Chapter 5: The Signature That Could Send Her to Prison
Naomi stared at the document.
Her name appeared beneath a series of financial authorizations.
Naomi Carter.
The signature looked almost identical to hers.
But she knew she hadn't signed it.
“I never approved this.””
Daniel Carter moved closer.
“I know.””
“Then why is my name here?””
“Because someone needed to make the transfers appear legitimate.””
Edward took the document.
His eyes moved across the page.
“This is a power-of-attorney authorization.””
Daniel Reed leaned over his shoulder.
“It's dated four months after the accident.””
Naomi looked between them.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel Carter answered carefully.
“While you were recovering in the hospital, someone submitted documents claiming you had authorized Victoria to manage your financial affairs.””
Naomi's mouth went dry.
“I was unconscious.””
“Exactly.””
Victoria folded her arms.
“It's easy to accuse someone when you don't understand the paperwork.””
Edward looked up.
“Then explain the forged signature.””
“It's not forged.””
Naomi shook her head.
“I can prove that.””
Everyone turned toward her.
She opened her handbag and removed a small leather notebook.
“My father taught me to sign important documents using a particular method. He told me never to sign my name without adding the date in the lower corner.””
Daniel Carter's expression softened.
“I remember.””
Naomi placed the notebook beside the authorization.
“Look.””
Her signatures all included the small handwritten date.
The forged document did not.
Daniel Reed examined it.
“That's a pretty specific habit.””
“My father made me practice it when I was sixteen. He said it would help me identify documents someone signed without my permission.””
Daniel Carter nodded.
“He was preparing you to protect yourself.””
Naomi looked at him.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I wanted to. I thought I would have the chance.””
His voice became heavy.
“But the night of the accident, I discovered that the people I was investigating had already moved against us.””
Victoria gave a dismissive laugh.
“Convenient story.””
Daniel ignored her.
He turned toward Edward.
“The money trail leads to three shell companies. One was registered under Victoria's maiden name. Another was controlled by a former company accountant.””
Edward looked furious.
“Who was the third?””
Daniel placed a final sheet on the table.
“Whitmore Family Trust.””
Edward's face went completely still.
“That trust was established by my father.””
“And someone used it to receive the stolen money.””
Victoria stepped forward.
“Edward, don't listen to him. Daniel has been hiding for seven years. You have no idea what happened to him during that time.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“I spent seven years collecting evidence.””
“From where?””
“From the people you paid to keep me quiet.””
Victoria laughed.
“You expect us to believe you have been secretly investigating a multimillion-dollar fraud operation without anyone discovering you?””
Daniel nodded.
“I had help.””
He looked toward the entrance.
A woman in a navy business suit stepped into the ballroom.
She carried a leather briefcase and wore her dark hair in a neat bun.
Edward immediately recognized her.
“Margaret?””
Margaret Ellis was the company's former chief financial officer.
She had resigned six years earlier, claiming health problems.
Edward had not seen her since.
“What are you doing here?””
Margaret approached the table.
“I'm here because Daniel finally has enough evidence to protect Naomi.””
Victoria took a step backward.
“Margaret, you have no business being here.””
Margaret opened her briefcase.
“Actually, I have quite a lot of business here.””
She removed several bank statements.
“These are copies of the original transactions. I kept them after discovering the discrepancies in the company's books.””
Edward looked at her.
“You knew?””
“I discovered the transfers. I reported them to Victoria.””
Naomi stared.
“Why would you report them to her?””
Margaret hesitated.
“Because at the time, I believed she was the person authorized to investigate internal financial irregularities.””
“And what happened?””
Margaret looked toward Victoria.
“She offered me money to destroy the records.””
A murmur passed through the ballroom.
Victoria's voice sharpened.
“That's a lie.””
Margaret continued.
“When I refused, my office was broken into. My computer was wiped. My car was followed for three weeks.””
Daniel Carter nodded.
“She contacted me after she escaped the company.””
Edward lowered himself into a chair.
“Why didn't you come to me?””
Margaret looked at him sadly.
“Because I didn't know whether I could trust you.””
Edward closed his eyes.
For the first time that night, he looked old.
Not powerful.
Not intimidating.
Just tired.
Daniel Reed stood beside the table, studying the papers.
“There's something I don't understand.””
Everyone turned toward him.
“Why would my father be connected to the Whitmore Family Trust?””
Victoria's lips tightened.
Margaret answered.
“Because your father was the original trustee.””
Daniel Reed shook his head.
“My father was a mechanic.””
Victoria smiled faintly.
“He was more than that.””
Daniel looked at her.
“What are you saying?””
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
Daniel Carter spoke instead.
“Your father was Richard Whitmore's younger son.””
Daniel Reed stared at him.
The room seemed to tilt.
“No.””
Edward looked toward him.
“Daniel…”
“My father never told me that.””
“He was estranged from the family,” Edward explained.
“He left when he was young. He changed his name.””
Daniel slowly backed away.
“So I'm a Whitmore?””
Edward nodded.
“Yes.””
Daniel looked at Brianna.
Then at Naomi.
Then at the documents.
His expression shifted as the implications became clear.
“Wait.””
He looked toward Edward.
“Does that mean Brianna's baby—”
Edward interrupted.
“That's why the paternity report matters.””
Daniel Reed looked at the paper again.
“If the baby isn't mine, why did Victoria keep telling me the child would secure my place in the company?””
Victoria remained silent.
Naomi watched her carefully.
Something about the situation was beginning to make sense.
Brianna wasn't simply a woman who had cheated on her fiancé.
Victoria had chosen Daniel Reed because of his family connection.
She wanted the child to inherit something.
But what?
Daniel Carter answered before Naomi could ask.
“Richard Whitmore left a separate inheritance for his descendants. It includes voting rights in the original family trust.””
Edward nodded.
“And because Daniel is Richard's grandson, his biological child would qualify.””
Daniel Reed stared at Brianna.
“You knew?””
Brianna wiped her cheeks.
“Daniel, I love you.””
“Did you know my father was a Whitmore?””
She didn't answer.
“Did you know the baby wasn't mine?””
Brianna whispered something.
Daniel stepped closer.
“What?””
“I knew there was a possibility.””
He looked devastated.
“A possibility?””
She began crying harder.
“Mom said the dates were close. She said nobody would ever know.””
Daniel turned toward Victoria.
“You used me.””
Victoria's expression became cold.
“I gave you a future.””
“You gave me a lie.””
Brianna grabbed his sleeve.
“Please. We can still work this out.””
He pulled away.
“Don't touch me.””
She looked toward the room.
“Everyone is acting as if I'm the only person who made mistakes. What about Naomi? What about Edward? What about all the money you people have hidden?””
Naomi looked at her.
“You are not the victim here.””
Brianna laughed bitterly.
“Easy for you to say. You always had Edward protecting you.””
Naomi's voice was quiet.
“I had a father who loved me. You had a mother who taught you to destroy people for money. Those are not the same thing.””
Brianna's expression twisted.
Victoria suddenly grabbed her daughter's arm.
“Come with me.””
Brianna resisted.
“No. I'm not leaving.””
Victoria leaned close and whispered something in her ear.
Whatever she said made Brianna's face change.
She looked at the ballroom doors.
Then at the documents.
Then at Naomi.
“I didn't know she would actually do it,” Brianna whispered.
Naomi frowned.
“Do what?””
Brianna looked toward Daniel Carter.
“The car.””
Victoria's grip tightened.
“Brianna!””
But Brianna pulled away.
“I was supposed to be in that car.””
The room went silent.
Daniel Carter's face hardened.
Naomi stared at Brianna.
“What?””
Brianna began shaking.
“Mom told me to get into the back seat. She said we needed to scare you into signing the trust documents. She said nobody would get hurt.””
Naomi's throat tightened.
“And then?””
Brianna looked at Victoria.
“She told the driver to leave you there.””
Daniel Reed stepped forward.
“What driver?””
Brianna's eyes filled with tears.
“The man who was supposed to take me home.””
Daniel Carter slowly reached for his recorder.
“What's his name?””
Brianna whispered it.
“Marcus.””
Edward's face changed instantly.
“Marcus Bell?””
Brianna nodded.
Edward gripped his cane.
“Marcus was my personal driver.””
Daniel Carter looked toward the security team.
“Then we need to find him.””
James hurried forward.
“Sir, there's a problem.””
Edward turned.
“What now?””
James looked at the main entrance.
“Mr. Bell is already here.””
And before anyone could react, the ballroom lights flickered.
A loud crash came from the entrance.
Someone shouted.
Then the fire alarm began screaming.
In the confusion, Naomi heard her father's voice.
“Stay beside me!””
But when the emergency lights came on, Daniel Carter was gone.
So was the black flash drive.
And on the floor beside Naomi's wheelchair lay a small folded note.
May you like
Three words were written across it.
Ask about Brianna.
