Chapter 4: The Man Behind the Instructions
Darius read the email again.
Then he looked at his mother.
"Ethan went to the bank?""
Lorraine nodded slowly.
"Yesterday afternoon. I was there to make a deposit. He recognized me and came over.""
"What did he ask you?""
She hesitated.
"He wanted to know whether the money I gave you was a gift or a loan.""
Darius frowned.
"Why would he care about that?""
"He said it was important for the bakery's financial records.""
Darius looked toward Kendra.
She was pretending to rearrange a stack of menus, but her hands were shaking.
"Did Ethan tell you to keep my mother away?"" he asked.
Kendra shook her head.
"He never said that directly.""
"Then what did he say?""
"He told me there might be an uncomfortable situation involving a family member.""
Darius's eyes narrowed.
"What kind of uncomfortable situation?""
"He said someone might arrive claiming to have helped finance the business. He didn't want that person interfering with the opening.""
Lorraine looked genuinely confused.
"But I never claimed anything.""
Kendra glanced at her.
"I know that now.""
Darius placed the printed email on the counter.
"Did Ethan tell you my mother was dangerous?""
"No.""
"Did he tell you she was trying to take control of the business?""
Kendra remained silent.
Darius leaned forward.
"Answer me.""
"He said she might ask questions about the investment agreement.""
Darius let out a slow breath.
"What investment agreement?""
Troy suddenly stepped between them.
"Look, we need to calm down. Ethan is a business partner. Maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation.""
Darius turned.
"Then why are you so desperate to explain it for him?""
Troy's mouth closed.
Maya stood behind the counter, watching quietly.
Darius picked up his phone.
"I'm calling Ethan.""
Kendra immediately objected.
"Not now. The investors are arriving.""
"Good. Maybe they'll want to hear this too.""
He pressed the call button.
It rang four times.
Then Ethan answered.
"Hey, brother! Everything ready?""
Darius looked at the email.
"Almost. I have a question about the visitor instructions.""
A pause.
"What instructions?""
"The ones with my mother's name on them.""
Silence.
Then Ethan laughed.
"Ah. That.""
Darius's expression hardened.
"That?""
"Don't make it a big thing. We were trying to avoid an awkward situation.""
"Why would my mother make anything awkward?""
Ethan lowered his voice.
"Darius, I told you this before. We need to maintain professional boundaries.""
"She's my mother.""
"Exactly. And family can sometimes complicate business.""
Darius stared at the phone.
"Did you tell Kendra to refuse her entry?""
"I told Kendra to manage the situation.""
"Did you tell her to make my mother clean the floor?""
"What?""
Darius looked at the cloth still lying on the counter.
"She handed my mother a dirty cleaning cloth and told her to use the back entrance.""
Ethan went quiet.
Then he said something that made Darius's jaw tighten.
"Well, she was wearing that uniform, wasn't she?""
Lorraine heard him.
Her eyes lowered.
Darius slowly turned away from his mother.
"Watch what you say next.""
Ethan sighed.
"Look, I don't have time for this. The investors are coming, and we have a serious opening to run.""
"Then answer one question. Why did you visit my mother's bank?""
Another pause.
"Who told you that?""
"My mother.""
"She misunderstood.""
"Did you ask whether the money she gave me was a gift or a loan?""
"That's a financial question.""
"Did you?""
Ethan's voice became sharper.
"Yes. Because if that money is considered a loan, it affects the business liabilities.""
Darius frowned.
"You already have the paperwork.""
"Not the paperwork I need.""
"What paperwork?""
Ethan exhaled.
"We can discuss this later.""
"No. We can discuss it now.""
"Darius, you're letting an emotional situation distract you.""
Darius ended the call.
For several seconds, he stood completely still.
Then he looked at Lorraine.
"Mom, did you sign anything when you gave me the money?""
She shook her head.
"No. I told you it was yours.""
"Did you ever ask for repayment?""
"Never.""
"Did Ethan ask you to sign anything yesterday?""
Lorraine nodded.
"He had a document in his folder. He said it was just to confirm the source of the money.""
Darius's expression changed.
"What did you do?""
"I didn't sign it.""
"Why?""
She looked embarrassed.
"Because the amount was wrong.""
Darius frowned.
"What amount?""
"He wrote down forty thousand dollars.""
Darius froze.
His mother had given him forty thousand dollars.
The exact amount.
But he had never told Ethan that his mother had not signed any loan agreement.
"Did he say anything else?""
Lorraine looked toward the front window.
"He told me that if I didn't cooperate, the bakery might have trouble opening.""
Darius closed his eyes briefly.
Now the pieces were beginning to fit.
Ethan had been trying to establish that Lorraine's contribution was a business loan.
If successful, it could create a debt that would affect the company's financial position.
And keeping Lorraine away from the opening would make it easier to control the narrative before she could speak to anyone.
But why?
Darius walked toward the office.
"I need the original investment documents.""
Kendra followed him.
"Darius, please. I didn't know any of this.""
He stopped.
"Did you know the instructions were designed to keep my mother away?""
Kendra looked down.
"I knew Ethan wanted her kept away until the ceremony.""
"Why didn't you ask me?""
She had no answer.
"Why didn't you simply call me?""
Kendra's voice became defensive.
"Because Ethan is the managing partner. He handles these things.""
Darius stared at her.
"I'm the owner of this bakery.""
"You're one of the owners.""
The words slipped out.
Darius slowly turned his head.
"What did you say?""
Kendra looked as if she wished she could take them back.
Troy stepped closer.
"Let's not get into technicalities.""
But Darius had already heard enough.
He opened the office door.
On the wall hung a framed copy of the bakery's original business registration.
His name appeared first.
Beneath it was Ethan's.
Darius had never questioned their arrangement. Ethan had helped with supplier negotiations and business planning. Darius had trusted him to handle the financial side while he focused on recipes and operations.
Now that trust felt like a door someone had quietly locked from the other side.
Darius opened the bottom drawer of his desk.
The original investment agreement was missing.
He checked the filing cabinet.
Nothing.
Then he noticed an empty space where a small black document folder should have been.
"Where is the folder?"" he asked.
Kendra stood in the doorway.
"What folder?""
"The one containing the original contribution records.""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Darius turned toward Troy.
"Have you seen it?""
Troy hesitated.
Then he looked at Kendra.
That was enough.
Darius stepped closer.
"Troy.""
The supervisor swallowed.
"Ethan took a folder yesterday.""
Darius's eyes narrowed.
"What folder?""
"The black one.""
"Why?""
"He said he needed to make copies.""
"Where did he take it?""
Troy rubbed his forehead.
"I don't know.""
Darius picked up his phone again.
This time, he didn't call Ethan.
He called his accountant.
May you like
And when the accountant answered, Darius asked a question that made his mother's face turn pale.
"Can you tell me whether anyone has changed the ownership records of my bakery without my signature?""
