Chapter 5: The Account
Marcus drove them to a small diner twenty minutes from campus.
It was nearly empty.
A waitress brought coffee none of them touched.
Jasmine sat between Adrian and Monique.
Marcus sat across from them.
Nobody spoke for almost a minute.
Finally Adrian placed the forged document on the table.
“Start from the beginning.””
Marcus nodded.
“The trust was created when Jasmine was six.””
Jasmine looked at him.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?””
“Because your grandfather believed money would attract the wrong people.””
Adrian frowned.
“Your grandfather wasn't wrong.””
Marcus glanced toward the windows.
“He hired Darren Cole to manage some of the trust's investments.””
Adrian stiffened.
“Darren?””
Marcus nodded.
“Your mother knew him.””
Monique looked down.
“He was recommended by my father.””
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“So Darren had access from the beginning.””
“Yes.””
Marcus took a sip of coffee.
“He started moving money slowly. A few thousand here. Ten thousand there.””
“How did nobody notice?”” Jasmine asked.
“Your grandfather's estate lawyer noticed.””
“Who?””
“Eleanor Price.””
Monique's eyes widened.
“She's dead.””
“Her death was ruled accidental.””
Adrian stared at Marcus.
“And you don't believe that.””
“No.””
Jasmine leaned forward.
“What happened to her?””
Marcus looked at her.
“She was supposed to meet me the week before I disappeared.””
“For what?””
“To show me proof that Darren was stealing from the trust.””
Adrian's fingers curled around his coffee cup.
“Did she?””
Marcus shook his head.
“She never showed.””
“And that's when you left?””
“That night.””
Monique whispered, “You didn't tell me about Eleanor.””
“You were already scared.””
“I deserved to know.””
“You were the reason I couldn't trust anyone.””
Monique looked wounded.
Adrian cut in.
“Enough. What happened after you left?””
Marcus looked at him.
“I went to Tennessee. I stayed with a friend. I changed my number.””
“You never contacted Jasmine.””
“I did.””
Jasmine looked at him.
“What?””
“I wrote letters.””
“How many?””
“Twenty-three.””
Her face crumpled.
“I never got one.””
“I know.””
Monique closed her eyes.
Adrian looked at her.
“Monique.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Did you intercept them?””
“No.””
Marcus leaned forward.
“Darren did.””
Adrian stared.
“How?””
“He had access to the address.””
Marcus pulled out his phone.
“I kept copies.””
He opened a folder.
Photographs of handwritten letters appeared on the screen.
Jasmine stared.
The first one was addressed to her.
*Dear Jasmine,*
Her hand flew to her mouth.
“That's my name.””
Marcus nodded.
“I wrote it when you were nine.””
She looked at the date.
Fourteen years ago.
“Why didn't you send them yourself?””
“I did.””
“To where?””
“Your house.””
Jasmine looked at Monique.
“Mom?””
Monique's face was wet with tears.
“I didn't know.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You didn't know about the letters. But you knew he was trying to reach her.””
Monique said nothing.
Jasmine stood abruptly.
“You knew?””
“Baby…”
“You knew he was trying to contact me?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
“I thought he would hurt you.””
“You thought he would hurt me?””
Monique stood too.
“I thought I was protecting you!””
“You keep saying that!””
The waitress glanced over.
Adrian stood.
“Jasmine, sit down.””
She did.
But her eyes never left her mother.
Marcus reached across the table.
“There is something else.””
Adrian looked at him.
“What?””
Marcus opened another file.
“Darren didn't just steal money.””
He showed them a series of transfers.
Adrian scanned the dates.
His face went blank.
“These are my payments.””
Marcus nodded.
“Exactly.””
Adrian looked up.
“What does that mean?””
“Darren used your accounts to replace the money he stole from Jasmine's trust.””
Adrian stared at the screen.
“So the tuition…”
“Was paid partly with your money and partly with trust money.””
Jasmine whispered, “How much did he take from Adrian?””
Marcus shook his head.
“Not take.””
He zoomed in.
“Redirect.””
Adrian frowned.
“He made it look like you were paying more than you actually were.””
Jasmine stared at Adrian.
“You didn't know?””
“No.””
Her eyes filled.
“So when I thought…”
She couldn't finish.
Adrian reached across the table.
“Jasmine.””
She pulled her hand away.
Not from anger.
From shame.
“I said those things to you.””
Adrian looked at her.
“I know.””
“I threw your flowers.””
“I know.””
“I said you weren't my father.””
His eyes softened.
“That part hurt.””
Jasmine began crying.
“I didn't know.””
“You didn't have to know everything.””
“But I should have known you stayed.””
Adrian swallowed.
“I stayed because I loved you.””
Marcus looked away.
For the first time, he seemed uncomfortable.
Jasmine wiped her eyes.
“Why did Darren do this?””
Marcus answered.
“Because your grandfather's trust wasn't the only thing he wanted.””
“What else?””
“The company.””
Adrian frowned.
“What company?””
Monique looked at him.
“Adrian…”
He turned.
“What?””
She whispered, “My father's company.””
Adrian's expression changed.
“I thought it was sold.””
“It was.””
“To who?””
Monique didn't answer.
Marcus did.
“Darren.””
Adrian slowly leaned back.
Everything became clear.
Darren had been moving money through the trust.
He had helped arrange the sale of the company.
He had handled the refinancing.
He had managed Adrian's accounts.
He had been everywhere.
Adrian's phone vibrated.
A message.
From Darren.
*You should stop listening to Marcus.*
Another message followed.
*He'll tell you anything to get his daughter back.*
Then a third.
*Ask Monique who signed the final transfer.*
Adrian looked at Monique.
She began shaking.
“Don't,” she whispered.
“Who signed it?””
“Adrian…”
“Who signed it?””
Monique looked at Jasmine.
Then at Marcus.
Finally she said, “I did.””
Jasmine's face went white.
“Mom.””
“I was trying to save the house.””
“You sold Grandpa's company?””
“I thought it was temporary.””
Marcus slammed his hand onto the table.
“You signed it.””
“I was threatened!””
“And then you blamed me.””
“I was terrified!””
Adrian stood.
“You signed away her inheritance.””
Monique cried.
“I thought I could get it back.””
“Could you?””
“No.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because by then you had already put everything into Jasmine's education.””
Adrian stared at her.
The diner suddenly felt too small.
He looked at Jasmine.
Then at Marcus.
Then at the phone.
A new message appeared.
This one contained a location.
And a sentence.
*Come to the old warehouse if you want the original records. Come alone.*
Adrian showed Marcus.
Marcus shook his head immediately.
“No.””
Adrian grabbed his keys.
“I'm going.””
“You'll be walking into a trap.””
“Maybe.””
Marcus stood.
“Then I'm coming.””
Adrian looked at him.
“You've spent fourteen years running.””
Marcus's eyes hardened.
“Not tonight.””
Jasmine stood.
“I'm coming too.””
“No,” Adrian and Marcus said together.
She stared at them.
For the first time, Adrian and Marcus exchanged a look that wasn't hatred.
It was agreement.
Adrian turned to Jasmine.
“Stay with your mother.””
“But—”
“Jasmine.””
His voice softened.
“Trust me.””
She nodded reluctantly.
Marcus opened the diner door.
Before Adrian could follow him, Jasmine grabbed his sleeve.
“Adrian?””
He turned.
She hesitated.
Then whispered, “You really don't have to forgive me.””
Adrian looked at her for a long moment.
“I know.””
“Then why are you still here?””
He touched her shoulder.
“Because leaving isn't what fathers do.””
Jasmine broke down.
Adrian stepped outside.
Marcus followed.
The door swung shut behind them.
Neither noticed the black SUV parked across the street.
Inside it, Darren watched them walk toward Adrian's truck.
He lifted his phone.
“They're going to the warehouse,” he said.
A voice on the other end asked, “And Jasmine?””
Darren smiled.
“She stayed.””
“Good.””
May you like
Darren started the engine.
“Then she won't see what's coming.””