Chapter 6 - What Robert Took From Her
Lena spent the night in a hotel across town.
She barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same documents.
Her name.
Her signature.
Her grandfather's letter.
The missing money.
And Susan's final warning.
The next morning, Daniel arrived with a box.
Inside were copies of old records.
He placed them on the hotel table.
“Your grandfather kept meticulous records.”
Lena opened the first folder.
There were property deeds.
Company registrations.
Insurance policies.
And a document with her name.
She read it twice.
Then a third time.
“What is this?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Your grandfather's original succession agreement.”
Lena read the details.
Her grandfather had intended to transfer controlling ownership of several properties to her.
Not when she turned twenty-five.
Earlier.
When she turned twenty-one.
But someone had delayed the transfer.
Lena looked up.
“Who?”
Daniel pointed toward the signature.
Robert Carter.
Her father.
Lena stared.
“How could he change something my grandfather signed?”
“He couldn't.”
“Then what happened?”
Daniel opened another folder.
“This.”
It was an amendment.
A revised document.
It stated that Lena had voluntarily surrendered her rights.
Lena felt sick.
“I never signed this.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
“Then who did?”
“We don't know.”
Lena looked at the signature.
It was almost perfect.
Almost.
The same slight mistake appeared at the end.
The same forged curve.
The same imitation.
“Someone has been practicing my signature.”
Daniel nodded.
“And whoever did it knew you extremely well.”
Lena suddenly remembered something.
Her old school notebooks.
Her college applications.
Her tax forms.
Her bank documents.
Her parents had access to many of them.
She looked at Daniel.
“My father.”
“Possibly.”
“My mother.”
“Possibly.”
“Who else?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Lena suddenly remembered someone else.
Her older cousin, Mark.
Mark had worked for Robert's company for years.
He had handled paperwork.
He had access to company records.
He had also been one of the people who repeatedly told Lena she should contribute more to the family.
Lena called him.
No answer.
She called again.
Still nothing.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
Stop asking questions.
Lena stared at the screen.
A second message arrived.
Your father isn't the person you should be afraid of.
She showed Daniel.
His expression changed.
“Don't respond.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever sent that knows you're investigating.”
Another message arrived.
You still haven't found the account in your name.
Lena's stomach tightened.
“What account?”
Daniel took the phone.
He read the message.
Then he looked at her.
“I think we need to go back to the Carter house.”
They returned that afternoon.
The house was empty.
Susan was gone.
Robert's car was missing.
Lena unlocked the front door.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Daniel checked the study.
Nothing.
The dining room.
Nothing.
The bedroom.
Nothing.
Then Lena noticed something strange.
Her father's desk drawer was open.
Inside was a key.
A small brass key attached to a tag.
The tag had one number written on it.
317.
Daniel stared at it.
“That's not a house key.”
“What is it?”
“I don't know.”
Lena turned it over.
There was a tiny engraving on the back.
Carter Bank.
Daniel immediately said, “We need to leave.”
Lena looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because Carter Bank closed its retail branches eight years ago.”
She stared at the key.
“Then why does my father have it?”
May you like
Daniel's face had gone pale.
“Because the account may not be at a bank anymore.”
