Chapter 9: The Signature That Could Destroy Them All
Naomi stared at the screen.
“What signature?””
Nobody answered immediately.
Anthony leaned back in his chair, looking entirely too comfortable.
Daniel picked up the amended trust agreement.
“Explain yourself.””
Anthony smiled.
“Mother established the trust years ago. She wanted Naomi to inherit the controlling voting rights when she became an adult.””
Evelyn nodded.
“That's true.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I wanted Naomi to have something that belonged to her. Something nobody could take away from her.””
Anthony laughed.
“Except I found a way.””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“What did you do?””
Anthony tapped the document.
“Two years ago, Richard prepared an amendment transferring the voting rights to a holding company.””
Samuel leaned forward.
“But the amendment was never properly executed.””
Anthony smiled.
“Correct.””
Daniel looked confused.
“Then why are you bringing it up?””
“Because Naomi has been asked to sign a new set of documents.””
Daniel went still.
“What documents?””
Anthony looked toward the camera.
“Your daughter received an invitation to review her inheritance papers.””
Naomi frowned.
“I haven't received anything.””
Anthony shrugged.
“Not yet.””
Daniel immediately turned toward Marcus.
“Check her email. Check the registered mail records. Everything.””
Marcus left the room.
Anthony folded his hands.
“You see, Daniel, I never wanted this to become personal.””
Daniel stared at him.
“You brought my mother into this.””
“I was trying to protect my interests.””
“You let me believe she was dead.””
“I didn't make you believe anything. Samuel arranged the funeral.””
Samuel stood.
“Enough.””
Anthony turned.
“You want to talk about enough? You disappeared with Mother and left me to deal with Richard.””
Samuel shook his head.
“I didn't leave you to do anything. You chose to participate.””
Anthony laughed.
“You're one to talk.””
Daniel raised his voice.
“Both of you stop!””
The room fell silent.
He looked at his brother.
“Did you arrange the confrontation with Naomi?””
Anthony didn't answer.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Did you?””
Anthony glanced at the documents.
Then he smiled.
“Vanessa was supposed to create a scene. Gregory was supposed to remove Naomi from the property. Richard would then use the incident to make her appear unstable and difficult.””
Naomi's mouth fell open.
“You planned that?””
Anthony looked at her.
“Sweetheart, I didn't expect her to slap you.””
Naomi stared.
“You arranged for a woman to humiliate me in front of my baby, and you're telling me you didn't expect her to hit me?””
Anthony shrugged.
“Vanessa has a temper.””
Daniel's hands curled into fists.
“You used my daughter.””
Anthony's voice hardened.
“You used the company to build your empire. I helped you. I was there when we had nothing. And when the business became successful, you treated me like an employee.””
Daniel stared at him.
“You were my brother.””
“I was your partner!””
“And you stole from me.””
Anthony shook his head.
“You never understood what I sacrificed.””
Naomi finally spoke.
“Uncle Anthony?””
He looked toward the screen.
“Yes, sweetheart?””
“Do you remember my college graduation?””
Anthony's expression softened slightly.
“Of course.””
“You gave me a bracelet. You told me I could always come to you if I needed anything.””
“I meant that.””
“Then why would you do this?””
Anthony looked away.
“Business is complicated.””
Naomi shook her head.
“No. It isn't.””
She adjusted Amara in her arms.
“You had a choice. You could have told the truth. You could have asked for help.
You could have walked away. Instead, you let Grandma disappear, stole money, and put me in danger.””
Anthony looked toward Daniel.
“She's emotional. Don't let her—”
“Don't,” Naomi interrupted.
Her voice was firm.
“Don't use my emotions to excuse what you did.””
The room went quiet.
Marcus returned carrying a tablet.
“Mr. Carter, we found something.””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
“An email was sent to Naomi's personal account three days ago. It contained an invitation to review a trust amendment.””
Naomi frowned.
“I never saw it.””
Marcus opened the email.
“It was redirected to a secondary address before reaching your inbox.””
Daniel stared.
“Who authorized the redirect?””
Marcus looked at the screen.
“Richard Lawson.””
Samuel leaned forward.
“Can you recover the attachment?””
Marcus nodded.
He opened the document.
The first page contained a legal notice.
The second page contained a transfer agreement.
The third page showed a signature.
Naomi's signature.
Or something that looked like it.
Daniel leaned closer.
“That's forged.””
Anthony smiled.
“Can you prove that?””
Daniel looked at him.
“Yes.””
Anthony shook his head.
“Then you'll have to explain why the document was submitted to the trust administrator.””
Daniel froze.
“Submitted?””
Anthony nodded.
“Two days ago.””
Naomi looked horrified.
“But I never signed anything!””
Samuel examined the document.
“There's a witness signature.””
Evelyn leaned forward.
“Whose?””
Samuel turned the tablet.
The name appeared beneath the signature.
*RICHARD LAWSON.*
Daniel's expression became cold.
“Where is the original?””
Marcus answered.
“The trust administrator received a physical copy.””
“Who delivered it?””
“A courier.””
“Can we identify the courier?””
“Yes, sir.””
Daniel nodded.
“Do it.””
Anthony stood.
“I think we've said enough.””
Daniel looked at him.
“Sit down.””
Anthony laughed.
“You can't keep me here.””
“I haven't asked anyone to keep you here.””
“Then I'm leaving.””
Daniel didn't move.
Anthony picked up his jacket.
“You have no idea how many people are involved in this. If you push too hard, you'll destroy the company.””
Daniel stared at him.
“If the company can only survive by protecting criminals, it deserves to be destroyed.””
Anthony stopped at the door.
He turned.
“Then I hope you're prepared to lose your daughter.””
Naomi gasped.
Daniel moved immediately.
“What did you say?””
Anthony looked at Naomi.
“You should ask your father why your mother left.””
Naomi froze.
Her mother.
She had been gone since Naomi was a child.
Daniel's face changed.
“Anthony, don't.””
But Anthony continued.
“Your mother didn't leave because she couldn't handle the marriage. She left because she discovered what we were doing.””
Naomi stared at her father.
“Dad?””
Daniel looked down.
Anthony smiled.
“Ask him about the accident.””
Daniel stepped toward his brother.
“Get out.””
Anthony opened the door.
“One more thing.””
He turned toward Naomi.
“Your mother didn't die in an accident.””
The door closed.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Naomi's eyes filled with tears.
“Dad?””
Daniel looked at her.
“Sweetheart…”
“Is what he said true?””
Daniel sat down.
He looked like a man who had suddenly aged twenty years.
“Your mother discovered financial irregularities shortly before she died.””
Naomi shook her head.
“You told me she died in a car accident.””
“She did.””
“Then what is Uncle Anthony talking about?””
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Your mother was driving home after meeting with Samuel. Another vehicle struck her car.””
Samuel lowered his head.
Naomi stared at him.
“Were you there?””
“No. I arrived afterward.””
“Was it an accident?””
Samuel looked at Daniel.
Daniel didn't answer.
Naomi's voice trembled.
“Was it?””
Evelyn reached for her granddaughter's hand.
“Baby, there are things we still don't know.””
Naomi looked at her father.
“Did you investigate?””
Daniel nodded.
“For months.””
“And?””
“The police concluded it was an accident.””
“Did you believe them?””
Daniel looked away.
“I didn't know what to believe.””
Naomi began crying.
“Dad, why didn't you tell me?””
“Because you were fourteen. You had just lost your mother. I couldn't put those questions on your shoulders.””
Naomi wiped her face.
“I'm thirty years old now.””
“I know.””
“Then stop protecting me with secrets.””
Daniel nodded.
“I will.””
Later that night, Samuel met Daniel privately.
He placed a small USB drive on the table.
“I kept this for two years.””
Daniel looked at it.
“What is it?””
“The original recording from the night your wife died.””
Daniel stared.
“You told me there was no recording.””
“I lied.””
Daniel's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Why?””
“Because the recording implicated someone in the company. I thought if I released it without enough evidence, they'd destroy everything.””
Daniel picked up the drive.
“Who is implicated?””
Samuel looked toward the door.
“Anthony.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Is he responsible for her death?””
Samuel shook his head.
“I don't know. But he was on the phone with someone minutes before the accident.””
Daniel inserted the drive into the laptop.
A grainy audio recording began.
At first, there was static.
Then a man's voice.
Anthony.
“She's found the documents. We can't let her reach Daniel.””
Another voice answered.
Richard.
“What do you want me to do?””
Anthony replied.
“Make sure she never gets the chance to tell him.””
The recording ended.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Samuel's face was pale.
“There's more.””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
Samuel swallowed.
“The recording wasn't the only thing I recovered.””
He opened another file.
A photograph appeared.
It showed a black SUV parked outside the hospital on the night Naomi's mother died.
The license plate was partially visible.
Samuel enlarged the image.
Daniel leaned forward.
He recognized the vehicle.
It belonged to someone who had been standing beside him at the funeral.
Someone who had comforted him while he mourned his wife.
Someone who had helped raise his daughter.
Samuel pointed at the screen.
“Daniel, look at the driver.””
Daniel stared.
Then he whispered:
“Richard Lawson.””
But before either man could speak again, Naomi's phone rang.
It was Patricia.
The hotel employee who had helped her with Amara.
Naomi answered.
“Hello?””
Patricia was crying.
“Miss Carter, you need to listen to me.””
“What happened?””
“Someone came into the private lounge after you left.””
Naomi stood.
“Who?””
Patricia lowered her voice.
“Your uncle.””
Naomi's heart began racing.
“What did he want?””
Patricia hesitated.
Then she said:
“He left something for your baby.””
Naomi looked toward the crib.
“What?””
Patricia began crying harder.
“A bracelet. But there was a note attached.””
Naomi gripped the phone.
“What did the note say?””
Patricia whispered:
“Tell Daniel that the accident was meant for his daughter.””
May you like
Naomi stopped breathing.
And somewhere downstairs, the hotel's emergency alarm suddenly began ringing.
