Chapter 8: The Woman Who Held the Missing Pieces
Nia barely slept that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the same sentence.
Your mother left you an entire fashion company.
She sat at the kitchen table until sunrise, studying the documents from the old studio.
Evelyn finally came downstairs carrying two cups of coffee.
"You're still awake?""
Nia shook her head.
"I couldn't sleep.""
Evelyn placed a cup in front of her.
"Neither could I.""
Nia turned her phone toward her grandmother.
"She said she wants to meet us.""
Evelyn read the message.
"Where?""
"The Hawthorne Hotel. Ten o'clock.""
Evelyn frowned.
"That's one of the most expensive hotels in the city.""
"I know.""
"Did she explain why?""
"No. She just said to bring Mom's original sketches.""
Evelyn looked toward the framed photograph on the wall.
"Your mother used to talk about Eleanor Hawthorne. She was a wealthy investor who supported young designers.""
"Did Mom know her well?""
"Apparently. Eleanor helped Camille pay for materials when she first opened the studio.""
Nia picked up the old contract.
"Then why didn't Mom tell us about the company?""
Evelyn sighed.
"Maybe she never knew what Eleanor had arranged.""
Nia studied the document.
A small line appeared beneath the signature section.
Original creative rights and business ownership to remain with Camille Carter or her designated beneficiary.
Nia pointed at it.
"Grandma, look.""
Evelyn leaned closer.
Her eyes widened.
"Your mother was the designated beneficiary?""
"No. I think I am.""
They stared at each other.
The phone vibrated again.
A new message from Eleanor appeared.
*ELEANOR:* Bring the blue folder if you have it. And please, come through the private entrance. Margaret Ellis must not know we're meeting.
Nia looked at her grandmother.
"She knows Margaret.""
Evelyn nodded.
"And she knows something Margaret doesn't want us to discover.""
The Hawthorne Hotel was an elegant building with marble floors, gold fixtures, and enormous windows overlooking the city.
Nia arrived wearing a simple lavender T-shirt, black trousers, and white sneakers. She carried her mother's sketchbook in a canvas bag.
Evelyn wore her navy-blue dress.
A hotel employee led them through a private corridor into a quiet lounge.
An elderly woman sat near the window.
She wore a cream-colored suit, pearl earrings, and a gold brooch shaped like a flower.
Her silver hair was neatly arranged.
When Nia entered, the woman stood.
"Nia.""
Her voice was gentle.
Nia approached cautiously.
"Are you Eleanor Hawthorne?""
The woman smiled.
"Yes, sweetheart.""
She looked at Evelyn.
"It's good to see you again.""
Evelyn nodded.
"Mrs. Hawthorne.""
Eleanor gestured toward the chairs.
"Please. Sit.""
Nia placed the canvas bag on the table.
Eleanor's eyes immediately moved toward the sketchbook.
"May I?""
Nia nodded.
The older woman opened it carefully.
She turned several pages.
When she reached the Phoenix Gown, she stopped.
"Oh, Camille.""
Her voice trembled.
"She finished it.""
Nia leaned forward.
"What do you mean?""
Eleanor looked up.
"Your mother designed the Phoenix Gown after the Bellamy scandal. She told me she wanted to create something that represented survival.""
"Did you know about the false contract?""
Eleanor nodded.
"I knew about the betrayal. I helped your mother gather evidence.""
"Then why didn't anyone stop Margaret?""
Eleanor folded her hands.
"Because Margaret wasn't working alone.""
Nia exchanged a glance with Evelyn.
"Who else?""
Eleanor took a breath.
"Several people inside the Bellamy company knew about the altered contract. But the person who arranged the forgery was Adrian's father.""
Nia frowned.
"Adrian's father?""
"Yes. Adrian is the son of James Bellamy, Richard's younger brother.""
Evelyn looked shocked.
"James was involved?""
Eleanor nodded.
"He controlled the company's legal department. He believed Camille's designs could make the Bellamy family extremely wealthy. When Camille refused to sell her ownership rights, he arranged for the contract to be altered.""
Nia stared at her.
"But Margaret admitted she wanted my mother's success.""
"She did. She provided the signature sample and helped create the false document. James handled the legal details.""
"Then what happened?""
Eleanor reached into her handbag.
She removed a thick blue folder.
Nia recognized the color immediately.
"The missing folder.""
Eleanor nodded.
"I kept a copy.""
Evelyn leaned forward.
"How did you get it?""
"Camille gave it to me shortly before she died.""
Nia felt her throat tighten.
"Why didn't you tell us?""
Eleanor looked at her with sadness.
"Your mother asked me to wait.""
"Wait for what?""
"For the moment when you would be old enough to decide what to do with her work.""
She opened the folder.
Inside were photographs, financial statements, original sketches, and several legal documents.
At the top was a certificate.
*HAWTHORNE CREATIVE TRUST*
Below it appeared Camille Carter's name.
Eleanor explained.
"After the Bellamy scandal, I offered your mother a chance to rebuild. She refused to work under anyone's control again. So we created a private company together.""
Nia looked confused.
"A company?""
"Yes. The Hawthorne Creative Trust owns the original rights to Camille's designs, along with several unfinished collections. Camille named you as the sole beneficiary.""
Nia stared at the papers.
"Me?""
Eleanor smiled.
"Your mother wanted you to have the opportunity she never received.""
Evelyn covered her mouth.
"Camille never told me.""
"She wanted to protect you from the pressure. She also wanted to make sure that, if anything happened to her, nobody could take the company away.""
Nia looked at the certificate.
The document listed the company's assets.
Original fashion designs.
Licensing rights.
A small manufacturing partnership.
And a valuable collection of archived patterns.
The estimated value was enormous.
Nia shook her head.
"This can't be real.""
Eleanor gently placed a hand over hers.
"It is.""
"But I'm only twelve.""
"Which is why the trust is managed by an independent board until you're legally old enough to take control.""
Nia looked at Evelyn.
"Grandma, what does this mean?""
"It means your mother planned for your future.""
Eleanor nodded.
"And there's something else.""
She turned to another document.
It was a formal agreement.
A handwritten note appeared beneath the signature.
In the event of my death, my daughter Nia Carter shall retain all creative rights and receive full ownership of the company upon reaching adulthood.
Nia's eyes filled with tears.
Her mother hadn't simply left her a sketchbook.
She had left her a future.
Then Eleanor closed the folder.
"But we have a problem.""
Nia looked up.
"What?""
"Margaret knows the trust exists.""
Evelyn frowned.
"How?""
"Because she attempted to claim ownership of the original collection last year. She argued that Camille had transferred the rights to Bellamy Fashion Group.""
"Could she win?""
Eleanor shook her head.
"Not if we produce the original agreement and the trust documents.""
"Then why are we worried?""
Eleanor's expression became serious.
"Because someone has already filed a claim using Nia's name.""
Nia froze.
"What?""
Eleanor turned the folder around.
A legal document lay on the table.
It was dated three days earlier.
At the top was the name of the Hawthorne Creative Trust.
Beneath it appeared a request to transfer all company assets to Bellamy Fashion Group.
And at the bottom was a signature.
Nia Carter.
Her name.
Written in a handwriting that looked disturbingly similar to her own.
Evelyn stood.
"That's impossible!""
Nia stared at the document.
"I didn't sign that.""
Eleanor nodded.
"I know.""
"Then who did?""
Eleanor's expression hardened.
"That's what we need to find out.""
Across town, Margaret Ellis sat inside a private office.
A large screen displayed the same legal document.
Vanessa stood beside her.
Adrian sat in a chair, his face pale.
Margaret placed a glass of water on the desk.
"Everything is ready.""
Vanessa smiled.
"Then the company belongs to us?""
"Not yet. But once the transfer request is approved, we'll have enough legal control to freeze the trust's operations.""
Adrian shook his head.
"This is insane. You forged another signature.""
Margaret turned.
"Don't act innocent, Adrian. You forged the first one.""
"I was twenty-two. Your father threatened my family.""
"That doesn't change what you did.""
Vanessa walked toward the desk.
"What about the girl?""
Margaret smiled.
"Nia won't be able to do anything.""
"Her grandmother has the original contract.""
"Then we'll take that away too.""
Adrian stood.
"No. I'm done.""
Margaret raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?""
"I said I'm done. I gave you the original signature page because you promised nobody would get hurt.""
Vanessa laughed.
"Nobody got hurt. It's business.""
Adrian looked at her.
"You ruined a twelve-year-old girl's dress.""
Vanessa shrugged.
"And she made it prettier.""
Margaret slammed her glass onto the desk.
"Enough!""
Both of them fell silent.
She walked toward Adrian.
"Listen carefully. If you tell anyone what happened, I'll make sure every document you signed becomes public.""
Adrian looked down.
Margaret smiled.
"Now sit.""
He reluctantly returned to his chair.
Back at the hotel, Nia was still staring at the forged signature.
Eleanor placed another document beside it.
"There's one more piece of evidence.""
She opened a smaller envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a security log from the Bellamy headquarters.
It showed that the original signature page had been accessed on the same day the false transfer request was filed.
The name recorded on the access card was not Vanessa's.
It was Adrian's.
Nia looked at the photograph.
"Adrian signed the document?""
Eleanor nodded.
"He had access to the legal archive.""
Evelyn shook her head.
"That boy has been helping them all along.""
Nia remembered the way Adrian had looked at the ruined gown.
The way he had dismissed her.
The way he had quietly helped Vanessa hide the paint balloon.
She felt a wave of anger.
Then Eleanor placed one final photograph on the table.
It showed a handwritten note from Camille.
If the trust is ever challenged, ask Margaret about the seventh flower.
Nia looked down at the gold floral embroidery on her dress.
"What's the seventh flower?""
Eleanor studied the gown.
"Your mother hid something inside it.""
Nia touched the bodice.
"Inside the dress?""
Eleanor nodded.
"She told me that the final flower was never meant to be decorative.""
Nia looked at her grandmother.
Then she looked down at the seven golden flowers stitched across the bodice.
There were seven.
Exactly as Richard had noticed.
She counted them again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eleanor leaned closer.
"Camille said the final flower contained the truth.""
Nia carefully examined the smallest flower near the waist.
Something beneath the golden embroidery felt different.
A tiny hard object.
She looked up.
"Grandma, I think there's something inside.""
Evelyn's hands began trembling.
"Don't pull it.""
Nia stopped.
Eleanor reached for a pair of delicate sewing scissors.
"Let me help.""
Together, they carefully loosened three tiny stitches.
A small folded piece of paper emerged from beneath the appliqué.
Nia unfolded it.
Inside was a handwritten message.
The person who forged my signature was not the only one who betrayed me.
Below it was a name.
*EVELYN CARTER.*
Nia stopped breathing.
She slowly raised her eyes.
Her grandmother was staring at the paper.
Tears streamed down her face.
"Grandma?""
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Eleanor stood abruptly.
"Oh, Camille. You knew.""
Nia stepped backward.
"What does this mean?""
May you like
Evelyn looked at her granddaughter.
And for the first time in Nia's life, her grandmother looked like a stranger.
