Chapter 8: The Man in Florida
Peter immediately opened his banking app.
“It's pending.””
Marcus moved closer.
“Stop it.””
“I’m trying.””
His fingers shook as he navigated through security screens.
David pulled out his phone.
“Call the bank directly.””
Peter did.
Within minutes, the fraud department had frozen Cumberland Property Holdings’ accounts.
The transfer remained pending.
Marcus stood beside the driveway, watching Peter argue with a bank representative.
Monica looked strangely calm.
Too calm.
Jasmine noticed.
“So Daniel has access,” she said.
Monica looked at her.
Jasmine continued.
“Was he supposed to take the money?””
“Stay out of adult business.””
Jasmine almost laughed.
“You tried to put me in a residential program so you could control my trust.””
Monica looked away.
“I think I'm already in the adult business.””
David suppressed a grim smile.
Marcus did not.
He was too angry.
Peter ended the call.
“Frozen.””
“For how long?”” David asked.
“Forty-eight hours pending investigation.””
Marcus nodded.
“Good.””
Peter shook his head.
“No. Not good.””
“What?””
“If Daniel tried to move that money, he knows something is wrong.””
Marcus stared at him.
“And?””
“And he’ll disappear.””
Olivia wiped her face.
“Why do you care?””
Peter looked at her.
“Because your father has documents.””
“What documents?””
“Original loan agreements. Side agreements. Records of where money went.””
David’s attention sharpened.
“Why would he keep those?””
“Leverage.””
“Against you?””
“Against everybody.””
Marcus looked toward Monica.
She said nothing.
Olivia stepped toward her mother.
“Call him.””
“No.””
“Mom.””
“I said no.””
“Call my father.””
“This isn't about you.””
Olivia recoiled.
The words hung there.
Not about you.
For years, Monica had justified everything by saying it was for Olivia.
Now, when Olivia wanted the truth, suddenly none of it was about her.
Jasmine saw the realization settle across Olivia’s face.
“Then what was it about?””
Monica stared at her.
“Survival.””
“From what?””
Monica’s expression hardened.
“From depending on Marcus for everything.””
Marcus laughed in disbelief.
“You lived in my house.””
“Exactly.””
“You drove a car I paid for.””
“Exactly.””
“I paid your bills.””
“Exactly!””
Monica shouted now.
“That was the problem!””
Everyone went silent.
Monica’s eyes filled with years of resentment.
“Everything was yours. The house was yours. The business was yours. The accounts were yours.
Jasmine had a trust. Jasmine had protection. Olivia and I had whatever you decided to give us.””
Marcus stared at her.
“I married you.””
“And?””
“I made you my family.””
“But you protected Jasmine legally.””
“She was a child who had lost her mother!””
“And Olivia was a child whose father disappeared!””
Olivia whispered, “Apparently he didn't.””
Monica ignored her.
Marcus shook his head.
“So instead of asking me to change our financial arrangements, you stole from me?””
“You would have said no.””
“You never asked!””
“I didn't need to.””
“You decided what I would say, then used that imaginary answer to justify fraud?””
Monica's eyes hardened.
“I wanted something that couldn't be taken away.””
Jasmine looked at the house.
“That was exactly what my mother wanted for me.””
Monica turned toward her.
And for the first time, she had no response.
David interrupted.
“We need to secure the documents in the shed and contact the appropriate professionals tonight.””
Marcus nodded.
“And Daniel?””
“Don't call him yet.””
Olivia stepped forward.
“I want to.””
David shook his head.
“Not tonight.””
“He’s my father.””
“I understand.””
“No, you don't.””
Olivia’s voice broke.
“I've spent ten years thinking he didn't want me.””
David softened.
“But right now he may be involved in a financial scheme, and he just attempted to move hundreds of thousands of dollars after evidence was discovered.””
Olivia looked devastated.
“He may run?””
“Yes.””
She swallowed.
“Then I want to hear his voice before he does.””
Marcus looked at David.
David hesitated.
Finally, he said, “If she calls from her own phone and doesn't discuss the investigation, that's her choice.””
Monica immediately said, “No.””
Olivia turned toward her.
“You don't get to decide anymore.””
She took out her phone.
Her hands trembled.
“I don't have his number.””
Peter did.
Monica glared at him.
Peter ignored her and wrote it down.
Olivia entered the number.
She stared at the screen for nearly a minute.
Then pressed call.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
A man answered.
“Hello?””
Olivia froze.
The voice belonged to a stranger.
Yet not entirely.
Somewhere in the deepest part of her memory, she knew it.
“Dad?””
Silence.
Then the man inhaled sharply.
“Olivia?””
Her knees almost buckled.
Jasmine took her arm again.
Olivia whispered, “You know who I am.””
“Of course I know who you are.””
Olivia started crying.
“Mom said you abandoned me.””
Monica moved toward her.
David held up a hand.
Do not interfere.
Daniel was silent.
Then he said, “Your mother told me you didn't want contact.””
Olivia looked at Monica.
Monica shook her head.
“He's lying.””
Olivia put the call on speaker.
Daniel heard.
“Monica?””
She said nothing.
Daniel’s voice changed.
“What is happening?””
Olivia asked, “Did you know Mom was trying to transfer Marcus’s house to me?””
Silence.
David immediately shook his head.
Too much.
But it was already said.
Daniel answered carefully.
“I think you need to ask your mother.””
“I’m asking you.””
“Olivia—”
“Did you take money from Marcus?””
Another silence.
Then:
“Where are you?””
“At home.””
“With Marcus?””
“Yes.””
Daniel exhaled.
“Listen to me. Do not sign anything your mother gives you.””
Olivia stared at Monica.
“Why?””
“Because some of those papers could make you responsible for debts you know nothing about.””
Peter whispered, “Damn.””
David leaned toward the phone.
“Daniel, this is David Reynolds, counsel for Marcus Carter.””
The line went silent.
Then Daniel laughed bitterly.
“So it finally collapsed.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“You knew it would?””
Daniel recognized his voice.
“Marcus.””
“Where’s my money?””
“You're asking the wrong person.””
“You tried to transfer three hundred ten thousand dollars tonight.””
“That money belongs to me.””
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“How?””
“Monica owes me.””
Monica shouted, “You were already paid!””
Daniel laughed.
“Not even close.””
David asked, “Paid for what?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then said, “Ask Monica what happened to the original trust notice.””
Marcus went still.
“What original trust notice?””
“The one Renee’s attorney sent after she died.””
Marcus looked at Monica.
She had gone pale.
Jasmine felt her heart race.
Daniel continued.
“Monica found it years ago.””
Marcus stared at his wife.
“You knew about Jasmine’s trust for years?””
Monica said nothing.
“How many years?””
Daniel answered.
“Before they got married.””
Jasmine felt the ground shift beneath her again.
Marcus looked stunned.
“That’s impossible.””
“No,” Daniel said.
“It isn't.””
“How would she have access to my mail before we married?””
Daniel laughed without humor.
“Because she was already staying at your house.””
Marcus thought back.
The months after Renee died had been chaos.
Work.
Grief.
A child who woke crying for her mother.
Monica had been part of a parent support group connected to Jasmine’s school.
She had brought meals.
Helped with errands.
Collected mail when Marcus traveled.
He had thought she was being kind.
Daniel continued.
“She saw the trust notice and realized what Jasmine would eventually own.””
Marcus looked sick.
“And then?””
“She contacted me.””
Olivia whispered, “You two were still talking?””
“Sometimes.””
“What did she want?””
Daniel paused.
“To know how trusts could be challenged.””
David’s expression hardened.
“How would you know?””
“I worked in real estate finance.””
Peter looked at the ground.
Daniel continued.
“I told her she couldn't simply take a beneficiary’s property.””
Marcus’s voice was cold.
“But apparently you eventually changed your mind.””
“I needed money.””
“There it is.””
Daniel ignored him.
“Monica wanted security. Peter wanted access to capital. I knew financing.””
“And Jasmine?”” Marcus asked.
“What about her?””
“She was a child.””
Daniel went quiet.
Marcus continued.
“You were all building plans around something left to a child by her dead mother.””
No one answered.
Then Daniel said something unexpected.
“I have the original letter.””
Jasmine looked at David.
“What letter?””
“The one Renee’s attorney sent to Marcus.””
Marcus’s face went pale.
“Why do you have it?””
“Monica gave it to me years ago.””
“Why?””
“Because it contained information about the trust.””
Marcus’s voice shook.
“You stole a letter addressed to me?””
“I kept it.””
“That isn't an answer.””
“I kept it because eventually I realized what Monica was doing.””
Monica laughed.
“You realized when you wanted more money.””
“Maybe.””
Daniel didn't deny it.
“But I still have it.””
David asked, “Where?””
“With other records.””
“Can you send copies tonight?””
Daniel hesitated.
“I want something first.””
Marcus’s eyes hardened.
“My money wasn't enough?””
“I want immunity.””
David almost laughed.
“You think I can give you immunity?””
“I want protection.””
“From whom?””
Daniel went quiet.
Then his voice dropped.
“Monica isn't the person you should be most worried about.””
Everyone looked at Peter.
Peter looked genuinely confused.
Marcus asked, “Who is?””
Daniel answered:
“The person who financed Cumberland.””
David frowned.
“You said Cumberland borrowed privately.””
“It did.””
“From whom?””
Daniel paused.
Then said a name.
Marcus’s face changed completely.
Jasmine had never seen her father look afraid.
Not angry.
Afraid.
“That's impossible,” Marcus whispered.
Olivia looked around.
“Who?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Jasmine touched his arm.
“Dad?””
He finally looked at her.
“The lender is Robert Hale.””
“Who is Robert Hale?””
May you like
Marcus swallowed.
“My business partner.””
