Chapter 6 — The Money That Vanished
Chapter 6 — The Money That Vanished
My mother was whispering.
“They're asking about you.”
“Who?”
“Richard and Thomas.”
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“What do they want?”
“I don't know.”
“Mom.”
“They're looking through your father's old files.”
“Where?”
“In the study.”
My heart sank.
“The blue folder?”
“I don't know.”
“Don't let them find anything.”
“I can't stop them.”
“You don't have to stop them.”
I looked at Ethan.
“You need to leave.”
My mother's breathing became uneven.
“Natalie…”
“Listen to me carefully.”
“What?”
“Get out of the house.”
Silence.
Then she whispered:
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard locked the doors.”
My blood went cold.
“Where is Thomas?”
“In the study.”
“And Richard?”
“Downstairs.”
I heard something crash.
My mother gasped.
Then the call ended.
I stood frozen.
Ethan immediately understood.
“We're going.”
“No.”
He stared at me.
“Absolutely not.”
“My mother is trapped.”
“And you're going to walk into a house with two men who may have killed your father?”
I looked at him.
“She knows where the money went.”
He shook his head.
“Natalie—”
“The money is the reason all of this started.”
“The money isn't worth your life.”
“I know.”
I grabbed my coat.
“That's why I'm not going there for the money.”
We reached my mother's house twenty minutes later.
The front gate was open.
That was the first warning.
The second was the silence.
No gardener.
No security guard.
No neighbors outside.
Ethan parked two houses away.
“We call the police.”
“Not yet.”
He looked at me.
“I swear to God, Natalie…”
“I need to see what's happening.”
He sighed.
“Then I'm coming with you.”
We approached through the backyard.
The kitchen door was unlocked.
I pushed it open.
Nothing.
The house was silent.
Then we heard voices upstairs.
Richard.
“You should have told us.”
My mother.
“I didn't know.”
Thomas.
“She's lying.”
My stomach tightened.
We moved toward the staircase.
Thomas spoke again.
“Where is the trust document?”
“I don't know.”
“You've known for nineteen years.”
“I swear I don't.”
Richard laughed.
“You really expect us to believe that?”
I looked at Ethan.
He pointed toward the study.
We moved quietly.
The door was slightly open.
Through the gap, I saw Richard standing beside my father's desk.
Thomas was holding the blue folder.
My mother sat in a chair.
Her hands were tied.
My blood boiled.
Richard lifted a document.
“Where is Natalie?”
My mother didn't answer.
Thomas stepped forward.
“You know what happens if she refuses.”
“She won't give you anything.”
Richard smiled.
“Then we'll find another way.”
I pushed the door open.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Richard's expression changed.
Thomas went completely still.
My mother looked at me.
“Natalie…”
I walked inside.
“You wanted me.”
Richard smiled.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“I've heard that before.”
Thomas put the folder down.
“You're making a mistake.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“You made the mistake.”
Richard stepped closer.
“What do you think you've found?”
“The truth.”
He laughed.
“You don't know the truth.”
“I know my father was murdered.”
The room became silent.
Richard's smile disappeared.
Thomas looked at him.
My mother began crying.
I continued.
“I know the accident was staged.”
Richard said nothing.
“I know you were driving the SUV.”
Still nothing.
“I know Mom was following Dad.”
My mother's head dropped.
“And I know someone inside the company moved millions of dollars.”
Thomas spoke quietly.
“You're very confident.”
“I have evidence.”
His face tightened.
“The recording.”
That was the moment I knew.
They didn't know about the recording.
Until now.
Thomas looked at Richard.
Richard looked at me.
“You have it.”
I smiled.
“Thank you.”
Richard's face hardened.
“You just confirmed everything.”
He moved toward me.
Ethan stepped between us.
“Stay back.”
Richard laughed.
“You think you can protect her?”
“Yes.”
Thomas picked up the folder.
“Then perhaps we should discuss the money.”
I stared at him.
“What money?”
“The money your father hid.”
“The trust?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
He smiled.
“Enough to make people desperate.”
My mother whispered:
“Please.”
I looked at her.
“What did Dad leave me?”
Thomas answered.
“Not what you think.”
For nineteen years, my family had told me my father left me sixty thousand dollars.
That number had become a symbol.
Sixty thousand.
The amount my mother demanded.
The amount Chloe supposedly needed.
The amount that had destroyed my engagement party.
But according to Thomas, it was only a fraction.
“What did he leave me?”
Thomas placed the blue folder on the desk.
“Your father had assets worth approximately eighteen million dollars.”
My mother looked away.
I stared at him.
“Eighteen million?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“Hidden.”
“By whom?”
“Your father.”
“Why?”
“To protect it.”
“From my mother?”
“From all of us.”
Richard laughed.
“Daniel was paranoid.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“He was right.”
Thomas stared at me.
“You don't understand how complicated this became.”
“Then explain it.”
He sighed.
“Your father discovered that money had been disappearing from the company.”
“How much?”
“Over seven million.”
My stomach tightened.
“Seven million?”
“More.”
“Where did it go?”
“Different accounts.”
“Whose accounts?”
“Richard's.”
I looked at Richard.
He didn't deny it.
Then Thomas added:
“And Margaret's.”
My mother started crying.
“I didn't steal it.”
“You signed the transfers.”
“I was forced.”
Richard laughed.
“You were paid.”
I looked at him.
“How much?”
He smiled.
“Your mother received approximately one point eight million dollars.”
My mother whispered:
“I never kept it.”
“Where did it go?”
She didn't answer.
“Mom.”
She looked at me.
“I gave some to Chloe.”
I turned toward my sister.
“Chloe?”
“She needed help.”
“How much?”
My mother didn't answer.
Richard did.
“Nearly four hundred thousand.”
My heart sank.
Chloe had spent years telling me she was broke.
Meanwhile, Mom had given her nearly four hundred thousand dollars.
And still demanded my father's sixty thousand.
I looked at my mother.
“You lied to me.”
“I was trying to help her.”
“You were buying her loyalty.”
“No.”
“You bought her apartment.”
“I helped my daughter.”
“You bought her silence.”
My mother began crying.
I turned away.
The anger was becoming unbearable.
But then Thomas spoke.
“The money didn't disappear completely.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“The majority was transferred into an account your father created.”
“Where?”
“In your name.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Your father moved the money before anyone could reach it.”
“How much?”
“Approximately twelve million.”
I couldn't breathe.
Twelve million dollars.
My father had hidden twelve million dollars under my name.
But why?
Thomas continued.
“Your father knew the company was compromised.”
“By you.”
“Yes.”
He didn't even bother denying it.
“So he transferred the remaining legitimate assets into a protected structure.”
“Why didn't I know?”
“Because you were nineteen.”
“And because he knew someone would pressure me.”
Thomas nodded.
“Exactly.”
I remembered his letter.
The inheritance is bait.
Suddenly, it made sense.
The $60,000 was deliberately visible.
The real inheritance was hidden.
If my mother could make me surrender the $60,000, she might trigger something else.
Something involving the trust.
“What happens if I transfer the money?”
Thomas smiled.
“You lose control.”
“Of the twelve million?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because the trust contains a coercion clause.”
I stared at him.
“You know about it.”
“Yes.”
“So you were watching me.”
“Yes.”
“For nineteen years?”
“Not personally.”
“Then who?”
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“You've been monitoring the trust.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your father made one mistake.”
“What?”
“He trusted the wrong people.”
I stared at him.
“You.”
“Yes.”
My mother's voice broke the silence.
“Thomas…”
He looked at her.
“You promised.”
He smiled.
“I promised you protection.”
“You said Natalie would never know.”
“She wasn't supposed to.”
I looked at my mother.
“You planned to steal my inheritance.”
“No.”
“You planned to force me into giving it away.”
“I didn't.”
“You slapped me.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I lost control.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You performed.”
She looked away.
“You wanted witnesses.”
She didn't answer.
I stepped toward her.
“You wanted everyone at my engagement party to believe I was selfish.”
“I was angry.”
“You wanted me isolated.”
“No.”
“You wanted Ethan to doubt me.”
“No.”
“You wanted his parents to think I was unstable.”
She began crying.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That you would leave me.”
I stared at her.
“I was never yours to keep.”
She covered her face.
Richard suddenly moved.
He grabbed the blue folder.
Ethan lunged toward him.
Richard shoved him.
Ethan hit the desk.
“Ethan!”
I ran toward him.
Richard opened the folder.
“Where's the recording?”
I stared at him.
“Safe.”
He laughed.
“You're lying.”
“Maybe.”
Thomas looked at Richard.
“Don't hurt her.”
Richard turned.
“You're becoming sentimental.”
“No.”
Thomas's face hardened.
“I'm being practical.”
Richard pulled a small object from his pocket.
A flash drive.
He placed it on the desk.
“This contains every account.”
I stared at it.
“Then give it to me.”
He laughed.
“Why would I?”
“Because you're already exposed.”
“Not yet.”
“You admitted everything.”
“In front of four people.”
“That's enough.”
“No.”
He pointed toward the flash drive.
“This is worth more than your recording.”
“What is it?”
“Proof.”
“Of what?”
“The real theft.”
I frowned.
“What real theft?”
Richard smiled.
“Your father wasn't innocent.”
My stomach dropped.
“What are you talking about?”
“He stole money too.”
“That isn't true.”
“He transferred millions.”
“Into my trust.”
“Yes.”
“Because he was protecting it.”
“Or hiding it.”
Thomas interrupted.
“That's not what happened.”
Richard looked at him.
“Don't.”
“You know the truth.”
“I know enough.”
I stared at Thomas.
“What is he talking about?”
Thomas hesitated.
Then said:
“Your father did move money.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew the company was about to collapse.”
“What?”
“The company was insolvent.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
Thomas continued.
“He moved the remaining assets to protect them.”
“From creditors?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Richard call it theft?”
“Because Richard wanted you to believe your father was guilty.”
I looked at Richard.
He smiled.
“Maybe he was.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You're lying.”
“Ask Bennett.”
I did.
Bennett's face flashed through my mind.
The warnings.
The documents.
The trust.
The secrecy.
There was something he hadn't told me.
I turned toward the door.
“We're leaving.”
Richard moved to block me.
“Not yet.”
Ethan stood.
“You're not stopping us.”
Richard stared at him.
Then at me.
“Do you really think you can walk away with everything?”
I looked at him.
“I don't want everything.”
He frowned.
“I want the truth.”
He laughed.
“Truth doesn't feed anyone.”
“No.”
I opened the door.
“But it destroys people who built their lives on lies.”
We left.
Outside, I called Bennett.
“You lied to me.”
He sighed.
“What did you find?”
“Dad moved twelve million dollars.”
Silence.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was following his instructions.”
“What else did he hide?”
“Natalie…”
“Did he steal from the company?”
“No.”
“Was the company insolvent?”
“Yes.”
My heart sank.
“How bad was it?”
“Very.”
“Then why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he believed he could fix it.”
“Could he?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“He discovered that someone was deliberately destroying the company.”
“Richard?”
“Richard was one of them.”
“Who else?”
Bennett hesitated.
“Thomas.”
I closed my eyes.
“Anyone else?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
“Bennett.”
“There was an internal accounting team.”
“Names.”
“I don't have them.”
“You're lying.”
“I don't have the full list.”
“Who was the person responsible for the transfers?”
Silence.
Then Bennett said:
“Your mother.”
My heart sank.
“But she wasn't acting alone.”
“Who helped her?”
He took a breath.
“Your father never found out.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
I looked at Ethan.
Then at the black SUV parked across the street.
The same vehicle.
The same dark windows.
The same feeling of being watched.
I whispered:
“Bennett.”
“Yes?”
“I think someone is outside.”
“Leave.”
“What?”
“Now.”
I ended the call.
The SUV started its engine.
Ethan grabbed my hand.
“Go.”
We ran.
The SUV accelerated.
It came straight toward us.
I screamed.
Ethan pulled me aside.
The vehicle swerved past.
For one second, I saw the driver.
It wasn't Richard.
It wasn't Thomas.
It wasn't Victor.
It was a woman.
A woman I knew.
My mother.
I stood frozen.
The SUV disappeared into traffic.
Ethan looked at me.
“Was that…?”
“Yes.”
My voice shook.
“That was Mom.”
That night, I returned home.
The apartment door was unlocked.
I knew I had locked it.
Ethan reached for my hand.
“Stay behind me.”
We entered slowly.
Nothing looked disturbed.
Then I saw it.
The blue folder was sitting on my kitchen table.
I hadn't left it there.
My heart pounded.
Beside it was the flash drive.
Richard's flash drive.
I hadn't taken it.
Someone had placed it there.
A note was attached.
Six words.
You want the money? Take it.
I stared at the message.
Then my phone vibrated.
A new text.
No number.
But first, ask Chloe what she did.
I looked toward the hallway.
My sister was standing there.
Pale.
Terrified.
“What did you do, Chloe?”
She began crying.
“I didn't mean for him to die.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
She covered her mouth.
Then whispered:
“Dad.”
The room seemed to disappear around me.
“What are you talking about?”
“I was there.”
My blood went cold.
“Where?”
“The night he died.”
She looked at me through tears.
“I saw what happened.”
May you like
And then she said the words that changed everything I thought I knew about my sister.
“I was the person driving the second car.”
