Chapter 3: What Vanessa Hid
Marcus stood in the marble hallway with the dead phone in Daniel's hand.
Nobody spoke.
The sunlight had shifted across the floor, leaving the ceremony entrance half in shadow.
Aaliyah pressed herself against her father's side.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"Call her back.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"That number doesn't accept incoming calls.""
Marcus held out his hand.
"Give me the phone.""
Daniel did.
Marcus stared at the screen.
Unknown number.
No name.
No location.
Nothing.
He handed it back.
"Who was that?""
Daniel's expression was grim.
"Someone Nia trusted.""
"That's not an answer.""
"It's the only one I can give you until we know who's watching.""
Marcus looked toward the ceremony doors.
The guests were still waiting.
The wedding was supposed to begin in less than an hour.
Instead, his entire life had cracked open in a hallway.
Vanessa stood several feet away.
She looked smaller now.
Not innocent.
Just exposed.
Marcus faced her.
"You have ten seconds.""
Vanessa swallowed.
"For what?""
"To tell me where you put the blue envelope.""
She looked at Daniel.
Then Aaliyah.
Then Marcus.
"I don't have it.""
"Where is it?""
"I told you. I don't have it.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"You knew about the envelope.""
Vanessa's silence answered for her.
"Where?""
"At your house.""
Marcus frowned.
"What?""
"I moved it.""
"Why?""
Vanessa rubbed her fingers together.
A nervous habit Marcus had never noticed before.
"Because Nia left things behind.""
"Things?""
"Letters. Photos. Notes.""
"Why did you move them?""
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"Because they were going to ruin everything.""
Marcus stared at her.
"You mean our wedding?""
She nodded.
"No.""
Her voice cracked.
"I mean your life.""
Marcus stepped closer.
"What did Nia know?""
Vanessa looked away.
"She knew about the money.""
Marcus frowned.
"What money?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
Daniel did.
"The life insurance.""
Marcus turned.
"What about it?""
Daniel opened his portfolio again.
"Your wife changed the beneficiary six months before she died.""
Marcus felt a cold pressure spread through his chest.
"To who?""
Daniel looked at Aaliyah.
"Her daughter.""
Marcus blinked.
"That's normal.""
"Not the way she did it.""
Daniel pulled out another document.
"Nia placed the policy inside a trust.""
Marcus read the page.
His eyes moved slowly.
Trustee.
Beneficiary.
Contingency.
He stopped.
"What's this?""
Daniel pointed to a paragraph.
"If Aaliyah dies before reaching eighteen...""
Marcus's face went rigid.
"What?""
Daniel looked at him.
"The policy doesn't go to you.""
Marcus read the sentence again.
His fingers tightened around the paper.
"Who gets it?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Vanessa.""
Silence.
Aaliyah looked up.
"Why?""
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
She shook her head immediately.
"I didn't know.""
"You didn't know?""
"I didn't.""
"You just admitted you knew about the money.""
"I knew there was a policy. I didn't know that.""
Daniel's voice remained calm.
"Then why did you access Nia's records?""
Vanessa looked at him.
"I didn't.""
"You did.""
"No.""
Daniel removed another sheet.
"Your signature is on the authorization.""
Vanessa stared at the document.
Marcus took it.
He knew her signature.
There it was.
Black ink.
Vanessa Reed.
Marcus's stomach twisted.
"Why?""
Vanessa's voice became barely audible.
"Because I needed to know if she had left you anything.""
"Why?""
"Because I thought you were hiding money from me.""
"I wasn't.""
"I know that now.""
Marcus laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"You knew enough to search my dead wife's records, but not enough to tell me?""
Vanessa wiped her cheek.
"I was scared.""
"You were scared?""
"Yes.""
"Of what?""
Vanessa looked at him.
"Of losing everything.""
Marcus stared.
"You were about to marry me.""
"I know.""
"And you were afraid of losing everything?""
"I didn't have anything.""
Marcus's eyes hardened.
"You had me.""
Vanessa's mouth trembled.
"That's not what I meant.""
Aaliyah suddenly spoke.
"She wasn't afraid of losing you.""
Everyone looked at her.
The little girl clutched the damaged locket against her chest.
"She was afraid Mommy would tell you.""
Marcus crouched.
"Tell me what?""
Aaliyah looked at Vanessa.
"About the night she came to our house.""
Marcus froze.
"What night?""
Vanessa whispered, "Aaliyah...""
Marcus stood.
"What night?""
Aaliyah continued.
"The night before Mommy went to the hospital.""
Marcus stared at his daughter.
"Nia came home that night.""
"Yes.""
"She told me she was tired.""
"She was crying.""
Marcus's heart sank.
"What did she say?""
Aaliyah's eyes moved toward Vanessa.
"She said someone had been following her.""
Marcus turned toward Vanessa.
Vanessa shook her head.
"Don't look at me.""
"Who was following her?""
"I don't know.""
Aaliyah whispered, "She said it was someone she trusted.""
Marcus knelt again.
"Did she tell you who?""
Aaliyah shook her head.
"She wrote it down.""
"Where?""
"In the blue envelope.""
Marcus looked at Daniel.
Daniel's expression had gone pale.
"Then we need to find it.""
Marcus stood.
"Where?""
Vanessa closed her eyes.
"Your house.""
Marcus grabbed his keys.
"We're going.""
Vanessa stepped toward him.
"Marcus, wait.""
He turned.
"What?""
"You can't go there.""
"Why?""
"Because—"
She stopped.
Marcus waited.
Vanessa looked at the locket in Aaliyah's hand.
Then at Daniel.
Then at Marcus.
"I wasn't the one who took the letters.""
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"Who was?""
Vanessa's lips parted.
Before she could answer, the ceremony doors behind them slowly opened.
A man in a black suit stepped into the hallway.
Marcus recognized him immediately.
His older brother, Darius.
Darius looked at Marcus.
Then at Vanessa.
Then at the envelope.
His expression changed.
"Where did you get that?""
Marcus stared at him.
"How do you know about it?""
Darius didn't answer.
Aaliyah suddenly grabbed Marcus's hand.
"Daddy.""
Marcus looked down.
She was staring at her uncle.
Her face had gone white.
"I've seen him before.""
Darius's eyes widened.
Marcus turned slowly toward his brother.
"Where?""
Aaliyah's fingers tightened around his.
"In Mommy's hospital room.""
And Darius whispered:
May you like
"That's impossible.""
Would you like Chapter 4 to reveal what Darius was doing in Nia’s hospital room, or focus first on the blue envelope at Marcus’s house?