Chapter 4: The Key to His Locked Desk
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Daniel stared at the new recording on his phone. The timestamp glowed in the corner of the screen: 2:14 P.M. The hallway confrontation had happened less than ten minutes later.
On the video, Mia stood outside Arthur's study, glanced over her shoulder, and slipped inside.
In her right hand was a small brass key.
Arthur's face had gone pale.
"Where did you get that key?"" he asked.
Mia folded her arms across her chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
Daniel slowly raised his phone.
"You're holding a key in the video.""
"It could be any key.""
"That key opens my study," Arthur said.
"And the locked drawer inside my desk.""
Mia's lips tightened.
"Then perhaps you should have kept it somewhere safer.""
Tiana stared at her.
"Did you just admit you had it?""
"I didn't admit anything.""
"You literally just said—"
"Stay out of this!"" Mia snapped.
Her voice cracked against the marble walls. She immediately glanced at Daniel, apparently expecting him to rebuke his sister.
He didn't.
Instead, he enlarged the recording with two fingers.
Mia entered the study. She closed the door behind her, walked straight to Arthur's desk, and knelt beside the right-hand drawer. She inserted the key and turned it.
The drawer opened.
Daniel watched her remove a thick manila envelope.
She checked its contents, slipped something into her handbag, and returned the envelope to the drawer.
Then she locked it and left.
The entire sequence lasted less than two minutes.
"What did you take?"" Daniel asked.
Mia's eyes darted toward Arthur.
"Nothing that belongs to you.""
"That isn't an answer.""
"It's the only one you're getting.""
Daniel lowered his phone.
"You're my wife.""
"And you're supposed to trust me!""
"I did trust you!""
The words burst out of him with such force that Mia stepped backward.
Daniel's face crumpled for an instant before anger replaced his disbelief.
"I trusted you enough to strike my own father because you said he attacked you. I watched him fall, Mia. I watched him look at me like he didn't recognize the person standing in front of him.""
His voice broke.
"And now I'm watching you steal from his desk.""
"I didn't steal anything!""
"Then what did you take?""
Mia pressed her lips together.
Arthur gripped his cane more tightly.
"Daniel, bring up the recording from inside the study.""
Mia turned sharply.
"No!""
Everyone looked at her.
She seemed to realize her mistake, because she immediately lowered her voice.
"I mean, there is no reason to keep digging through private family matters. Your father has embarrassed me enough.""
Arthur's expression hardened.
"You entered my private study with a key you had no permission to use. You opened a locked drawer. Whatever you took became a family matter when you chose to involve yourself in it.""
"You're making me sound like a criminal.""
"I'm asking you to explain your actions.""
"You've never wanted me in this family!""
Arthur shook his head slowly.
"I paid for your wedding when you told Daniel you wanted to spare him the expense. I helped you establish your consulting business when the bank rejected your application. When you and Daniel couldn't afford the down payment on your first home, I provided it without asking for a single dollar in return.""
Mia's eyes flashed.
"And you've reminded me of every favor ever since!""
"I have never asked you to repay me.""
"You didn't have to. You made sure I knew I owed you.""
Tiana stepped forward.
"Grandpa never treated you like you owed him anything. You just hated that he could see through you.""
Mia spun toward her.
"Do you think you're better than me because you have his money waiting for you?""
The accusation silenced Tiana.
Daniel looked at his wife.
"What does that mean?""
Mia's face changed.
"Nothing.""
"No. Explain it.""
She looked toward the staircase.
Arthur answered instead.
"Three weeks ago, I asked my attorney to review the business accounts. I discovered money had been transferred from the company's reserve account into a consulting firm I didn't recognize.""
Daniel stared at him.
"What consulting firm?""
"One registered under a different name, but connected to Mia's business address.""
Mia lifted her chin.
"That investigation was an invasion of my privacy.""
"It was an investigation into company funds.""
"Money that Daniel would inherit one day!""
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"Money that belonged to the employees who had worked for me for thirty years.""
For the first time, Daniel seemed unable to find a defense.
He looked at Mia's handbag.
"Is that why you came into his study? Were you looking for the investigation?""
Mia said nothing.
Arthur turned toward the phone.
"Play the rest of the clip.""
Daniel tapped the screen.
The footage resumed.
Mia was already inside the study, standing beside the desk. She removed several sheets from the envelope and photographed them with her smartphone.
Then she pulled a folded document from her handbag.
She laid it on the desk, placed a pen beside it, and took another picture.
Daniel leaned closer.
"What is that paper?""
Arthur's jaw tightened.
"My signature.""
Tiana looked at him.
"Your signature on what?""
"A document authorizing the transfer of my controlling interest in Mitchell Development.""
Daniel looked stunned.
"You're giving her the company?""
"No.""
Arthur's answer was immediate.
"I have never signed such a document.""
On the screen, Mia carefully returned the papers to the envelope. She took one final photograph, locked the drawer, and left the study.
Daniel paused the recording.
He looked at his wife as if the woman standing before him had suddenly become a stranger.
"You were forging Dad's signature?""
Mia's face reddened.
"I was preparing paperwork.""
"For what?""
"For the future!""
"Whose future?""
"Ours!""
Daniel shook his head.
"You were going to transfer his company without his permission.""
"I was trying to protect our future before he handed everything to Tiana!""
Tiana recoiled.
"What?""
Mia's expression froze.
Arthur slowly turned toward her.
"Who told you I intended to hand the company to Tiana?""
Mia glanced at Daniel.
Neither of them answered.
Arthur's voice became quieter.
"Who told you?""
Mia swallowed.
"You did. Months ago.""
"No," Arthur replied.
"I told Daniel that I wanted both of my children involved in the company's future. I made no promise about transferring ownership to either of them.""
"That's not how I understood it.""
"Then you misunderstood.""
Mia let out a bitter laugh.
"Of course. You can say whatever you want. Everyone believes you.""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"Mia, stop. Just stop.""
She stared at him.
"You're choosing them over me.""
"I'm choosing not to lie to myself anymore.""
Her eyes filled again, but she didn't look toward Daniel for comfort this time. She looked at the camera mounted above the staircase.
Arthur followed her gaze.
"Daniel," he said, "check whether the system recorded any other visits to the study today.""
Daniel scrolled through the footage list.
"There are two more clips.""
He opened the first.
The study was empty. The door opened, and Mia entered again.
This time, she carried a white envelope.
She placed it beneath the leather folder Arthur had left on the desk, took a photograph, and walked out.
Daniel frowned.
"Why would she put something under your folder?""
Arthur's face had become very still.
"Open the next clip.""
Daniel did.
The timestamp read 2:19 P.M.
On the screen, Mia returned to the study.
She walked to the desk, retrieved the white envelope, and examined it.
Then she smiled.
She took out a single sheet of paper, folded it carefully, and slipped it into her handbag.
Tiana whispered, "What was on that paper?""
Arthur didn't answer.
He was staring at the screen, his fingers trembling against the handle of his cane.
Daniel noticed.
"Dad?""
Arthur drew a slow breath.
"That document was supposed to remain in my safe until my attorney arrived tomorrow morning.""
"What document?"" Daniel asked.
Arthur looked at him.
"My updated will.""
The hallway seemed to tilt beneath Daniel's feet.
Mia took a step toward the staircase.
Daniel immediately moved between her and the exit.
"Where are you going?""
She stopped.
"To get some air.""
"You're not leaving until you tell us what you took.""
"You can't keep me here!""
"I'm not keeping you anywhere. I'm asking you to explain why you entered my father's study, opened his locked desk, and removed his will.""
Mia's nostrils flared.
"You're making a mistake, Daniel.""
"Maybe I already made the biggest one of my life.""
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then she leaned close enough that only he could clearly hear her next words.
"If you keep pushing me, you'll discover that your father isn't the only person in this family with secrets.""
Daniel went rigid.
Arthur heard the warning.
So did Tiana.
Mia stepped away, lifted her chin, and looked directly at Arthur.
"Ask your son what he did with the money he borrowed from you last year.""
Daniel's face lost all color.
Arthur turned slowly toward his son.
"What money?""
Daniel opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Mia smiled without warmth.
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"Go ahead, Daniel. Tell them.""
And in that moment, the investigation into Mia's lies threatened to expose a secret Daniel had spent an entire year trying to bury.
