Chapter 13 - The Truth That Wasn't Enough
Daniel spent the next hour comparing every document.
Dates.
Signatures.
Transfers.
Photographs.
Names.
Nothing matched.
Every answer created another question.
Richard claimed he had protected the family.
Michael claimed he had protected Rebecca.
Rebecca claimed Richard was responsible.
Claire had disappeared.
Emily had become a witness without understanding why.
And Daniel was the name attached to everything.
Finally, Daniel found something.
A signature.
Not Richard's.
Not Rebecca's.
Not Michael's.
His own.
But Daniel knew he had never signed it.
He looked at the date.
The signature had been created while he was in another state.
Someone had copied it.
But the signature was perfect.
Too perfect.
Daniel opened the original file metadata.
Created on a computer belonging to Richard's office.
Modified on a computer belonging to Michael's firm.
Transferred from an account registered to Rebecca.
Daniel stared.
Three people.
One document.
One trap.
Then he saw something else.
A hidden line in the document.
Beneficiary: Noah Carter.
Daniel's blood ran cold.
“No.”
Emily looked over his shoulder.
“What?”
Daniel closed the laptop.
“Nothing.”
But Emily knew.
“What did you see?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Noah's name.”
Richard stood.
“What about Noah?”
Daniel turned toward him.
“Someone used my son as the beneficiary.”
Richard went silent.
Michael whispered.
“That changes everything.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because whoever created the account wasn't trying to steal the money.”
“What were they trying to do?”
Michael stared at Daniel.
“They were trying to transfer the liability.”
Daniel understood.
The money was only part of the plan.
The real target was responsibility.
If the investigation collapsed, Daniel would be blamed.
And if Daniel couldn't be blamed, the documents would point toward Noah.
Daniel's voice became quiet.
“They want my son.”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
“They already put his name on the account.”
“No.”
Richard stepped toward Daniel.
“I won't let that happen.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You didn't let a lot of things happen.”
Richard stopped.
For once, he had no response.
Then the front door opened.
A woman entered.
Rebecca.
She looked exhausted.
Daniel stared.
“Where were you?”
Rebecca looked at Richard.
Then at Michael.
Finally, she looked at Daniel.
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
Daniel's anger surged.
“You disappeared.”
“I had to.”
“You emptied the account.”
“I didn't.”
“You used my identity.”
“No.”
“You put Noah's name on the documents.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“I didn't do that either.”
Daniel stared.
“Then who did?”
Rebecca looked toward the hallway.
Her expression changed.
May you like
Fear returned.
“Someone who has been inside this family for years.”
