Chapter 9: The Last Attempt to Steal Our Family
Michael immediately contacted the bank.
The disputed payment request was placed on hold.
He also advised Vanessa to secure her company's accounts and preserve the login records.
I watched her follow his instructions.
Her fingers trembled as she changed the passwords.
Daniel stood behind her.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Vanessa put down her phone.
“My mother has the company laptop.””
Michael looked up.
“Can she access the payment system remotely?””
“Yes.””
“Can you revoke her access?””
Vanessa nodded.
She tapped the screen.
A moment later, a notification appeared.
<text color="secondary" size="xs">ACCOUNT ACCESS REVOKED</text>
Vanessa exhaled.
“It's done.””
Michael shook his head.
“That's a necessary step, but it doesn't establish who initiated the latest payment request. We'll need the bank's records.””
I looked toward the door.
“I'm going to that hotel.””
Michael shook his head.
“Richard, I don't recommend confronting her.””
“I'm not going to confront anyone. I want answers.””
Elaine took my hand.
“Richard, please don't put yourself in danger.””
I looked at her.
“I won't.””
Daniel stood.
“I'm coming.””
I turned toward him.
“Why?””
“Because this involves me.””
I studied his face.
“Then perhaps it's time you stopped standing behind other people.””
He nodded.
We left the ballroom through a side entrance.
The afternoon sunlight had begun fading.
The wedding decorations were visible through the glass doors.
White roses.
Gold ribbons.
A beautiful cake nobody would eat.
Elaine walked beside me.
Her dress was still stained, and I had offered to take her home.
But she refused.
“I want to know the truth,” she said.
So we went together.
Michael drove us to the hotel.
The journey took fifteen minutes.
Nobody spoke much.
Daniel sat in the back seat, staring at his hands.
At a red light, he finally spoke.
“Mom?””
Elaine turned.
“Yes?””
“I'm sorry.””
She looked at him.
“I know you're sorry.””
He swallowed.
“Do you think you can forgive me?””
Elaine looked out the window.
“I don't know yet.””
He nodded.
That answer seemed to hurt him more than anger would have.
The hotel lobby smelled of polished marble and fresh coffee.
A receptionist directed us toward the lounge.
Michael had already informed the hotel that we were looking for Celeste regarding a financial matter.
We found her sitting near the windows.
She was wearing her navy-blue gown.
Her handbag rested on the chair beside her.
And on the table was a silver laptop.
When she saw us, she immediately closed it.
“Richard.””
I approached.
“Celeste.””
She glanced at Daniel.
“Why are you here?””
Daniel pulled out a chair.
“We need to talk.””
She sighed.
“Not now.””
Michael placed a copy of the disputed payment request on the table.
“Mrs. Cole, did you submit this transaction?””
She glanced at the page.
Then looked away.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.””
Vanessa wasn't with us, but Michael had the company records and the bank notification.
“Your daughter's company account was accessed using credentials associated with your device.””
Celeste laughed.
“I was helping her.””
“By requesting an unauthorized transfer?””
“I was moving money that belonged to us.””
I leaned forward.
“Us?””
She looked at me.
“Your family has enough money to make this disappear.””
I stared at her.
“You still don't understand.””
She shrugged.
“Richard, let's be practical. You're nearly seventy. You don't need all this money. Daniel does.””
I looked at my son.
He didn't move.
Celeste continued.
“Your son has debts. Your daughter-in-law will have a future. We were simply trying to arrange things.””
I felt a cold anger rise inside me.
“You forged documents, attempted to access our accounts, and used my wife's identity.””
She rolled her eyes.
“Those are dramatic words.””
Michael calmly replied.
“They are matters that will be investigated.””
Celeste looked at him.
“Are you threatening me?””
“No. I'm advising you that the bank has been notified and the disputed records are being preserved.””
She leaned back.
Then she smiled.
“Fine. Let's talk about Daniel.””
My son looked up.
“What about me?””
Celeste opened her handbag.
She removed a folded document.
Then placed it on the table.
“This is the agreement you signed.””
Daniel picked it up.
He read the first page.
His face changed.
“What is this?””
Celeste shrugged.
“The arrangement we discussed.””
Daniel turned the page.
It was a private loan agreement.
His signature appeared at the bottom.
The document stated that he had agreed to repay Celeste's company one hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
He stared at it.
“I never borrowed this money.””
Celeste smiled.
“You signed the agreement.””
“I signed a document about event planning.””
“You signed this.””
Daniel looked at Michael.
“Can she do that?””
Michael examined the document.
“Don't sign or acknowledge anything further. We'll need to establish the original circumstances and obtain the complete records.””
Celeste leaned forward.
“Daniel, don't pretend you didn't understand the arrangement.””
My son shook his head.
“You told me you were helping with my business debt.””
“I was.””
“You said the money was a gift.””
“I never said that.””
“You did!””
Celeste's expression hardened.
“Your father wasn't going to help you. Someone had to.””
Daniel looked at me.
For a moment, I thought he would blame me.
Instead, he lowered his head.
“I should have told you.””
“Yes,” I said.
“I thought I could fix everything.””
“By signing documents you didn't understand?””
He nodded.
Celeste laughed.
“Stop pretending you're innocent, Daniel. You wanted the money.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“I wanted help. I didn't want to steal from my parents.””
She leaned closer.
“You wanted access to your father's trust. Don't deny it.””
He didn't.
And that silence told me he was finally willing to admit his own part.
Michael asked Celeste to provide the original loan agreement and supporting records through her attorney.
She refused.
Then she stood.
“I'm finished with this conversation.””
I didn't stop her.
She picked up her handbag.
But before leaving, she turned toward Elaine.
“You should be happy. Your son has ruined his own future.””
Elaine looked at her calmly.
“My son made mistakes. That doesn't give you permission to exploit him.””
Celeste laughed.
“Keep telling yourself that.””
Then she walked away.
Daniel watched her disappear through the hotel doors.
For a long time, he didn't speak.
Finally, he turned toward me.
“Dad, I need to tell you something.””
I waited.
“When I signed that preliminary document, I knew Celeste wanted me to become involved with the trust.””
I nodded.
“I suspected you did.””
“But I didn't know she was planning to use Mom's signature.””
He rubbed his face.
“I thought if I got access to the money, I could pay off my business debts. I thought I'd have time to fix everything before you found out.””
I looked at him.
“So you weren't completely innocent.””
“No.””
He stared at the table.
“I was selfish.””
Elaine closed her eyes.
Daniel continued.
“I also knew Vanessa was receiving money from the wedding account. I didn't ask where it was going because I thought it might help cover some of my debts.””
I felt something inside me sink.
“How much did you know?””
“Not everything.””
“But enough.””
He nodded.
“Enough.””
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Then I sat down.
“Daniel, your mother and I spent forty years building a life. We worked weekends. We missed holidays. We made sacrifices so you could have opportunities we never had.””
He began crying.
“I know.””
“No, you don't. Not yet.””
I leaned forward.
“We didn't work all those years so you could inherit everything without learning how to stand on your own.””
He wiped his eyes.
“I understand.””
I shook my head.
“I hope you do.””
Michael received a message from the bank.
He read it carefully.
Then he looked at me.
“The disputed transfer has been blocked. The bank has also confirmed that the trust amendment was never approved.””
I breathed out.
“Good.””
“But there's something else.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“The bank has identified a second attempted authorization.””
“By whom?””
Michael turned his phone toward me.
A copy of the authorization appeared on the screen.
The amount was much larger.
Five hundred thousand dollars.
I looked at the beneficiary.
It wasn't Celeste.
It wasn't Vanessa.
It wasn't even Daniel.
The beneficiary was a company called Northbridge Capital.
I stared at the name.
I recognized it.
It was one of the firms I'd considered investing in before my retirement.
But I had rejected their proposal.
Michael zoomed in on the authorization.
Then he pointed to the signature.
“Richard, this one was submitted six months ago.””
I looked closer.
The signature wasn't mine.
But the witness name was.
*Daniel Bennett.*
My son closed his eyes.
May you like
And whispered:
“Dad, I think I know who was behind all of it.””
