Chapter 7: The Money Behind the Betrayal
Naomi stared at the bank statement.
Vanessa Carter.
Her name appeared beside the payment confirmation.
The deposit on the house had come from Vanessa's personal account.
For several seconds, Naomi said nothing.
Daniel Brooks sat at the opposite end of the conference table, examining the transaction details. Simone stood beside the window, her arms folded.
Vanessa sat motionless.
Naomi finally looked up.
"You paid the deposit?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Yes.""
"With what money?""
Vanessa pressed her lips together.
"Money Adrian gave me.""
Naomi laughed softly.
"Adrian gave you money to buy my house?""
"No. That's not exactly—"
"Then explain it.""
Vanessa looked toward Daniel.
He closed the folder.
"Please answer the question directly.""
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"Adrian told me he wanted to sell the property quickly. He said the money from the sale would be used to settle some business obligations.""
Naomi leaned forward.
"Why was your name on the deposit?""
"Because Marcus didn't want his involvement connected to Adrian's business accounts.""
Daniel interrupted.
"Who is Marcus Hill?""
Vanessa looked down.
"He's Adrian's business partner.""
Naomi's eyebrows lifted.
"Since when?""
"About a year.""
"Did I know about this business?""
"No.""
Naomi slowly sat back.
There it was again.
Another secret.
Another decision made behind her back.
She looked at the proposed agreement.
"Why would Marcus buy a house he knew Adrian didn't have the right to sell without my involvement?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"Adrian said the paperwork was already arranged.""
Daniel tapped the document.
"Arranged how?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"He said Naomi's signature was already on the refinancing documents. He believed that would make the sale easier.""
Naomi stared at her.
"So he intended to use a disputed signature to move money, then use the property as though I had agreed to everything?""
Daniel nodded slightly.
"That's one possibility we're investigating.""
Naomi turned toward the window.
She felt strangely calm.
Not happy.
Not relieved.
Just finished with pretending that the situation was a misunderstanding.
"Daniel, what do we do?""
"We contact the relevant parties through counsel. We request that the proposed transaction be paused while ownership and authorization are investigated. We'll also ask the bank to preserve the records.""
"Can we stop the sale?""
"We can seek appropriate legal relief if the evidence supports it. I won't promise an outcome before reviewing the title and transaction history.""
Naomi nodded.
"Then start today.""
At 11:30 a.m., Adrian received a call from Marcus Hill.
He answered while walking toward his office elevator.
"What?""
Marcus didn't bother with greetings.
"Your wife knows.""
Adrian stopped.
"Knows what?""
"The deposit. Vanessa's account. The proposed sale.""
Adrian looked around the corridor.
"Who told her?""
"Does it matter? She has the documents.""
Adrian lowered his voice.
"Marcus, I told you everything was under control.""
"Well, it isn't. My attorney says I could be dragged into a fraudulent transaction.""
"Nobody committed fraud.""
"Then explain why your wife's signature is on a document she says she never signed.""
Adrian said nothing.
Marcus continued.
"I want my deposit returned.""
"You're going to get your money.""
"When?""
"Soon.""
"That's what you said last week.""
Adrian clenched his jaw.
"Give me forty-eight hours.""
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"You have until tomorrow morning. After that, I'm protecting myself.""
The call ended.
Adrian stared at his phone.
Then he called Vanessa.
She answered immediately.
"Where are you?"" he demanded.
"Somewhere you can't shout at me.""
Adrian's voice sharpened.
"You gave her the recording?""
Vanessa went silent.
"Answer me.""
"Yes.""
Adrian closed his eyes.
"You stupid woman.""
Vanessa's voice became firm.
"Don't call me that.""
"You had no right.""
"I had every right to protect myself.""
"After everything I've done for you?""
Vanessa laughed.
"Everything you've done for me? You used my bank account, Adrian. You put my name on transactions I barely understood. And now you're telling me I'm responsible?""
Adrian lowered his voice.
"Listen carefully. You are going to call Naomi and tell her the recording means nothing.""
"No.""
"You will tell her you misunderstood the conversation.""
"No.""
"Vanessa—"
"I'm done.""
She hung up.
Adrian stared at the phone.
For the first time, both his wife and his sister had stopped doing what he wanted.
And he had no idea how to handle it.
That afternoon, Naomi attended a meeting with Daniel and a property attorney.
The ownership records were spread across the table.
The original purchase documents showed Naomi's financial contribution.
There were also records of payments she had made toward renovations and mortgage-related expenses.
Daniel pointed to a particular entry.
"These records are important. They don't automatically settle every ownership question, but they support your position that your financial contribution needs to be properly recognized.""
Naomi examined the page.
"I paid for the renovations.""
"Yes.""
"The kitchen. The upstairs bathroom. The garden.""
"We have records of those payments.""
She remembered the day Adrian had stood in their unfinished kitchen, holding her hand.
One day, this house will be filled with our grandchildren.
She had believed him.
She had believed everything.
Now the house felt like a collection of rooms where she had learned how to be lonely.
"Do you want to keep the property?"" Daniel asked.
Naomi looked up.
"Honestly?""
"Honestly.""
"No.""
Simone glanced at her.
Naomi continued.
"I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting over a building. But I don't want him selling it behind my back and pretending I never existed.""
Daniel nodded.
"That's a reasonable distinction. We'll protect your legal interests first. You can decide what you want to do with the property later.""
Naomi signed the authorization allowing Daniel to communicate with the relevant institutions.
Then she looked at him.
"What about Marcus?""
"We'll send him a formal notice that the transaction is disputed. He'll need independent legal advice before proceeding.""
Naomi nodded.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Adrian.
You are destroying this family over money.
Naomi stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
Zuri deserves better than this.
She closed her eyes.
Simone leaned closer.
"Don't respond.""
Naomi shook her head.
"I'm not going to.""
She forwarded both messages to Daniel.
Then she put her phone away.
At 6:15 p.m., Naomi was helping Zuri with a puzzle when Simone received a call.
She answered.
"Hello?""
Her expression changed.
"Who is this?""
She listened.
Then she looked toward Naomi.
"Can you repeat that?""
Naomi put down the puzzle piece.
"What happened?""
Simone ended the call.
"That was Marcus Hill's attorney.""
"And?""
"He says Marcus wants to cooperate.""
Naomi stared at her.
"Why?""
"Apparently, he has documents showing Adrian promised him something that wasn't included in the sale agreement.""
Daniel, who had joined them by video call, leaned toward his camera.
"What documents?""
Simone checked her notes.
"A separate agreement. Marcus says Adrian promised him a portion of the proceeds from the property sale.""
Naomi frowned.
"How much?""
Simone read the figure.
Naomi slowly shook her head.
"So he was selling our home and dividing the money before even resolving my ownership?""
Daniel nodded.
"It appears that way.""
Naomi looked at Zuri.
The little girl was concentrating on fitting a yellow puzzle piece into place.
Naomi smiled gently.
"That's it, baby. You found it.""
Then she turned back toward Simone.
"Tell Marcus's attorney we will review whatever he has through Daniel.""
Simone nodded.
A few minutes later, another email arrived.
It contained a scanned agreement.
Naomi opened it.
The first page showed Adrian's signature.
The second showed Marcus's.
The third contained a paragraph about the distribution of proceeds.
But the final page was what made Naomi stop breathing.
It included a handwritten note.
*Once Naomi is declared an unsuitable parent, she will have no leverage to interfere with the property transaction.*
Naomi read it twice.
Then she looked at Daniel.
"Declared unsuitable?""
Daniel's face hardened.
"That's a very serious statement. We'll need to authenticate the document.""
Naomi's hands began shaking.
Adrian hadn't simply wanted to sell the house.
He had wanted to weaken her position as a mother before taking control of the property.
May you like
And the more she uncovered, the more she realized that the forty-nine missed calls had never been about reconciliation.
They had been about stopping her from finding the truth.
