Chapter 9: The Truth About Both Daughters
I called Brianna immediately.
She answered on the second ring.
"Where are you?"" I asked.
"At home.""
"Are you alone?""
"Mom and Mark went out.""
"Where did you find the note?""
"In Mom's dresser. Behind the bottom drawer.""
"Why were you looking there?""
Brianna hesitated.
"Because I wanted to know where my college money went.""
I looked at Grandma.
She motioned for me to continue.
"What else did you find?""
"A folder.""
"What kind of folder?""
"Bank papers. And something with Dad's signature.""
My stomach tightened.
"Can you send me a picture?""
"I already sent you the note.""
"The other documents.""
"I don't know if I should.""
"Brianna, please.""
She was silent.
Then she whispered:
"Mom said if anyone asked, I should say the money was a gift.""
"Was it?""
"No.""
"How do you know?""
"Because I found the original account statement.""
I leaned forward.
"How much was in it?""
"Seventy-nine thousand six hundred dollars.""
I closed my eyes.
The same amount Thomas had shown us.
"What did the statement say?""
"That the money was transferred to Mark's company.""
I looked at Thomas.
He was listening carefully.
"Can you send me the document?""
Brianna hesitated again.
"Isabella, I think Mom used my name.""
"What do you mean?""
"There's a company form with my name on it. It says I'm a beneficiary or something.""
Thomas immediately motioned for me to put the call on speaker.
"Brianna, this is Thomas Whitaker. Can you hear me?""
"Yes.""
"I'm your sister's attorney. I need to ask you something important.""
"Okay.""
"Did you sign any financial documents authorizing the transfer of your inheritance?""
"No.""
"Did anyone explain the documents to you?""
"No. Mom told me they were college papers.""
Thomas wrote something down.
"How old were you when you signed them?""
Brianna's voice became smaller.
"Fourteen.""
Grandma closed her eyes.
Thomas continued carefully.
"Do you remember what the papers looked like?""
"Some were yellow. One had a blue logo. Mom said I needed to sign at the bottom because she was opening a savings account.""
"Did anyone else sign?""
"Mark.""
Thomas looked at me.
"Thank you, Brianna. Please don't move or destroy anything. We may need those documents preserved.""
Brianna began crying.
"Am I going to get in trouble?""
Thomas softened his voice.
"That depends on the circumstances. But if you were a minor and didn't understand what you were signing, that is important.""
I took the phone.
"Brianna, listen to me.""
"What?""
"I'm not trying to hurt you.""
She sniffed.
"You hate me.""
I looked down at my hands.
"I was angry because you hurt me.""
"I know.""
"You ruined my dress.""
"I know.""
"You laughed while I cried.""
"I know, Isabella.""
Her voice broke.
"I thought Mom would finally love me more if I did what she wanted.""
I closed my eyes.
That sentence hurt in a way I hadn't expected.
"Why would you think that?""
"Because every time I did something wrong, she told me you were the reason she couldn't give me what I wanted. She said your father left everything to you and that you would never share.""
I swallowed.
"My father didn't leave you nothing because he hated you.""
"I know that now.""
"He treated you like his own child.""
Brianna began crying harder.
"He used to help me with homework.""
I remembered Dad sitting at the dining table, helping Brianna with multiplication problems even when she complained.
He had never treated her as an outsider.
"Yes," I whispered.
"He did.""
There was a long silence.
Then Brianna said something that changed everything.
"Mom told me he wanted to adopt me.""
I froze.
"What?""
"She said Dad had started the adoption papers before he died. She told me he changed his mind because he didn't want another daughter.""
My heart dropped.
"That's not true.""
"How do you know?""
I looked at Grandma.
She had gone pale.
"Brianna, I need to call you back.""
I ended the call.
"Abuela?""
Grandma sat down slowly.
"What did Dad do?""
She covered her mouth.
Then she nodded.
"Daniel wanted to adopt Brianna.""
I stared at her.
"Really?""
"Yes. He spoke to me about it several times. He loved that child.""
I felt tears sting my eyes.
"Why didn't it happen?""
Grandma shook her head.
"Because Linda never completed the paperwork.""
Thomas leaned forward.
"Do you know why?""
Grandma looked at him.
"Daniel told me there was a problem with Brianna's biological father's estate. Linda wanted to resolve the inheritance first.""
I stared at the table.
The same inheritance that had disappeared into Mark's company.
Suddenly, everything connected.
My father wanted to protect both girls.
My mother wanted control over both inheritances.
And Mark's company had become the place where the money from both families disappeared.
Thomas opened his laptop.
"Isabella, I think we need to examine the company records more closely.""
He searched the registration number Robert had provided.
Several documents appeared.
One was a corporate filing.
Another was a list of shareholders.
Thomas clicked the second document.
His expression changed.
"Interesting.""
Grandma leaned forward.
"What?""
"The company was initially registered with three shareholders.""
"Who?""
Thomas read the names.
"Mark Collins. Linda Reyes. And Brianna Collins.""
I frowned.
"Why is Brianna listed?""
"According to this filing, she was assigned a ten-percent ownership interest.""
"But she was fourteen.""
"Yes.""
Grandma shook her head.
"That makes no sense.""
Thomas clicked another page.
"There is a second shareholder agreement.""
He read through it.
Then he stopped.
"That's impossible.""
"What?"" I asked.
He turned the screen toward us.
My name was listed.
Isabella Reyes.
A twenty-percent ownership interest in Collins Property Solutions.
I stared at it.
"I never agreed to that.""
"I know.""
Grandma's voice was shaking.
"Why would Daniel's daughter be listed as a shareholder in Mark's company?""
Thomas studied the document.
"Because someone wanted to make the company appear as though it had legitimate interests in both children's assets.""
I looked at the signatures.
Brianna's name appeared beneath a signature.
Mine appeared beneath another.
Neither looked authentic.
"Does that mean Mark owns my father's building through this company?""
"Not legally. But it suggests they were attempting to create a complicated chain of ownership.""
I felt sick.
They hadn't simply taken money.
They had created paperwork to make it appear that both Brianna and I had voluntarily invested in their business.
My mother had used our names as shields.
Thomas closed the document.
"We need to inform the investigator immediately.""
He called Robert.
They spoke for several minutes.
Then Robert asked for a copy of the shareholder agreement.
After the call ended, Thomas looked at me.
"There's a possibility your mother and Mark used the company to secure additional financing.""
"How much?""
"We don't know yet.""
Grandma shook her head.
"How could Linda do this to her own children?""
I looked at the document.
"Because she thought we would never find out.""
At 9:30 that evening, Brianna arrived at Grandma's house.
She was carrying a backpack and wearing the same pink sweatshirt she had worn in the video.
Her eyes were swollen.
Grandma opened the door.
"What are you doing here?""
Brianna looked down.
"I need to talk to Isabella.""
Grandma hesitated.
Then she stepped aside.
Brianna entered slowly.
She placed her backpack on the kitchen table and removed a thick envelope.
"I brought everything I found.""
I stared at her.
"Does Mom know?""
"No.""
"Will she come looking for you?""
"Probably.""
Grandma locked the front door.
Brianna opened the envelope.
Inside were bank statements, company filings, copies of insurance documents, and several handwritten notes.
Thomas wasn't there, so Grandma called him immediately.
While we waited, I examined the papers.
One page contained a list of payments.
The first was labeled:
DANIEL REYES — INSURANCE.
The second:
ISABELLA REYES — TRUST.
The third:
BRIANNA COLLINS — ESTATE.
Each had an amount beside it.
I looked at Brianna.
"Did you know about this?""
She shook her head.
"No. I thought Mom was saving my inheritance.""
"Why didn't you ask?""
"Because she said the account was locked until I turned eighteen.""
I turned another page.
There was a transfer from Collins Property Solutions to a private account.
The amount was $96,000.
The recipient's name was Linda Reyes.
I looked at the date.
It was two weeks after Dad's funeral.
Brianna leaned closer.
"There's another page.""
She pulled out a handwritten note.
It was dated three months before Dad died.
The writing belonged to my mother.
Daniel is becoming suspicious. He wants to change the trust and remove my access completely. Mark says we need to finish the company arrangement before he does.
Below it was another sentence.
If Daniel dies before the paperwork is completed, everything becomes easier.
I felt my blood turn cold.
Grandma covered her mouth.
Brianna stared at the note.
"I don't understand.""
I couldn't speak.
The words seemed to move on the page.
If Daniel dies before the paperwork is completed, everything becomes easier.
I looked at Grandma.
"Did Mom know Dad was going to die?""
Grandma immediately took my shoulders.
"Isabella, listen to me. This note does not prove that she caused his death.""
"But she wrote it.""
"Yes. And we need to understand exactly what it means.""
Brianna started crying.
"Is that why she kept telling me not to talk about Dad?""
Grandma pulled her into a chair.
"Sweetheart, we need to let the investigators examine this.""
A knock sounded at the front door.
Everyone froze.
Grandma looked through the window.
Her face changed.
It was Linda.
She was standing on the porch, holding her phone.
Mark's truck was parked behind her.
Brianna went pale.
"Mom!""
Linda knocked again.
"Open the door!""
Grandma stepped between the girls and the entrance.
"Nobody opens it.""
My mother started shouting.
"I know Brianna is in there!""
Brianna looked at me.
"She's going to be furious.""
I took her hand.
"She can't hurt you here.""
Then Linda said something through the door that made my stomach drop.
"Isabella, I know you found the letter from your father.""
I looked at Grandma.
My mother continued.
"And if you think that letter proves I did something wrong, you need to see the other document.""
"What document?"" I called.
Linda pressed her hand against the door.
"The medical report from the night Daniel died.""
Grandma went completely still.
Linda's voice became colder.
"Your father didn't die the way you've been told.""
I felt my heart pounding.
"What are you saying?""
My mother looked directly through the window.
May you like
Then she said:
"Ask your grandmother what medication she gave him that night.""
