Chapter 5: The Fourteen-Year-Old Business Owner
I stared at the screen.
Devon Bennett.
My stepbrother.
Fourteen years old.
Listed as the sole director of a company that had received twelve thousand dollars from my mother's account.
“That can't be real,” I whispered.
Grandma pulled her glasses off.
“Children can be listed in certain business arrangements, depending on the jurisdiction and the legal structure. But this needs to be examined carefully.””
“Devon doesn't even know how to open a bank account without Mom helping him.””
“Exactly.””
I looked at the registration again.
The company address was the same private mailbox listed under Bennett Lifestyle Consulting.
Two companies.
One address.
One connection to Vanessa.
And a transfer from money that had belonged to my mother.
I called Dad.
He answered from the hotel lobby.
“Sweetheart?””
“Dad, you need to look at the company that received the twelve-thousand-dollar transfer.””
“I'm looking at it now.””
“It's registered to Devon.””
Silence.
Then Dad said, “What?””
“Devon is listed as the director.””
“That makes no sense.””
“I know.””
“I'll check the paperwork.””
I heard him speaking to someone in the background.
Then his voice lowered.
“Maya, I need you to promise me something.””
“What?””
“Don't confront Devon.””
“I wasn't planning to.””
“He's a child. If Vanessa has been using his name, he may not know anything about it.””
I looked toward Grandma.
She nodded.
Dad continued.
“I'm going to contact the bank's fraud department and arrange for the account records to be reviewed. I'm also going to speak with an attorney.””
“Okay.””
“And Maya?””
“Yes?””
“I am coming home tonight. Nothing is more important than this.””
For the first time that day, I believed him.
After the call, Grandma made sandwiches.
Neither of us was hungry, but she insisted we eat.
At around seven, someone knocked on the front door.
I expected Dad.
Instead, I found Devon standing on the porch.
He was still wearing his green hoodie.
His backpack hung from one shoulder, and his hair was messy.
“Devon?””
He looked over his shoulder before stepping inside.
“Can I come in?””
I moved aside.
Grandma appeared from the kitchen.
“Hello, sweetheart.””
Devon nodded.
“Hi, Grandma Eleanor.””
He looked frightened.
I closed the door.
“Where are Mom and Dad?””
“Dad's at the hotel. Mom went shopping.””
“You came here alone?””
He nodded.
“Can I talk to Maya?””
Grandma looked at me.
“Of course. I'll be in the kitchen.””
Devon and I sat on the living room sofa.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he pulled a folded piece of paper from his hoodie pocket.
“I found this in Mom's suitcase.””
I unfolded it.
It was a printed bank statement.
At the top was the name Bennett Family Holdings.
Below it were several transactions.
One of them was the twelve-thousand-dollar transfer.
But another caught my attention.
A payment of $4,500 had been made to a private school.
I looked up.
“What's this?””
Devon rubbed his hands together.
“Mom told me it was money from Dad.””
“Did she say why?””
“She said it was for my future.””
I looked at the paper again.
“Did you know this company was registered in your name?””
His face went pale.
“What company?””
I turned the document toward him.
He read the name.
Then he shook his head.
“I've never heard of it.””
“Devon, your name is listed as the owner.””
He looked genuinely confused.
“That's impossible.””
“Did you sign anything?””
He hesitated.
Then he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small envelope.
Inside were several photocopied forms.
He placed them on the coffee table.
“My mom told me they were school documents.””
I picked one up.
It was a business registration form.
There was Devon's name.
His date of birth.
And a signature.
The signature was written in a handwriting that looked remarkably similar to Vanessa's.
Devon leaned forward.
“I didn't sign that.””
I looked at him.
“Are you sure?””
He nodded rapidly.
“I was at school that day. Mom told me to sign some papers last year, but she said they were for a savings account.””
I looked at the date.
It was the same date the company had been registered.
“Did you sign anything?””
“I signed one paper. She put a sticky note where I had to sign.””
My chest tightened.
“What did she tell you?””
“That it was for my college fund.””
He lowered his head.
“I didn't think it mattered.””
I softened my voice.
“Devon, you're not in trouble.””
He looked at me.
“Mom said you were going to get me in trouble.””
I blinked.
“What?””
“She said if you found out about the account, you'd accuse me of stealing your money.””
I shook my head.
“I don't think you stole anything.””
He swallowed.
“Mom said you hated me because Dad bought me new clothes and took me to football games.””
I stared at him.
“Devon, I don't hate you.””
He looked down at his hands.
“Then why did she keep saying that?””
I didn't know what to say.
For years, Vanessa had been building a wall between us with little comments and carefully chosen explanations.
She told me Devon needed more attention.
She told Devon I resented him.
She told Dad I was jealous.
And whenever either of us felt hurt, she made sure the other person seemed responsible.
I sat beside him.
“You know what I think?””
He shook his head.
“I think your mom has been telling different stories to different people.””
Devon started crying.
“I didn't know about the money.””
“I believe you.””
He wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Are you going to tell Dad?””
“Yes.””
He nodded.
Then he pulled something else from his pocket.
A small USB drive.
“What is that?”” I asked.
“Mom keeps it in the little drawer beside her bed.””
I stared at him.
“Why did you take it?””
“Because I heard her talking to someone.””
“Who?””
“I don't know. She was in the hotel bathroom, and I was outside.””
He took a breath.
“She said the bank had started asking questions about the transfers.””
My stomach tightened.
“What else?””
“She said she needed to move the remaining money before Dad got home.””
Grandma appeared in the doorway.
“Devon, did you hear her say where she was moving it?””
He nodded.
“To an account in another state.””
Grandma came closer.
“Did she mention a name?””
Devon looked at me.
Then he whispered, “Evelyn.””
I frowned.
“My Aunt Evelyn?””
He nodded.
“Mom said she was going to make it look like Aunt Evelyn had taken the money.””
Grandma went completely still.
“That woman is unbelievable.””
I took the USB drive carefully.
“What's on it?””
“I don't know. I only saw Mom open a folder called Maya.””
My heart skipped.
“A folder with my name?””
“Yeah.””
“Did you see anything else?””
Devon shook his head.
“Mom came out of the bathroom, saw me, and told me to go downstairs.””
Grandma reached for her phone.
“We need to preserve this and let the attorney examine it.””
Devon nodded.
Then he suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
“Maya?””
“Yeah?””
“Can I tell you something without you getting mad?””
“Of course.””
He looked toward the kitchen.
“Mom said something else.””
I waited.
“She said Dad would never believe you over her.””
The words hurt more than I expected.
Not because I believed them.
But because, for a long time, they had been true.
I looked at Devon.
“Maybe she thought that.””
He shook his head.
“No. She said it like she knew.””
Before I could respond, the front door opened.
Dad stepped inside.
His suitcase was still in his hand.
He stopped when he saw Devon.
“What are you doing here?””
Devon stood up.
“Dad, I need to tell you something.””
Dad looked from Devon to me.
Then he noticed the documents on the coffee table.
“What are these?””
I handed him the business registration form.
He read it.
His face became increasingly pale.
“Devon, did you sign this?””
“No, Dad.””
“Did your mother ask you to?””
“She said it was for a savings account.””
Dad closed his eyes.
Then he looked at me.
“What else did you find?””
I placed the USB drive on the table.
“There's a folder with my name on it.””
He stared at it.
“Where did this come from?””
“Vanessa's bedroom drawer.””
Dad didn't touch it.
For a moment, he simply stood there.
Then he sat down.
“I need to call the attorney.””
Grandma nodded.
“Do that.””
Dad picked up his phone.
But before he could dial, it rang.
Vanessa.
He answered on speaker.
“Richard?””
Her voice sounded strangely calm.
“Where are you?””
“At Eleanor's.””
A pause.
“Why?””
“Because I need to speak to Maya.””
“About what?””
Dad looked at the documents.
“About the money.””
The silence that followed was long enough to make everyone uncomfortable.
Then Vanessa laughed softly.
“Richard, you cannot seriously be investigating me because your daughter is upset about a vacation.””
Dad's jaw tightened.
“This isn't about a vacation anymore.””
“Then what is it about?””
“An account that belonged to Maya's mother.””
Vanessa's voice hardened.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.””
“Really?””
“Yes, Richard. And I suggest you stop letting Eleanor fill your head with accusations.””
Grandma stepped forward.
“Vanessa, the documents speak for themselves.””
“Stay out of this!””
Dad interrupted.
“Enough.””
For the first time, his voice sounded completely different.
“Do not speak to Eleanor like that.””
Vanessa went quiet.
Then she said, “You're making a huge mistake.””
Dad looked at me.
“I've probably made several.””
He ended the call.
A few seconds later, his phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
It was from Vanessa.
If you bring that USB drive to a lawyer, you will destroy this family.
Dad stared at the message.
Then another one arrived.
And you should ask Maya what her mother really did before she died.
My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?”” I whispered.
Dad slowly lowered his phone.
“I don't know.””
But Grandma looked terrified.
Because she knew something about my mother's final months that neither Dad nor I had ever been told.
May you like
And when I asked her what Vanessa could possibly mean, Grandma finally revealed the secret she'd kept for six years.
“Your mother didn't die without leaving a warning about Vanessa.””
