Chapter 6: The Folder in the Home Office
Celeste didn't answer immediately.
She looked at Darius.
Then at Kiara.
"Why are you asking about that folder?""
Kiara picked up her phone.
"Because I remember seeing a document with my name on it.""
Darius stopped adjusting his watch.
"What document?""
"I don't know. It was years ago.""
Celeste's expression tightened.
"Kiara, leave that alone.""
"Why?""
"Because it has nothing to do with your wedding.""
"Then why are you acting like it's a secret?""
Darius moved closer.
"Celeste, what is she talking about?""
Celeste ignored him.
"Kiara, your father keeps personal documents in that folder. You shouldn't go through his things.""
Kiara gave a bitter laugh.
"Which father?""
The question silenced the room.
Celeste closed her eyes.
Darius looked uncomfortable.
Kiara continued.
"I want to know what Malcolm has been hiding.""
"Malcolm hasn't been hiding anything," Celeste said.
"Then show me.""
Celeste looked toward the door.
She knew exactly what was inside the blue folder.
And she knew Malcolm had never intended for Kiara to discover it this way.
Three years earlier, when Kiara was twenty-one, Malcolm had quietly arranged a financial foundation for her future.
He had used a portion of his retirement savings, along with proceeds from a small property he had inherited from his own father.
He had placed the funds into an education and first-home trust.
The arrangement wasn't extravagant.
It wasn't enough to make Kiara wealthy.
But it was enough to help her avoid the financial struggles Malcolm had experienced in his twenties.
He had planned to give her the documents when she bought her first home.
He had told Celeste because he trusted her.
Now he wished he hadn't.
"Mom," Kiara said.
"What was in that folder?""
Celeste sat on the edge of the sofa.
"Malcolm established a trust for you.""
Kiara froze.
"A trust?""
"Yes.""
"How much?""
"I don't know exactly.""
Darius stepped closer.
"Wait. What kind of trust?""
Celeste looked at him.
"It's something Malcolm set up for Kiara's future.""
Darius's expression changed.
"How much money are we talking about?""
"I said I don't know.""
Kiara stared at her mother.
"You knew about this?""
Celeste nodded reluctantly.
"And you didn't tell me?""
"It was supposed to be a surprise.""
Kiara looked toward the door.
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
Then she grabbed her phone.
"I'm calling him.""
Celeste stood.
"Don't.""
"Why not?""
"Because he's upset.""
"He's always upset now!""
"Kiara, please listen to me.""
But Kiara had already found Malcolm's contact.
She pressed the call button.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then voicemail.
She tried again.
No answer.
Darius folded his arms.
"Maybe he doesn't want to talk.""
Kiara turned toward him.
"Can you stop?""
He raised his hands.
"I'm just saying.""
Her phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
*MALCOLM: I am not discussing financial documents over the phone. If you need information about your wedding payments, speak to the coordinator.*
Kiara stared at the message.
"He's really cutting me off.""
Celeste shook her head.
"He's hurt.""
Kiara looked up.
"Then why doesn't he just tell me about the trust?""
"Because it's his money, Kiara.""
"That money was meant for me!""
Celeste's voice became sharper.
"No. It was money he chose to set aside for your future. There's a difference.""
Kiara looked stunned.
Darius stepped between them.
"Let's not fight. We have bigger problems.""
He picked up the wedding estimate again.
Then he noticed a line near the bottom of the page.
*Optional post-wedding investment contribution: $15,000.*
He frowned.
"What's this?""
Kiara snatched the paper.
"Nothing.""
Darius looked at her.
"Fifteen thousand dollars?""
"It's for our future.""
"Your future with your fiancé?""
"Yes.""
"Does he know about this?""
Kiara didn't answer.
Darius stared at her.
"Does your fiancé know you were expecting Malcolm to put fifteen thousand dollars toward your new household?""
Kiara's face flushed.
"It's not your business.""
Darius laughed softly.
"Apparently, everything involving money is everybody's business today.""
Celeste took the estimate from him.
"Enough.""
Darius stepped back.
"Fine.""
He looked at his watch again.
"I need to make a phone call.""
He walked toward the balcony.
Kiara watched him leave.
Then she turned toward her mother.
"Mom, I need that folder.""
Celeste shook her head.
"I can't give it to you.""
"Why?""
"Because it's at home.""
"Then we're going home.""
"Kiara, the ceremony is in forty minutes!""
"Then somebody needs to explain what's happening!""
Celeste lowered her voice.
"You need to calm down.""
Kiara laughed through her tears.
"Everybody keeps telling me to calm down. Nobody is telling me the truth.""
She sat down again.
Her phone lit up with a message from her fiancé, Marcus.
*MARCUS: The groomsmen are asking if we're still on schedule. What's happening?*
She typed a response.
*KIARA: Everything is fine. Just a small issue with the hotel.*
She deleted it.
Then typed again.
*KIARA: Can you come upstairs? We need to talk.*
Before she could send it, Darius returned from the balcony.
His expression had changed.
"Kiara.""
She looked up.
"What?""
"I've been thinking.""
"About what?""
"About that trust.""
Celeste immediately stood.
"Darius, don't.""
He ignored her.
"Maybe we should find out exactly how much Malcolm put aside.""
Kiara looked at him.
"Why?""
"Because you're entitled to know what belongs to you.""
Celeste stepped forward.
"It doesn't belong to her until the terms are met.""
Darius turned sharply.
"What terms?""
Celeste went silent.
Kiara stood.
"Mom?""
Celeste looked toward the floor.
Then she whispered something that made Kiara's face go completely still.
"The trust was established on one condition.""
"What condition?""
Celeste took a breath.
"Malcolm wanted you to receive it when you were ready to make your own decisions without expecting him to finance them.""
Kiara stared.
Darius frowned.
"That's ridiculous. It's her money.""
"No," Celeste said.
"It's his money. He created it for her.""
Kiara shook her head.
"You're telling me he was going to give me money, but he was waiting for me to prove something?""
"Not exactly.""
"Then what exactly?""
Celeste looked at her daughter.
"He wanted to know that you loved him as a father, not as a bank.""
The words seemed to drain the air from the room.
Kiara's eyes filled.
She remembered the white rose.
The unsigned estimate.
The credit card sliding back into Malcolm's wallet.
Then she looked at the phone in her hand.
Her message to Marcus was still unsent.
Darius approached her carefully.
"Baby, don't let him manipulate you. If there's money set aside for you, you deserve to have it.""
Kiara turned toward him.
"Why do you care?""
He blinked.
"Because I'm your father.""
She looked at the envelope Vanessa had left behind.
Then at the wedding estimate.
Then at the man who had arrived with flowers and an attorney but couldn't cover the remaining reception balance.
"Did you know about Malcolm's trust before you came here?""
Darius's face changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Celeste looked up.
"Darius?""
He didn't answer.
Kiara stepped closer.
"Did you?""
Darius swallowed.
"Your mother told me there might be something.""
"Before today?""
He looked away.
"Yes.""
Kiara felt her stomach tighten.
"How long have you known?""
Darius finally met her eyes.
"Since before I agreed to walk you down the aisle.""
Celeste covered her mouth.
Kiara slowly lowered her phone.
"Then this wasn't just about reconnecting with me, was it?""
Darius said nothing.
And just as Kiara took another step toward him, her phone rang.
It was Marcus.
She answered.
"Hello?""
His voice sounded tense.
"Kiara, we need to talk.""
"What's wrong?""
There was a pause.
Then Marcus said:
"Your father just called me. He told me something about the money Malcolm set aside for you.""
Kiara looked at Darius.
"What did he tell you?""
Marcus took a breath.
"He said you were planning to use that trust to pay for something after the wedding.""
Kiara's fingers tightened around the phone.
"Use it for what?""
Marcus was silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
May you like
"To pay off a debt that isn't yours.""
And across the room, Darius suddenly stopped smiling.
