Chapter 9: The Secret Sister
The lights returned.
Nobody moved.
Aaliyah was still staring at her father.
“Her daughter?””
Marcus looked like a man standing at the edge of a cliff.
“Yes.””
“Who is she?””
“I don't know where she is.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
“I know.””
“Who is she?””
Marcus lowered his eyes.
“Aaliyah…”
“No.””
She shook her head.
“Not this time.””
Her voice trembled, but she didn't back down.
“You have spent six months telling yourself you're protecting me.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You hid the company investigation.””
“Yes.””
“You hid Mom's notebook.””
“Yes.””
“You hid the scholarship records.””
“Yes.””
“You knew about Evan.””
“Yes.””
“And now you're telling me my mother had a sister and that sister had a daughter?””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
Aaliyah's eyes filled.
“How long have you known?””
“Since before you were born.””
The words hit harder than a slap.
Tasha stepped away.
Brianna looked down.
Dana remained silent.
Aaliyah whispered,
“Before I was born?””
Marcus nodded.
“My mother had a sister named Camille.””
“Camille what?””
“Camille Brooks.””
“Why have I never heard of her?””
“Because your grandmother cut her off.””
“Why?””
Marcus shook his head.
“I never got the full story.””
“You married Mom.””
“I know.””
“You knew her family.””
“Yes.””
“And nobody told me?””
“Your mother didn't want you to know.””
“Why?””
Marcus looked toward the window.
“Because Camille disappeared after she accused your grandfather of stealing money from a family trust.””
Aaliyah frowned.
“My grandfather?””
“Yes.””
“That makes no sense.””
“It didn't to me either.””
“What happened?””
“Camille claimed your grandfather had created accounts in other people's names.””
Aaliyah's heart raced.
“Like Carter Holdings?””
Marcus slowly nodded.
“Something like that.””
Dana stepped forward.
“Did your grandfather own companies?””
“Yes.””
“How many?””
“Several.””
“Any in Delaware?””
Marcus looked at her.
“Yes.””
Aaliyah's stomach dropped.
“This goes back that far?””
“I think it does.””
Her phone buzzed.
A message.
*Ask Marcus about the blue ledger.*
She looked at him.
“What is the blue ledger?””
Marcus's face changed.
“I don't know.””
“You're lying.””
“No.””
“You know that phrase.””
He said nothing.
“Dad.””
He finally sighed.
“There was a blue ledger.””
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
“What's in it?””
“Accounts.””
“Whose accounts?””
“I never saw all of them.””
“Then how do you know?””
“Your mother told me.””
Aaliyah stared.
“What did she say?””
“She said the ledger contained every payment connected to the trust.””
“Your grandfather's trust?””
“Yes.””
“And Mom found it?””
“She believed she did.””
“Where?””
Marcus shook his head.
“She never told me.””
“Why?””
“Because she was afraid someone was listening.””
Aaliyah remembered her mother.
The locked office.
The whispered phone calls.
The way Renee had started checking the front door twice every night.
The way she had once stopped mid-sentence when Aaliyah entered the kitchen.
At the time, Aaliyah had thought it was stress.
Now she wasn't so sure.
Dana's laptop chimed.
She looked at the screen.
“Marcus.””
“What?””
“I found something.””
She turned the laptop around.
A corporate registry appeared.
There were multiple companies.
Different names.
Different addresses.
But the same registered agent.
Angela Price.
Aaliyah stared.
“Evan's wife.””
Dana nodded.
Marcus stepped closer.
“How many?””
“Thirty-two.””
“Thirty-two companies?””
“Yes.””
Aaliyah looked at the list.
Some were connected to real estate.
Some to consulting.
Some to educational foundations.
One name stood out.
*Carter Legacy Trust Holdings.*
Marcus went pale.
“That was my father's.””
Dana looked at him.
“When did it dissolve?””
“Twenty-four years ago.””
“It was recreated six months ago.””
Aaliyah's heart pounded.
“By whom?””
Dana scrolled.
The registration was electronically signed.
The listed beneficiary was Aaliyah Carter.
Marcus looked sick.
“This is impossible.””
“No,” Dana said.
“It's deliberate.””
Aaliyah stared at the screen.
“Why make me the beneficiary?””
Dana pointed to the date.
“Because you're an adult now.””
“What does that matter?””
“It means you can legally control the assets.””
Aaliyah swallowed.
“So if money moved through the trust…”
“It could be made to look like you received it.””
“And if they wanted to frame me…”
“They would have the perfect structure.””
Marcus shook his head.
“They're building a case against my daughter.””
Harris looked at him.
“Or someone wants you to believe that.””
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
“Maybe Aaliyah isn't the target.””
Aaliyah looked at Harris.
“Then who is?””
Harris pointed at the corporate records.
“Follow the money.””
Dana began searching.
Seconds passed.
Then she stopped.
“Here.””
“What?””
“There was a transfer.””
“From where?””
“The Carter Legacy Trust.””
“To where?””
Dana stared at the screen.
Then looked at Aaliyah.
“Your mother's old life insurance account.””
Aaliyah froze.
“My mother had life insurance?””
Marcus nodded.
“Of course.””
“Who was the beneficiary?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Dana did.
“Aaliyah Carter.””
Aaliyah looked at her father.
“How much?””
Dana swallowed.
“Two million dollars.””
Aaliyah's breath caught.
“Two million?””
“That policy was supposed to pay after Renee died.””
“Did it?””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“The claim was denied.””
“Why?””
“Fraud investigation.””
Aaliyah looked at him.
“You never told me.””
“I didn't want you to know.””
“Why was it denied?””
Marcus said nothing.
Dana clicked through the records.
“Because someone claimed Renee had falsified financial documents.””
Aaliyah stared.
“Who made the claim?””
Dana's eyes moved across the screen.
“Evan Price.””
Silence.
Marcus's face hardened.
“He did it.””
Aaliyah whispered,
“Why?””
Dana continued scrolling.
“There’s more.””
“What?””
“The insurance company reopened the investigation eight months ago.””
Marcus frowned.
“Eight months?””
“Yes.””
“Who requested it?””
Dana looked at the file.
“An attorney.””
“Who?””
Dana read the name.
“Camille Brooks.””
Aaliyah stopped breathing.
“My aunt?””
Dana nodded.
“According to this, Camille claimed Renee's death was connected to financial fraud.””
Marcus stepped backward.
“No.””
Aaliyah looked at him.
“You said you didn't know where she was.””
“I don't.””
“She reopened Mom's case.””
“I know.””
“You said she disappeared twenty-two years ago.””
“She did.””
“Then how did she file this?””
Marcus couldn't answer.
Aaliyah's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?””
Silence.
Then a woman's voice.
Soft.
Older.
Familiar in a way Aaliyah couldn't explain.
“Aaliyah?””
Her entire body went cold.
“Who is this?””
“My name is Camille.””
Marcus's face drained of color.
Aaliyah gripped the phone.
“Camille Brooks?””
“Yes.””
“Where are you?””
A pause.
“Somewhere close.””
Aaliyah looked around the apartment.
“What do you want?””
“I want you to stop trusting your father.””
Aaliyah's heart pounded.
“Why?””
“Because he doesn't know the whole truth.””
Marcus stepped toward her.
“Put it on speaker.””
Aaliyah did.
Camille's voice filled the room.
Marcus said, “Camille.””
Silence.
Then:
“Marcus.””
His face tightened.
“You're alive.””
“I never died.””
“Where have you been?””
“Trying to keep Aaliyah alive.””
Aaliyah looked at her father.
“What does that mean?””
Camille answered.
“Your mother discovered what your grandfather had done.””
Marcus interrupted.
“We know.””
“No,” Camille said.
“You don't.””
“What don't we know?””
“Your grandfather wasn't the one who created those accounts.””
Marcus froze.
Aaliyah's eyes narrowed.
“Then who did?””
Camille's voice dropped.
“Your mother.””
Aaliyah felt the room disappear.
“No.””
“She didn't steal the money,” Camille said quickly.
“She was trying to move it.””
“Why?””
“To protect you.””
Marcus stared at the phone.
“From whom?””
Camille was silent for several seconds.
Then she said,
“From Evan.””
Aaliyah's heart pounded.
“That doesn't make sense.””
“It will.””
“Where is the ledger?””
Another pause.
“Do you have it?””
“No.””
“Does Marcus?””
“No.””
Camille exhaled.
“Then Evan found it.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“Camille, where are you?””
“I can't tell you.””
“You called us.””
“I had to.””
“Why now?””
“Because he knows I've contacted you.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“Who's he?””
Camille's voice became barely audible.
“The man who has been watching Aaliyah.””
Aaliyah whispered,
“Evan?””
“No.””
She felt a chill.
“Then who?””
Camille said,
“The person behind Evan.””
Marcus asked,
“Who?””
Camille hesitated.
Then she whispered a name.
Aaliyah's blood ran cold.
Because it was the name of someone standing in the room with them.
The call suddenly cut off.
Aaliyah looked up.
Nobody moved.
Brianna was crying.
Tasha looked terrified.
Dana stared at Marcus.
Harris slowly reached for his radio.
Aaliyah's eyes moved from face to face.
“Who did she say?””
Marcus couldn't speak.
Aaliyah turned toward Dana.
“Who?””
Dana shook her head.
“I think you heard her.””
“No.””
Aaliyah's voice broke.
“Say it.””
Dana swallowed.
“She said…”
The apartment door unlocked.
Everyone froze.
The handle slowly turned.
Marcus stepped in front of Aaliyah.
The door opened.
A man stood in the hallway.
He wasn't wearing a disguise.
He wasn't running.
He simply looked at Marcus.
Then at Aaliyah.
And smiled.
It was Evan Price.
But he wasn't alone.
Behind him stood Professor Reed.
And between them was a woman holding a small blue ledger.
Aaliyah stared at it.
The woman looked directly at her.
Then she said,
“Your mother wanted you to have this.””
Marcus whispered,
“Angela.””
Angela Price smiled.
“Hello, Aaliyah.””
May you like
She lifted the ledger.
“And now you finally get to see what your father has been hiding.””