lap.
The torn red dress had been replaced with a cashmere robe. My cheek still carried the faint red mark I had made myself.
I had tried to wash it away.
It remained visible.
When the doorbell rang, Marcus stood.
"Stay here.""
I nodded.
He walked toward the entrance.
Ethan followed.
I listened to their footsteps cross the marble hallway.
Then the front door opened.
"Mr. Cole," Daniel said.
"Come in.""
Daniel stepped inside carrying a dark leather briefcase.
He was forty-two, clean-shaven, with carefully combed brown hair and the kind of expensive watch that suggested he enjoyed being mistaken for someone important.
He looked at Marcus.
Then Ethan.
Then his eyes found me.
For half a second, his expression changed.
It was almost imperceptible.
But I saw it.
Fear.
"Vanessa," he said quietly.
I smiled.
"Daniel. What a surprise.""
Marcus closed the front door.
"Sit down.""
Daniel placed his briefcase on the coffee table.
"Of course.""
Nobody sat.
Marcus picked up the photograph from Ethan's phone and placed it in front of him.
"Did you prepare this document?""
Daniel studied it.
"Yes.""
"Did I authorize it?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Mr. Cole, I prepared several estate-planning drafts at Vanessa's request.""
Marcus's face hardened.
"At my wife's request?""
"She said you had asked her to coordinate certain revisions.""
I looked up sharply.
"Daniel.""
He didn't look at me.
Marcus spoke slowly.
"Did I ever tell you to change my beneficiaries?""
"No.""
"Did I ever authorize you to transfer my company shares?""
"No.""
"Then why is my signature on this document?""
Daniel swallowed.
"That is something we need to investigate.""
Marcus leaned forward.
"That's not an answer.""
Daniel opened his briefcase.
He removed a folder and placed it on the table.
"I brought the relevant documents.""
Ethan moved closer.
"Are there more?""
Daniel nodded.
"Several.""
He opened the folder.
Inside were copies of emails, draft agreements, financial authorization forms, and a series of handwritten notes.
Marcus examined the first page.
Then the second.
His face changed with every document.
"What's this?"" he asked.
Daniel pointed to a paragraph.
"That is the proposed transfer of your controlling shares in Cole Industries to a private holding company.""
Marcus frowned.
"Who owns the holding company?""
Daniel looked at me.
I stared at the carpet.
"Vanessa's name appears as the sole beneficial owner," Daniel said.
Marcus slowly turned.
"What?""
I stood.
"This is being taken completely out of context.""
Marcus didn't look away from me.
"Sit down.""
"I'm not a child.""
"Then stop behaving like one and answer me.""
My cheeks burned.
Ethan crossed his arms.
"Interesting. You don't seem to enjoy being questioned.""
I glared at him.
"Stay out of this.""
Marcus raised his voice.
"Enough!""
He turned back to Daniel.
"How much of my estate was supposed to be transferred?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Approximately sixty-eight percent of your personal assets, excluding certain restricted business holdings.""
Marcus looked down.
"Sixty-eight percent?""
"Yes.""
"And you prepared this without speaking to me?""
"I believed the instructions had been approved.""
"By whom?""
Daniel's eyes moved toward me again.
"By Vanessa.""
Marcus closed the folder.
The sound was sharp.
"Why?""
Daniel took a breath.
"She told me you were concerned about protecting the estate from a potential dispute with Ethan.""
Ethan's expression darkened.
"Me?""
Daniel nodded.
"She said you wanted to ensure your son couldn't interfere with your future plans.""
I stared at Daniel.
He was supposed to protect me.
That was the arrangement.
He had promised.
"Daniel, you're making a mistake," I said.
He finally looked at me.
"No, Vanessa. I made one months ago.""
Marcus stood.
"Explain.""
Daniel removed another document.
"This is the original estate instruction letter.""
He placed it on the table.
Marcus picked it up.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
Mine.
The document was short.
It contained several instructions regarding the transfer of assets, the creation of the holding company, and the appointment of a new estate administrator.
At the bottom was my signature.
Marcus read it twice.
Then he looked at me.
"You signed this?""
I swallowed.
"It's a draft.""
"Your signature is on it.""
"Because Daniel asked me to sign a preliminary copy.""
Daniel shook his head.
"I never asked you to sign it.""
My head snapped toward him.
"Excuse me?""
He opened another folder.
"I have the original email correspondence.""
Marcus took the papers.
Daniel continued.
"Vanessa sent me a scanned copy of your signature and instructed me to reproduce it on the revised authorization documents.""
Marcus went completely still.
For a moment, I thought he might collapse.
Then he placed the papers on the table.
"Did you forge my signature?""
I forced myself to laugh.
"This is insane.""
"Did you?""
"You know I would never do that.""
Daniel spoke quietly.
"Mr. Cole, I have the email.""
Marcus looked at him.
"Show me.""
Daniel unlocked his laptop.
A few seconds later, he turned the screen toward Marcus.
The email was dated September 14.
The subject line read:
*URGENT — FINAL SIGNATURE REQUIRED.*
The message contained a scanned copy of Marcus's signature.
Below it was a sentence.
Use this version. He doesn't need to see the paperwork until everything has been transferred.
Marcus read it.
Then he read it again.
I could hear his breathing.
"Ethan," he said.
His son stepped closer.
"Yes, Dad?""
"Take a picture of this.""
Ethan did.
I stared at Daniel.
"You said you deleted those emails.""
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"I never said that.""
My mouth went dry.
Marcus looked up.
"What did you just say?""
I froze.
He took one step toward me.
"You knew about the emails?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
"You just said he deleted them.""
"I meant—"
"Vanessa.""
His voice was quiet now.
Dangerously quiet.
I started crying.
"Marcus, please. I made mistakes. I was trying to protect myself.""
"From what?""
I looked at him.
"From Ethan.""
Ethan's face changed.
"What did I ever do to you?""
I turned toward him.
"You hated me from the beginning!""
"Because you kept trying to replace my mother!""
"I never tried to replace her!""
"You went into her room and took her things!""
"I was your father's wife!""
"And that gave you the right to steal from him?""
Marcus lifted one hand.
Both of us fell silent.
He looked at Daniel.
"Is there anything else?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Yes.""
He removed a small envelope from the bottom of his briefcase.
It was yellow, slightly worn, and sealed with a strip of transparent tape.
Marcus frowned.
"What is that?""
Daniel placed it on the table.
"The document Vanessa specifically instructed me to keep separate from the estate files.""
My stomach twisted.
Marcus reached for it.
"What's inside?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Something I should have brought to you months ago.""
I stood abruptly.
"Don't open that.""
Marcus stopped.
His eyes moved to mine.
"Why?""
"Because it has nothing to do with you.""
Daniel's face tightened.
"Vanessa, please.""
I pointed at him.
"You promised me!""
Marcus turned slowly.
"What did he promise you?""
Nobody answered.
Then Daniel opened the envelope.
He removed a single sheet of paper and placed it in front of Marcus.
The heading was printed in bold letters.
*PRIVATE INVESTIGATION REPORT.*
Marcus read the first paragraph.
His expression changed.
Then he looked at Daniel.
"Who hired the investigator?""
Daniel swallowed.
"Vanessa did.""
Marcus looked at the report again.
"What was she investigating?""
Daniel didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Because the first photograph was already visible.
It showed Marcus standing outside a restaurant with a woman.
A younger woman.
A woman whose face I recognized immediately.
Marcus stared at the photograph.
Then he turned the page.
His fingers began to tremble.
"Who is she?"" Ethan asked.
Marcus didn't answer.
He was looking at the second photograph.
This one showed the same woman entering a medical building.
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
DNA testing completed. Results attached.
Marcus slowly raised his eyes toward me.
"Vanessa...""
I couldn't move.
He held up the report.
"Why were you investigating my daughter?""
The room seemed to tilt.
Ethan looked from his father to me.
"Your daughter?""
Marcus's voice broke.
"The child I was told died before she was born.""
He stared at me with an expression I had never seen before.
"Vanessa, what have you done?""
I opened my mouth.
But before I could answer, Ethan's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face went pale.
"Dad...""
Marcus turned.
"What?""
Ethan swallowed.
"It's the hospital.""
"Why are they calling you?""
Ethan answered.
He listened for several seconds.
Then he slowly lowered the phone.
His eyes filled with tears.
"They found her.""
Marcus grabbed his arm.
"Found who?""
Ethan looked at the photograph.
Then at his father.
"Your daughter.""
May you like
He paused.
"She's alive, Dad. And she's been looking for you.""
