Chapter 9: The Money That Disappeared
Desmond drove home so quickly that he barely remembered the journey.
Nadia was standing in the kitchen when he arrived.
Her eyes were swollen, and a stack of papers lay scattered across the dining table.
She looked up.
“I'm glad you came.””
Desmond placed his keys down.
“Tell me about the first payment.””
Nadia took a shaky breath.
“When you transferred the money for the salon, I paid the landlord and the contractors.””
“I know.””
“But not all of it.””
He waited.
She looked at the papers.
“Daniel told me he could get better prices on equipment if I paid him directly.””
“How much?””
“Eight thousand dollars.””
Desmond stared at her.
“Eight thousand?””
“He said he had a supplier who could deliver everything at a discount.””
“Did the supplier exist?””
Nadia shook her head.
The silence was unbearable.
Desmond pulled out a chair and sat down.
“So you transferred eight thousand dollars to Daniel before the salon even opened?””
“Yes.””
“And he kept it?””
“He said it was an investment in the second location.””
Desmond looked at her.
“You paid him with money I gave you to build this salon?””
“I thought he was going to use it to buy the equipment.””
“Did he?””
“No.””
Desmond rubbed his forehead.
“How much money did you give him altogether?””
Nadia began counting on her fingers.
“Six thousand five hundred for the consultancy. Three thousand for the administrative fee. Eight thousand from the original salon budget.””
She stopped.
“There was another two thousand.””
Desmond looked up.
“Another two thousand?””
“He said it was needed for a deposit on the second location.””
Desmond stared at her.
“That's nineteen thousand five hundred dollars.””
She nodded.
He leaned back.
The salon had cost him a substantial amount already.
He had paid for the lease, the renovation, the chairs, the mirrors, the equipment, the initial stock, and the opening expenses.
Now he was learning that almost twenty thousand dollars had been diverted into a business arrangement he had never approved.
“Did you receive anything in return?””
“No.””
“Did you see the second location?””
“No.””
“Did Daniel provide invoices?””
“He promised he would.””
“Did you ever verify the suppliers?””
Nadia shook her head.
Desmond looked toward the ceiling.
He needed a moment.
When he spoke again, his voice was low.
“Why didn't you tell me when the first payment disappeared?””
“I was scared.””
“Of what?””
“That you'd stop supporting me.””
He gave a humorless laugh.
“Nadia, I was already supporting you.””
“I know.””
“I paid for your dream.””
“I know.””
“I never asked you to pay me back.””
She began crying again.
“I wanted to make you proud.””
Desmond looked at her.
“You keep saying that. But you didn't make decisions that would make me proud. You made decisions that required me to be kept in the dark.””
Nadia sat opposite him.
“Daniel told me the money would come back.””
“When?””
“After the second location opened.””
“And when was that supposed to happen?””
“Next month.””
Desmond shook his head.
“There is no second location, is there?””
She looked away.
“No.””
For several seconds, he couldn't speak.
Then he noticed another document beneath the papers.
It was a printed bank statement.
He pulled it closer.
One transfer caught his attention.
The money had gone to an account belonging to a company called DP Business Solutions.
He pointed at it.
“Is that Daniel's company?””
“Yes.””
“Does it have an office?””
“He said it did.””
“Have you ever visited it?””
Nadia shook her head.
Desmond took a photograph of the transaction.
Then he called Helen.
She answered immediately.
“Desmond?””
“I've found more transfers. Nineteen thousand five hundred dollars connected to Daniel Price.””
There was a pause.
“Do you have the transaction records?””
“Yes.””
“Send them to me. Don't delete anything, and don't confront him directly.””
Desmond looked at Nadia.
“Understood.””
After the call, he placed the phone on the table.
Nadia reached for his hand.
“Please. We can fix this.””
He pulled his hand away.
“How?””
“I'll tell the finance company everything.””
“You'll need to.””
“I'll tell them I made a mistake with the signature.””
“It's not just a mistake.””
“I know.””
“And your sister signed a false witness declaration.””
Nadia closed her eyes.
“I know.””
“Your mother-in-law's house was listed as security.””
“I know.””
“And almost twenty thousand dollars went to Daniel.””
She nodded.
Desmond stood and walked to the window.
Outside, a neighbor was washing a car. A child rode a bicycle along the pavement.
Ordinary life continued while his own marriage seemed to be falling apart.
“Did Daniel threaten you?”” he asked.
Nadia looked up.
“What?””
“You said he had recordings. Did he threaten you with them?””
She hesitated.
Then she nodded.
“He said if I told the lender about the payments, he'd release the recordings and make it look like I planned everything.””
“Didn't you?””
Nadia flinched.
“I planned the expansion. I didn't plan for him to take the money.””
Desmond turned around.
“Did you know he was recording you?””
“No.””
“Did he tell you?””
“Yesterday.””
She reached for her phone and opened a message thread.
Desmond read the latest message.
You agreed to everything. Don't pretend otherwise. If you make me the villain, I'll show your husband the recordings.
Another message followed.
And remember, your husband is already named on the guarantee.
Desmond felt his jaw tighten.
“He's using your fear to control you.””
Nadia nodded.
“He wants another payment.””
“How much?””
“Five thousand.””
Desmond stared at her.
“He wants five thousand dollars?””
“He says it's to settle everything.””
“Did you agree?””
“No.””
“Good.””
Nadia began crying again.
“He said if I don't pay, he'll contact your employer.””
Desmond went still.
“Why would he contact my employer?””
“He said the company could question your financial integrity because your name is on the guarantee.””
Desmond looked at the message again.
Daniel was no longer simply taking advantage of Nadia's ambition.
He was using the forged documents to threaten both of them.
And he had something else.
The recordings.
Desmond called Helen again and explained the threat.
She advised them not to pay Daniel or negotiate with him directly. She also recommended preserving every message and providing the information to the appropriate authorities.
Nadia listened silently.
When the call ended, she looked at her husband.
“Are you going to report me?””
Desmond didn't answer immediately.
“I'm going to report what happened. I won't lie to protect anyone.””
Her face crumpled.
“Even if it means I could lose the salon?””
“Even then.””
Nadia stood abruptly.
“You're my husband!””
“And Margaret is my mother. My identity is mine. And the money you took was ours.””
She stared at him.
He continued.
“I can support you while you face the consequences of what you did. But I cannot help you hide it.””
Nadia sank into the chair.
For the first time, she didn't argue.
A few minutes later, Desmond received an email from Helen.
The subject line read:
*URGENT — ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT RECEIVED.*
He opened it.
The attachment contained a copy of a recording transcript supplied by Daniel's company.
It was dated two weeks before the salon opened.
Desmond began reading.
The conversation was between Nadia and Daniel.
Nadia's voice appeared first.
Once the salon opens, Desmond won't question the money anymore. He'll think everything is part of the business.
Daniel replied:
And his mother?
Nadia answered:
She'll never know what she signed. She's too trusting.
Desmond stopped reading.
His hands were shaking.
He looked across the room at Nadia.
She had seen his expression.
“What is it?””
He turned the screen toward her.
Nadia read the transcript.
Then she covered her mouth.
“No…”
Desmond looked at her.
“Did you say this?””
She shook her head rapidly.
“I don't remember saying that.””
“It's your voice.””
“Desmond, please. I was angry. I was talking about the paperwork, not hurting your mother.””
He scrolled farther down.
There was another section.
Daniel had asked:
What happens if Desmond finds out?
Nadia's recorded response was:
By then, he'll have too much invested to walk away.
Desmond slowly lowered the phone.
That sentence hurt more than the money.
Because it suggested that his love, his support, and his commitment had become part of Nadia's calculation.
She reached toward him.
“Desmond, that isn't what I meant.””
He stepped away.
“Then what did you mean?””
“I was scared. I was frustrated. Daniel kept pushing me.””
“But you said it.””
“I didn't think he was recording!””
“That doesn't change what you said.””
Nadia broke down.
Desmond walked toward the door.
“Where are you going?”” she cried.
“To see my mother.””
“Please don't leave me alone!””
He stopped.
Then he looked back.
“You've spent months making decisions that could cost my mother her home. Tonight, I'm going to make sure she knows she is safe.””
He opened the door.
But before he could leave, Nadia spoke one last time.
“Desmond, there's something else.””
He turned.
She wiped her cheeks.
“The recording you just read isn't the only one.””
His stomach tightened.
“What else is there?””
Nadia looked directly at him.
“There's a recording of the day I asked your mother to sign the documents.””
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And suddenly, the question wasn't just whether Margaret had been misled.
It was whether Nadia had deliberately planned everything from the beginning.
