Chapter 6: The Inheritance My Husband Wanted
I stared at Daniel.
"What inheritance?""
He placed another folder on the table.
This one was much thicker than the others.
Marcus immediately moved toward it.
"Don't open that.""
Daniel ignored him.
"Your husband has spent the last two years trying to establish a legal connection between you and the Cross family estate.""
I looked at Marcus.
"Why?""
"Because Robert Cross left behind a substantial trust," Daniel answered.
I shook my head.
"Robert Cross was your father.""
"Yes.""
"Then why would Marcus want access to his estate?""
Daniel opened the folder.
"Because Robert's will included a provision for any biological children he might have fathered outside his marriage.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"How much money are we talking about?""
Daniel looked at me.
"The trust is currently valued at approximately $18 million.""
I stared at him.
Eighteen million dollars.
It was an amount so large that I couldn't even imagine spending it.
But I wasn't thinking about the money.
I was thinking about my father.
The man who had raised me.
The man who taught me to ride a bicycle.
The man who used to sit beside my bed when I had nightmares.
The man who had held my hand when I graduated from college.
Was he aware that someone else might have been my biological father?
Had he spent his entire life knowing?
And had Marcus married me partly because of it?
I looked at my husband.
"Did you know about the inheritance before we got married?""
Marcus stared at the floor.
Daniel answered for him.
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
"How?""
"Marcus was working with Robert's estate lawyers. He discovered an old medical record that mentioned Thomas Bennett and your mother's name.""
I turned toward Marcus.
"Did you marry me because you thought I might inherit eighteen million dollars?""
He finally looked at me.
"That's ridiculous.""
"Answer me.""
"I loved you.""
"Then why did you hide this?""
"Because I didn't want money to become an issue between us.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You didn't want money to become an issue, so you spent nine years hiding an inheritance?""
Marcus slammed his hand against the table.
"You have no idea what I sacrificed to build our life!""
I stood.
"You sacrificed nothing. I worked alongside you. I helped pay for this house. I supported your business when you had nothing.""
He pointed at Daniel.
"He's been poisoning your mind.""
Daniel remained calm.
"Then explain the trust application.""
He removed a document.
It was a formal legal request dated four months earlier.
Marcus's name appeared as the applicant.
The request asked the estate trustees to recognize him as the authorized representative of a potential beneficiary.
I read the paragraph twice.
My name appeared beneath his.
*NIA BENNETT — POTENTIAL BENEFICIARY.*
I looked at the signature.
It was mine.
Again.
Another forged signature.
I felt something inside me turn cold.
"How many documents have you signed for me?""
Marcus shook his head.
"That wasn't a completed application.""
"How many?""
"You're overreacting.""
I pushed the paper toward him.
"Did you forge my signature?""
He didn't answer.
Daniel opened another section.
"The trustees rejected the application because the required biological relationship had not been established.""
I looked at him.
"So Marcus tried to claim my inheritance before anyone confirmed I was related to Robert Cross?""
Daniel nodded.
"Exactly.""
I stared at my husband.
"And the baby?""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
Daniel answered.
"Vanessa's pregnancy gave Marcus another possible way to create a connection to the estate.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
Daniel turned another page.
"Robert's trust contains a provision for biological descendants. Marcus believed that if he could establish himself as the child's father, he might gain access to the inheritance through the child's claim.""
I felt sick.
"So he wanted a baby because of the money?""
"That's what the documents suggest.""
Marcus shook his head violently.
"That's not true!""
Daniel looked at him.
"Then explain the emails.""
He placed several printed messages on the table.
One was from Marcus to an attorney.
If the child is registered as mine, we can establish the family connection while the beneficiary investigation continues.
Another was sent to Vanessa.
Once the baby arrives, everything changes. We won't have to worry about Nia anymore.
I read the words.
My throat tightened.
Vanessa had been right about one thing.
Marcus had promised her a future.
But he hadn't been planning to build a family with her.
He had been planning to use her pregnancy.
I looked toward the staircase.
For years, I'd imagined a nursery in this house.
A little bedroom with pale blue walls.
A wooden crib.
A bookshelf filled with bedtime stories.
I had imagined Marcus holding our child.
Now I understood that he had been willing to manufacture an entire family story to get his hands on money.
"Where is Vanessa?"" I asked.
Daniel glanced at his watch.
"She went home.""
"Does she know about the inheritance?""
"Yes.""
I shook my head.
"Did she know Marcus was trying to use the baby?""
Daniel hesitated.
"I don't know.""
My phone rang.
Vanessa.
I answered.
"Nia?""
Her voice was shaking.
"What happened?""
"I need to see you.""
"Why?""
"Because I found something in Marcus's apartment.""
I froze.
"His apartment?""
"He rented a second apartment downtown. I found the paperwork inside a drawer.""
I looked at Marcus.
His face had gone pale.
"What paperwork?""
Vanessa took a breath.
"A copy of the trust application. Your name is on it.""
"I know.""
"No, Nia. There's something else.""
"What?""
She lowered her voice.
"There's a life insurance policy.""
I gripped the phone.
"Whose?""
"Yours.""
The room went silent.
I looked at Marcus.
He was no longer pretending to be confused.
He was staring directly at me.
Vanessa continued.
"The policy is worth five million dollars. And Marcus is listed as the primary beneficiary.""
My knees weakened.
"How is that possible?""
"I don't know. But the signature on the application looks like yours.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"Did you take a photograph?""
"Yes. I'm sending it now.""
The message arrived.
I opened the attachment.
Five million dollars.
My full name.
My date of birth.
My home address.
And Marcus Bennett listed as the beneficiary.
But something else caught my attention.
The policy had been issued three months earlier.
The same month Vanessa first told Marcus she was pregnant.
I looked up slowly.
"Marcus.""
He said nothing.
I held up my phone.
"Did you take out a life insurance policy on me?""
He stepped forward.
"Give me that.""
I moved away.
"Did you?""
"You're misunderstanding the paperwork.""
Daniel took the phone from my hand and examined the document.
His expression changed.
"Nia, look at the last page.""
I turned toward him.
"What?""
He zoomed in on the photograph.
At the bottom was a section titled:
*MEDICAL AUTHORIZATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT.*
Beneath it was a handwritten note.
Applicant has been informed of pre-existing medical findings.
I looked at Marcus.
"What medical findings?""
He didn't answer.
Daniel read the next line aloud.
"Potential hereditary cardiac condition. Additional review recommended.""
My heart began pounding.
I had never been diagnosed with a heart condition.
Never.
I looked at Marcus.
"Why does this policy say I have a medical condition?""
He took a step backward.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
For a split second, I saw the caller's name.
*DR. CARTER.*
He rejected the call.
But immediately, a message appeared.
Marcus read it.
His face turned completely white.
I stepped closer.
"What did she say?""
He tried to put the phone away.
I grabbed his wrist.
"Show me.""
He pulled away.
Daniel took one step forward.
"Marcus, don't make this worse.""
My husband finally looked at me.
And in a voice barely above a whisper, he said:
"She found out about the second insurance application.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Second?""
Marcus closed his eyes.
Daniel reached for the folder.
May you like
And then Vanessa sent one final message.
*Nia, please don't go anywhere alone. I just found out Marcus has been asking someone how long it takes for a suspicious death investigation to begin.*
