Chapter 4: The Money He Came Back For
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the pounding of my own heart.
Darius had taken money from my inheritance.
Not once.
Not by accident.
The documents in my hands showed a series of withdrawals stretching across eight months, beginning shortly before he had suddenly remembered that he had a daughter.
I looked at Marcus, hoping he would tell me there was another explanation.
He didn't.
Instead, he reached for the document, studied the account numbers, and frowned.
"Where did you get this?"" he asked.
"You gave it to me.""
"I mean, who provided the statement?""
"The wedding planner had it attached to the financial file. She said Mom had listed you as an emergency contact for the trust.""
Marcus shook his head slowly.
"Your mother never told me Darius had access to your inheritance.""
"Then how did he get it?""
"I don't know.""
The answer frightened me more than anything else he could have said.
Marcus had always been the person who knew how to fix things. When the washing machine flooded our kitchen, he repaired it before the plumber arrived. When I broke my wrist at twelve, he stayed beside me in the emergency room until the doctor released me. When my first car died on the highway, he drove forty miles to bring me home.
He wasn't supposed to stand beside me holding a document neither of us understood.
I turned toward the ballroom.
"I need to talk to him.""
Marcus caught my elbow.
"Nia, listen to me. Don't confront him until we know exactly what those withdrawals mean.""
"He's stealing from me.""
"Maybe. But we need proof of what he was authorized to do and what he actually did.""
"How can you be so calm?""
His expression changed.
"I'm not calm.""
For the first time, I noticed that his hands were trembling.
"I'm trying very hard not to make another decision for you," he said.
"That's all.""
The words silenced me.
I had spent the morning accusing him of controlling my wedding. Now he was standing in the corridor, afraid that even protecting me might become another way of taking away my choices.
I loosened my grip on the papers.
"I'm sorry.""
He looked at me, but he didn't answer.
I wanted to hug him. I wanted to put the boutonniere back on his lapel and rewind the morning until none of this had happened.
But apologies couldn't reverse what I had done.
"Can you help me find out where the money went?"" I asked.
Marcus nodded.
"Yes.""
He paused.
"But I need you to understand something. I'll help you because I love you. Not because you owe me the aisle, the wedding, or a place in your life.""
My eyes burned.
"I understand.""
"Do you?""
I looked down.
"I want to.""
He accepted that answer without forcing me to say more.
We returned to the bridal suite, where Lauren was waiting with a glass of water. She took one look at our faces and closed the door.
"What's happening?""
I placed the documents on the vanity.
"Darius has been withdrawing money from my trust.""
Lauren stared at the statements.
"How much?""
I showed her the total.
She covered her mouth.
"Oh, Nia.""
"I need to know how he got access.""
Marcus pulled a chair toward the vanity and examined the pages one by one.
"These statements aren't enough," he said.
"We need the trust agreement, the bank's authorization records, and the transaction details.""
Lauren grabbed her phone.
"My cousin works at a law firm. She handles estate litigation. I can call her.""
"Please," I said.
While Lauren stepped into the hallway, I examined the documents again.
There were seven withdrawals.
Each was labeled as a distribution for the beneficiary's benefit.
But the money hadn't gone into an account bearing my name.
It had been transferred to a company called Cole Advisory Group.
I searched the name on my phone.
A website appeared with a photograph of a modern office building, a list of financial services, and Darius's smiling face beneath the words Founder and Managing Director.
I felt sick.
"You own a financial company?"" I asked when he finally appeared in the doorway.
Darius looked from me to Marcus.
"What are you doing in here?""
"Answer the question.""
He straightened his jacket.
"I have investments.""
"That's not what I asked.""
His gaze dropped to the papers on the vanity.
For a fraction of a second, his face lost its color.
Then he smiled.
"Where did you get those?""
"From my trust.""
"They're confidential documents.""
"They're about my money.""
Darius closed the door behind him.
"Listen to me carefully. Your mother appointed me to manage that account.""
"Why?""
"Because I was your biological father.""
"That doesn't explain anything.""
"It explains why the trustee approved the arrangement.""
Marcus stood.
"Which trustee?""
Darius ignored him.
"Nia, your mother and I had an understanding. She wanted you to have a secure future. I agreed to oversee certain investments.""
"Then why did you transfer the money to your own company?""
"Because the company manages the investments.""
"All of them?""
He hesitated.
That hesitation was answer enough.
Marcus placed a finger on the statement.
"These transfers are labeled as distributions, not investment purchases. Where are the corresponding investment records?""
Darius's expression hardened.
"This is a family matter.""
"You made it a family matter when you took money belonging to my daughter.""
"Your daughter?"" Darius repeated, laughing without humor.
"That's rich, coming from the man who raised another man's child and now wants everyone to worship him for it.""
Marcus didn't move.
"I never asked anyone to worship me.""
"You've spent twenty-six years making sure she knows how much you sacrificed.""
"Have I?""
Darius opened his mouth, then closed it.
Marcus continued.
"I never told her you signed that agreement. I never told her how many times Evelyn cried over you. I never told her what I saw you do when she was born.""
My head snapped toward him.
"What did you see?""
Marcus looked at me.
For a moment, I thought he would finally answer.
Instead, he said, "That's something your mother wanted you to learn from the documents, not from my anger.""
Darius seized the opportunity.
"See? He always does this. He makes himself look noble while keeping secrets.""
I turned on him.
"Stop talking about Marcus.""
Darius stared at me.
I had never spoken to him that way before.
"You're upset," he said.
"I understand. But you're letting this man manipulate you.""
"No. I'm looking at my bank statements.""
He stepped toward me.
"Those withdrawals were legitimate.""
"Then prove it.""
"I will.""
"When?""
"After the wedding.""
I almost laughed.
"There is no wedding right now.""
His eyes narrowed.
"You're going to let Marcus destroy the biggest day of your life over a few accounting entries?""
"How much is left in my trust?""
He didn't answer.
"How much, Darius?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"The investments have suffered losses.""
"How much is left?""
"Approximately forty thousand dollars.""
The room went silent.
I looked at the original balance.
Nearly six hundred thousand dollars.
My legs weakened.
"Where is the rest?""
Darius reached for my hand.
"Sweetheart, I can explain everything. But you need to calm down.""
I pulled away.
"Don't call me that.""
His face tightened.
"You invited me back into your life.""
"And you used it.""
"That's not fair.""
"Neither is stealing my future.""
He looked toward Marcus, then back at me.
"You have no idea what you're accusing me of.""
"Then show me the records.""
Darius took a long breath.
"I need time.""
Before I could answer, Lauren returned with a woman on speakerphone.
"This is my cousin, Rachel," she said.
"She's a lawyer. I've told her the basics.""
Rachel's voice came through the phone.
"Nia, do not sign anything else, and do not allow anyone to move the remaining funds. We need the original trust agreement and the bank's records.""
Darius's expression changed.
"You're bringing lawyers into this?""
I stared at him.
"You brought yourself into my life.""
He looked as though he wanted to say something cruel, but his phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
Then he turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?"" I demanded.
"I need to make a call.""
"About my money?""
He stopped.
His silence answered me.
Darius left the room, shutting the door harder than necessary.
Rachel asked us to send her copies of every document.
As Lauren began scanning the pages, Marcus stood beside the window, looking out at the parking lot.
I walked over to him.
"Did Mom ever tell you she was worried about Darius?""
He didn't answer immediately.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"Three months before she died.""
"What did she say?""
Marcus looked at me.
"She said she had made a mistake by trusting him once, and she was afraid he had found a way to make the same mistake cost you everything.""
My throat tightened.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"She was trying to protect you.""
"Everyone keeps saying that.""
"I know.""
He glanced toward the door Darius had used.
"But protecting someone can become another kind of silence if you're not careful.""
Then he reached into his pocket and took out a small brass key.
"Your mother gave me this shortly before she died. She told me to keep it until you were ready.""
"Ready for what?""
He placed the key in my palm.
"The safety deposit box at her old bank.""
I stared at it.
"What did she put inside?""
Marcus's face grew solemn.
"I never opened it. She made me promise.""
"Why?""
"Because she said the documents inside would prove whether Darius had really changed.""
I closed my fingers around the key.
And for the first time that day, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
I had to find out what my mother had hidden.
May you like
Because whatever was in that box had been important enough for her to keep it secret until the day her daughter finally learned the truth.
And Darius, judging by the look on his face when Marcus mentioned the trust, seemed terrified of what I might find.
