Chapter 6: My Grandmother Knew Everything
My grandmother arrived at Marcus's office less than an hour later.
She was seventy-two, elegant, and always impeccably dressed. Her silver hair was pulled into a neat bun, and she carried a dark leather handbag that looked older than I was.
I'd always known her as the woman who sent birthday cards with money inside and remembered every holiday.
But the moment she entered the conference room, I saw something different.
She wasn't surprised.
She wasn't confused.
She looked furious.
“Where is the letter?”” she asked.
Marcus handed it to her.
She read the final paragraph and closed her eyes.
“Oh, Eleanor.””
Dad stood.
“Mother, what is going on?””
Margaret placed the letter on the table.
“I warned your wife that Tiffany was trouble.””
Dad frowned.
“You knew about this?””
“I knew enough to be concerned.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
Margaret looked directly at him.
“Because your wife asked me not to.””
Dad shook his head.
“Eleanor was dying. She was dealing with all this alone?””
“She was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
Margaret took a breath.
“From the truth about the woman you were dating.””
I felt Dad stiffen.
“Explain.””
My grandmother sat down.
“Before Tiffany met you, she was engaged to a man named Robert Hayes.””
Marcus opened his laptop.
“Do you know his location?””
“California, last I heard. But that's not important. What matters is that his family experienced something very similar.””
Dad stared.
“What do you mean?””
“Robert's mother owned several properties. Tiffany became involved in the family's financial affairs after the engagement. Within months, there were disputes over documents, suspicious transfers, and pressure to change who controlled the estate.””
I leaned forward.
“Did she steal from them?””
Margaret looked at me.
“I don't know whether anything was proven. The engagement ended before the matter went to court.””
Dad ran a hand through his hair.
“Why didn't you tell me any of this before I proposed?””
“I tried.””
He looked up.
“When?””
“Last summer. I called you after I saw Tiffany's name in a financial report connected to a company I recognized.””
Dad shook his head.
“You told me you didn't trust her.””
“I told you I had concerns.””
“You said she was after money!””
Margaret's eyes hardened.
“Because I believed she was.””
Dad looked away.
“I thought you were being unfair.””
“And I thought you were being foolish.””
The words hung between them.
Then my grandmother turned toward me.
“I'm sorry, Ariana.””
I didn't know what to say.
She reached across the table and held my hand.
“Your mother loved you more than anything. She knew she might not be around to protect you forever, so she made certain you would have someone.””
I looked at the documents.
“Why didn't you come sooner?””
Margaret's expression softened.
“I didn't know what Tiffany was doing inside your home. I knew she was trying to access financial information, but I didn't know she was threatening you.””
I lowered my eyes.
“She told me I didn't belong there.””
My grandmother's fingers tightened around mine.
“Listen to me carefully. You belong wherever you are loved. And that house was your mother's home long before Tiffany ever stepped through its doors.””
Dad looked down.
Marcus cleared his throat.
“Mrs. Mitchell, we need to discuss the estate protector clause.””
Margaret nodded.
“Of course.””
She reached into her handbag and removed a small folder.
“I brought the original appointment documents.””
Marcus examined them.
“The appointment is valid.””
Margaret nodded.
“Eleanor wanted me to have authority to intervene if anyone attempted to interfere with Ariana's inheritance.””
Dad frowned.
“What exactly can you do?””
“Request an immediate independent audit, suspend certain administrative changes, and demand a review of any suspicious activity involving the trust.””
Marcus smiled faintly.
“That will be extremely useful.””
Margaret turned toward him.
“There's something else.””
She opened her folder and removed a printed email.
“I received this from Eleanor's old attorney two weeks ago. He was concerned because someone had contacted him asking for copies of the original will.””
Marcus took the email.
“Who made the request?””
Margaret pointed to the sender.
“Vanessa Cole.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Again?””
Margaret nodded.
“She claimed she was acting on behalf of the family.””
“Did you respond?””
“I told the attorney not to release anything without my written approval.””
Marcus studied the message.
“Did Vanessa ever contact you directly?””
Margaret hesitated.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Three weeks ago.””
Dad looked up.
“Three weeks?””
“She called me and said Tiffany was worried about Ariana's emotional state. She suggested that I should consider taking Ariana in for a while.””
I stared.
“She wanted you to take me?””
Margaret nodded.
“She said you were having difficulties at home and that it might be better if Ariana stayed with family.””
Dad looked furious.
“What did you tell her?””
“I told her that if Ariana needed somewhere safe to stay, my door was always open. But I also told her I would never sign anything without speaking to Daniel and Ariana first.””
I remembered Tiffany's words.
Maybe she could stay with your father's sister.
Now I understood why she'd suggested it.
She had been trying to create a situation where my grandmother became involved in the guardianship process without knowing the real reason.
Marcus closed the email.
“This is becoming a pattern. We have multiple attempts to obtain financial access, suspicious guardianship documents, and efforts to relocate the beneficiary.””
Grandmother nodded.
“Then we need to act before Tiffany realizes we're gathering evidence.””
Dad stood.
“She's already out of the house.””
Margaret looked at him.
“Is she?””
“Yes.””
“Did you change the locks?””
Dad hesitated.
“No.””
My grandmother looked at Marcus.
“Then I suggest he does that immediately.””
Marcus nodded.
“And I recommend that Daniel avoid any private meeting with Tiffany until we have secured the evidence.””
Dad took out his phone.
“I'll call a locksmith.””
Before he could dial, my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I ignored it.
It rang again.
Dad glanced at the screen.
“Who is it?””
“I don't know.””
“Don't answer.””
The call stopped.
Then a text appeared.
*Ariana, it's Vanessa. We need to talk. Your stepmother is in serious trouble, and you need to hear my side before your father makes a mistake.*
I showed Dad.
His expression darkened.
“Block her.””
Marcus raised a hand.
“Wait.””
He read the message.
“Don't respond. Save it. We may need it.””
Another message appeared.
*Your mother wasn't the person you think she was. Tiffany has been protecting you from something your father never told you.*
My stomach tightened.
I looked at Dad.
“What does that mean?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
A third message arrived.
*If you want to know why your mother really created that trust, meet me tomorrow at 10 a.m. Come alone.*
Grandmother immediately stood.
“No.””
Marcus took my phone and photographed the messages for the file.
“We're not arranging any private meeting.””
Dad put his hand on my shoulder.
“You're not going anywhere near her.””
I nodded.
But there was something about the message that bothered me.
Vanessa wasn't denying the attempted transfer.
She wasn't explaining the forged documents.
Instead, she was attacking my mother's character.
Why?
What could she possibly know about my mother that would change anything?
Marcus was still studying the messages when another notification appeared.
This time, it was an attachment.
A photograph.
I opened it.
My breath caught.
It showed my mother standing outside a hospital room, holding a newborn baby.
She looked younger than I remembered.
Her face was pale, but she was smiling.
Beside her stood a man I had never seen before.
Under the photograph, Vanessa had written:
*Ask your father who this man is. Then ask him why your mother kept him secret.*
I turned toward Dad.
He was staring at the photograph.
His face had gone completely white.
“Dad?””
He didn't answer.
I moved closer.
“Who is that man?””
Dad slowly sat down.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he looked at me with an expression I had never seen before.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't fear.
It was the look of someone watching a secret he'd buried years ago rise to the surface.
Finally, he whispered:
“His name is Michael.””
“Who is Michael?””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Your mother's first husband.””
I stared at him.
“My mother was married before you?””
He nodded.
“And there's something else you need to know, Ariana.””
His voice cracked.
“Before your mother married me, she had another child.””
The room went silent.
I looked at the photograph again.
The baby in my mother's arms.
The unfamiliar man.
The date printed beneath the image.
It was taken eleven months before I was born.
Dad looked at Marcus, then at my grandmother.
And my grandmother whispered the words that changed everything.
“Eleanor's first child never died, Daniel.””
May you like
She turned toward me.
“He's alive.””
