Chapter 8: The Person Who Had Access
The drive home was almost silent.
Andre kept both hands on the steering wheel.
Alicia sat beside him, holding her phone.
She had opened her banking application twice, then closed it without doing anything.
Her mind kept returning to the same question.
How had Cynthia obtained her business account statement?
“Do you think Brielle took it?”” Andre finally asked.
Alicia looked through the window.
“I don't know.””
“She told us she borrowed your laptop.””
“She did.””
“When?””
“About three weeks ago.””
Andre glanced at her.
“Why?””
“She said she needed to print the invitation list. Her printer wasn't working.””
“Did she have your password?””
Alicia nodded.
“I had written it on a note beside the computer. I know. It was careless.””
Andre exhaled.
“Did you leave her alone with it?””
“For about twenty minutes.””
He said nothing.
Alicia looked down at her hands.
“I trusted her.””
“I know.””
“And I trusted your mother.””
Andre's grip tightened on the steering wheel.
“I'm sorry.””
She turned toward him.
“You didn't sign those documents.””
“But I should have noticed what was happening.””
Alicia shook her head.
“You can't be responsible for every decision your mother makes.””
He didn't respond.
When they reached Alicia's apartment, she went straight to her home office.
Her bakery business was registered under her name, and she maintained separate accounts for personal savings, operating expenses, and supplier payments.
She turned on her laptop.
Andre stood behind her.
“Let's check the access history.””
They opened her banking security page.
Alicia scanned the recent login records.
There had been an access attempt from an unfamiliar device eleven days earlier.
Then another.
And another.
She frowned.
“That's strange.””
“What?””
“Someone tried to log in three times.””
“Did they succeed?””
Alicia clicked the details.
The first two attempts had failed.
The third had been successful.
The device was identified as a Windows laptop.
She stared at the screen.
“That's my office computer.””
Andre leaned closer.
“Was that the day Brielle borrowed it?””
Alicia checked the date.
Her face went pale.
“Yes.””
Andre sat down beside her.
“Call the bank.””
Alicia did.
She explained that she had discovered unauthorized access and asked the security representative to restrict external sessions.
The representative confirmed that the account could be secured and that a fraud investigation could be opened.
Alicia changed her password, revoked all active sessions, and enabled additional verification.
Then she downloaded the access report.
Andre watched her.
“You should also contact the venue.””
“I will.””
“And maybe a lawyer.””
She nodded.
But before she could continue, her phone rang.
The caller ID showed Brielle.
Alicia stared at it.
Andre gestured toward the phone.
“Answer.””
She accepted the call.
“Hello?””
Brielle's voice sounded unusually small.
“Alicia?””
“Yes.””
“Can we talk?””
“What about?””
“Please. I need to explain something.””
Andre leaned closer.
Alicia put the call on speaker.
“Go ahead.””
There was a long pause.
Then Brielle whispered.
“I didn't know Mom was going to use your account information for the wedding.””
Andre closed his eyes.
“Brielle, how did she get it?””
“I don't know everything.””
“That's not an answer.””
Brielle started crying.
“Mom asked me to download the business statements from Alicia's laptop. She said she needed them to calculate the catering expenses.””
Alicia felt sick.
“You downloaded my bank statements?””
“I thought she had permission.””
“Did I give you permission?””
Brielle didn't answer.
Alicia continued.
“Did you send them to her?””
“Yes.””
Andre stood up.
“Why?””
“Because she told me to!””
“You're an adult, Brielle.””
“I know!””
Her voice cracked.
“Mom said the family would be in trouble if the wedding didn't happen. She said Andre needed help.””
Andre looked toward the ceiling.
“Don't use me as an excuse.””
Brielle cried harder.
“I'm sorry.””
Alicia closed her eyes.
“Did you know about the financial guarantor document?””
“No. I swear.””
“Did you sign anything?””
“No.””
“Did you send the documents to anyone else?””
Silence.
Andre leaned toward the phone.
“Brielle?””
Finally, she answered.
“Mom sent them to Derek.””
Alicia sat completely still.
“Who is Derek?””
“I don't know his full name. He works with Mom on some financial things.””
Andre's voice became sharp.
“What financial things?””
Brielle sniffed.
“Her loans. Some investments. I don't know.””
Alicia looked at the banking report.
“Why did your mother need Derek to see my account statements?””
“I don't know.””
“Brielle, I need the truth.””
Another pause.
Then Brielle said something that made Alicia's heart race.
“Mom told me she wanted Derek to check whether your bakery could qualify for a business credit facility.””
Andre stared at the phone.
“What?””
Brielle started speaking faster.
“She said it would be easier after the wedding because you and Andre would be connected financially. She thought you could apply for a larger business facility and use part of it to help with the family expenses.””
Alicia felt the room grow cold.
“You mean borrow money using my business?””
“I don't know exactly.””
Andre took the phone from the table.
“Brielle, did Mom plan to apply for a loan in Alicia's name?””
“I don't know!””
“Then find out.””
“I can't. She'll be furious.””
Andre's voice dropped.
“She's already involved Alicia in something she never agreed to. You need to stop protecting her.””
The call ended abruptly.
Alicia stared at the phone.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Andre said, “We're reporting this.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
He looked at her.
“Are you okay?””
Alicia gave a small, exhausted laugh.
“No.””
He reached for her hand.
She allowed him to hold it.
But her mind was already working.
She needed to protect the bakery.
She needed to contact the bank.
She needed to notify the venue.
And she needed to find out exactly who Derek was.
The following morning, Alicia arrived at her bakery before seven.
Her employees were surprised to see her.
“Morning, boss,” said Mia, her head baker.
“You look like you didn't sleep.””
“I didn't.””
Mia noticed the folder in Alicia's hand.
“Everything okay?””
“Not exactly.””
Alicia went into her office and called the venue.
She requested a copy of every document submitted under her name.
The manager agreed to send the file after verifying her identity.
Then she called her bank again.
She requested a formal security review and placed additional restrictions on new credit applications associated with the business.
At nine fifteen, an email arrived.
The venue had attached the complete reservation file.
Alicia opened it.
There were six documents.
Three were wedding-related.
Two contained her forged signature.
And the sixth was a scanned authorization for a credit assessment.
She opened the final page.
At the top was the name of a financial services company.
Below it was the applicant's information.
Alicia's business name.
Her registration number.
Her estimated annual revenue.
And a proposed credit amount.
<text color="default" weight="semibold">Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.</text>
Alicia stopped breathing for a moment.
She had never applied for that money.
She had never authorized a credit assessment.
And the listed contact person wasn't her.
It was Derek.
She immediately forwarded the document to Andre.
His response came seconds later.
*ANDRE:* This is bigger than Mom's wedding plans.
Alicia stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
*ANDRE:* I'm coming over. Don't contact her yet.
But before he could arrive, the bakery's front door opened.
Cynthia walked inside.
She was carrying a large gift basket.
And she was smiling.
“Alicia, sweetheart. We need to talk.””
Mia looked toward the office.
Alicia slowly closed the laptop.
“About what?””
Cynthia placed the basket on the counter.
“About putting this family back together.””
Alicia didn't move.
May you like
Cynthia leaned closer.
“And about the little loan application you seem to have misunderstood.””
