Chapter 6: The Recording Nobody Was Supposed to Hear
Naomi didn't sleep that night.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her phone resting in both hands.
Vanessa's last message remained on the screen.
I have the original recording of the night he planned to use your signature.
Naomi read it again.
Then she called Daniel.
He answered on the second ring.
"Naomi?""
"Vanessa says she has a recording.""
There was a pause.
"Of what?""
"Adrian discussing the signature.""
Daniel sat upright.
"Did she say whether the recording is original?""
"She said she has the original.""
"Don't ask her to send anything through disappearing messages. We need to preserve it properly. I'll contact her through the appropriate channel.""
Naomi looked toward the bedroom door.
"Daniel, I want to hear it.""
"I understand. But first, we need to establish how it was obtained and whether it can be used appropriately.""
Naomi closed her eyes.
"She helped him.""
"Possibly. That doesn't mean we should ignore information that may be relevant.""
Naomi swallowed.
"She wrote that she started the transfers.""
"Then we need to know exactly what she means.""
After ending the call, Naomi walked to Zuri's bedroom.
The little girl was asleep beneath her cream-colored blanket.
Her stuffed rabbit rested beside her pillow.
Naomi sat on the edge of the bed and gently touched her daughter's hair.
"Nobody gets to use you to hurt me," she whispered.
Then she kissed her forehead.
For the first time since leaving Adrian, Naomi felt something stronger than sadness.
Determination.
At 9:30 the next morning, Vanessa arrived at Daniel's office.
She looked nothing like the confident woman Naomi remembered.
Her designer handbag was gone.
Her hair was pulled into a loose bun.
She wore a plain black sweater and dark jeans.
When Naomi entered the conference room, Vanessa stood.
"Naomi.""
Naomi stopped at the doorway.
"Don't call me sweetheart.""
Vanessa looked down.
"I wasn't going to.""
"Good.""
Daniel gestured toward the chairs.
"Please sit. We'll keep this conversation focused on the documents and the recording.""
Vanessa sat.
Naomi took the chair opposite her.
For several seconds, the two women simply looked at each other.
Then Naomi spoke.
"Why?""
Vanessa's lips parted.
"What?""
"Why did you help him?""
Vanessa looked at Daniel.
He nodded.
"Please answer her.""
Vanessa clasped her hands together.
"Adrian told me he was trying to protect the family business.""
Naomi stared at her.
"What business?""
"The investment company.""
"What investment company?""
Vanessa looked uncomfortable.
"The company he was setting up.""
Naomi leaned forward.
"You knew about the money being moved?""
"Yes.""
"You knew he was using my name?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"I knew he needed your signature.""
Naomi's voice rose.
"I did not sign anything!""
"I know.""
The words landed like a slap.
Naomi slowly sat back.
"You knew?""
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"Yes.""
Naomi laughed once, bitterly.
"You stood in my kitchen. You ate food I cooked. You called me your sister.""
"I know.""
"You watched me take care of your brother's child while he barely came home.""
"I know, Naomi.""
"And you knew he was using my name?""
Vanessa began crying.
"I didn't think he would go this far.""
Naomi looked at Daniel.
"Can we continue?""
Daniel nodded.
Vanessa reached into her handbag and placed a small USB drive on the table.
"This is the recording.""
Daniel didn't touch it immediately.
"Where did you obtain it?""
"Adrian's home office.""
"How?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"He left his laptop open. I was looking for a document, and I found the audio file.""
Naomi stared at her.
"Why were you looking through his laptop?""
Vanessa looked away.
"Because he stopped trusting me.""
Daniel raised his eyebrows.
"Why?""
Vanessa wiped her cheek.
"Because I started asking questions about the money.""
Daniel arranged for the recording to be reviewed and preserved.
The file was approximately seven minutes long.
A date appeared in the metadata.
It had been created five months earlier.
Naomi sat perfectly still while Daniel played it.
At first, there was only background noise.
Then Adrian's voice.
"She doesn't need to understand every detail.""
Naomi's stomach tightened.
Another voice responded.
Vanessa.
"Adrian, she has to sign it.""
"She will.""
"What if she asks questions?""
"Then I'll tell her it's for the house.""
Naomi gripped the armrest.
The recording continued.
Vanessa asked, "And if she refuses?""
Adrian laughed.
"She won't refuse. She never checks anything when I tell her it's important.""
Naomi closed her eyes.
She remembered those evenings.
Adrian bringing documents to the dining table.
Adrian asking her to sign forms while she was helping Zuri with dinner.
Adrian telling her that he would explain everything later.
The recording continued.
Then Adrian said something that made Daniel stop typing.
"Once the property is refinanced, the money goes where I need it. Naomi won't even know until it's done.""
Vanessa's voice became nervous.
"That's dangerous.""
"Only if somebody finds out.""
There was a brief silence.
Then Vanessa asked:
"What about the school?""
Naomi opened her eyes.
Adrian responded.
"If things get ugly, we make sure she's the one who looks unstable.""
The room went completely still.
Naomi felt her chest tighten.
She looked at Vanessa.
"You knew he was planning this?""
Vanessa covered her face.
"I knew he was angry. I didn't know how far he would go.""
Naomi stood.
"You were in that room.""
Vanessa began sobbing.
"I was scared of him.""
Naomi stared at her.
"And I wasn't?""
Vanessa lowered her hands.
Naomi's voice trembled.
"I was scared every time he raised his voice. I was scared every time he threatened to take Zuri away. I was scared every time he told me I couldn't survive without him.""
She pointed toward the USB drive.
"But you had choices. You could have warned me.""
Vanessa cried harder.
"I know.""
Naomi shook her head.
"No. You know now.""
Daniel paused the recording.
"We should take a break.""
Naomi walked to the window.
Outside, a delivery truck pulled up beside the building.
Someone carried a bouquet of flowers into the office downstairs.
The world continued.
She wondered how many times she had been sitting across from Vanessa at family dinners while this woman knew what Adrian was planning.
When Naomi returned to the conference room, Daniel had prepared a list of questions.
"Vanessa, we need to understand the financial transfers you mentioned.""
Vanessa nodded.
"I helped Adrian create the business account.""
"Under whose authority?""
"Mine initially.""
"Who controlled it?""
"Adrian.""
Daniel wrote something down.
"And where did the money go?""
Vanessa looked at Naomi.
"Some of it went to a property development project.""
"What happened to the rest?"" Daniel asked.
Vanessa hesitated.
"Adrian transferred it to another account.""
"Whose account?""
"I don't know.""
Naomi's eyes narrowed.
"You said you started the transfers.""
Vanessa nodded.
"I initiated the first ones because Adrian told me the money was temporary. He said it would be returned before Naomi ever noticed.""
Naomi felt sick.
"How much?""
Vanessa whispered the amount.
It was more than Naomi had discovered in the initial statements.
Daniel immediately wrote it down.
"Do you have transaction records?""
"Yes.""
"Will you provide them?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Everything.""
Naomi looked at her.
"Why now?""
Vanessa's shoulders collapsed.
"Because Adrian told me yesterday that if the investigation continues, he'll say I stole the money.""
Naomi stared at her.
"So you're here because you're afraid of being blamed.""
Vanessa looked down.
"Partly.""
"Partly?""
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"There's something else.""
Daniel stopped writing.
"What?""
Vanessa looked directly at Naomi.
"Adrian has been planning to sell the house.""
Naomi went still.
"What house?""
"Your marital home.""
Naomi stared at her.
"He can't sell it without dealing with the existing ownership and mortgage documents.""
Vanessa nodded.
"That's what I told him.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"When did this discussion happen?""
"Last week.""
Naomi's hands began to tremble.
"Before I left?""
"Yes.""
"And he knew I might find out?""
Vanessa nodded.
"He said if you discovered the refinancing, he'd make you look like the problem before you could challenge anything.""
Daniel closed the folder.
"This is important. We'll need to verify every detail before taking further action.""
Naomi looked at Vanessa.
"Is there anything else?""
Vanessa didn't answer immediately.
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
"I found this in Adrian's office yesterday.""
She placed it on the table.
Daniel unfolded it.
It was a property sale agreement.
The proposed closing date was less than two weeks away.
Naomi stared at the buyer's name.
It wasn't a development company.
It wasn't a bank.
It was an individual.
Someone she knew.
Someone who had attended their wedding.
Someone who had held Zuri in his arms and called her family.
Naomi looked at Daniel.
"Who is Marcus Hill?""
Daniel examined the document.
Before he could answer, Naomi's phone began vibrating.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
Naomi, this is Marcus. Adrian told me you already agreed to sell the house.
Naomi slowly raised her eyes.
Then a second message appeared.
The closing is scheduled for Friday. Please don't make this difficult.
She stared at the screen.
Adrian wasn't just trying to get her to return.
He was preparing to sell the home she had helped build while pretending she had already agreed.
Naomi looked at Daniel.
"Can he do that?""
Daniel carefully placed the agreement on the table.
"Not without us examining the ownership and authorization documents.""
Naomi nodded.
Then she picked up her phone and forwarded Marcus's messages.
"Then let's examine everything.""
For the first time, she wasn't asking someone to explain why Adrian had hurt her.
She was asking what could be done to stop him.
And as Daniel began reviewing the proposed sale, one detail caught his attention.
The buyer had already paid a substantial deposit.
But the payment hadn't come from Marcus Hill.
May you like
It had come from an account belonging to Vanessa Carter.
*And that meant Adrian wasn't the only person who had been preparing to profit from Naomi's departure.*
