Chapter 3
My mother was waiting in the living room.
Gloria Carter sat on my sofa with her purse beside her and disappointment already arranged across her face.
Tiana sat next to her.
That told me everything.
Before hearing Noah.
Before seeing his bruise.
Before asking me what happened.
My mother had chosen a side.
Noah stopped when he saw her.
I felt his hand tighten around mine.
Mom looked at him.
Then she looked at the bruise.
Her expression flickered.
Only for a second.
Then she turned toward me.
“Marcus, we need to handle this calmly.”
I laughed.
I couldn’t help it.
“You saw his face?”
“Of course.”
“And your first concern is calm?”
Tiana stood.
“Marcus, I can explain everything.”
“No.”
I pointed toward the chair across from us.
“Sit.”
Her eyes widened.
I had never spoken to her that way.
I didn’t care.
Mom frowned.
“Don’t order her around.”
I turned toward my mother.
“Andre hit Noah.”
The room went silent.
Tiana looked down.
My mother’s face changed.
“What?”
“He hit him.”
Mom looked at Noah again.
“Is that true?”
Noah nodded.
My mother stood.
For one hopeful second, I thought she understood.
Then she said, “Why?”
I stared at her.
Noah did too.
Mom realized how it sounded.
“I’m not excusing it. I’m asking what happened.”
“He caught Andre stealing from my company.”
Tiana snapped her head toward me.
That reaction confirmed more than any confession could have.
Mom noticed it.
“What are you talking about?”
I pulled Noah’s phone from my pocket.
“Tiana and Andre were discussing missing money.”
“That’s not what we were discussing,” Tiana said quickly.
“So there is missing money?”
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Mom stared at her.
“Tiana?”
She stood.
“This is exactly why I wanted to speak privately.”
I moved between her and the hallway.
“You don’t get private anymore.”
She folded her arms.
“Marcus, your company has complicated finances. Andre made some transfers.”
“With your help?”
“No.”
“Then why were you there?”
She hesitated.
That hesitation destroyed whatever trust remained.
“Answer me.”
“I was helping him.”
“With what?”
She looked at my mother.
Mom seemed as confused as I was.
Tiana finally said, “Andre got himself into debt.”
I waited.
“He borrowed from the company.”
Borrowed.
The word thieves use when they expect to pay something back after being caught.
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
“How much?”
“Maybe seventy thousand.”
Noah looked at me.
My mother covered her mouth.
Seventy thousand dollars was bad.
But I knew Andre.
If he was admitting through Tiana to seventy, the real number was larger.
“Why were you involved?”
“He came to me because he was scared to tell you.”
“So you helped hide it?”
“I was trying to help him replace it.”
“With my money?”
“No.”
Her answer came too quickly.
I walked toward my office.
Tiana stepped in front of me.
“Where are you going?”
“To check my accounts.”
“You can do that later.”
That was another answer.
I pushed past her.
She grabbed my arm.
“Marcus.”
I looked at her hand.
She let go.
My office was at the back of the house.
The moment I opened the door, something felt wrong.
The desk drawer was slightly open.
I always closed it.
I walked faster.
Inside was the folder containing copies of my company’s banking authorizations.
Gone.
So was the spare key to my safe.
My chest tightened.
I turned.
Tiana stood in the doorway.
“Where is it?”
She blinked.
“Where is what?”
“The folder.”
“I don’t know.”
“The safe key?”
“I don’t know.”
Noah appeared behind her.
“She took it.”
Tiana spun around.
“You need to stop.”
Noah stepped backward.
I immediately moved toward him.
“What did you see?”
“Last week. She came in here when you were showering.”
Tiana shook her head.
“He doesn’t know what he saw.”
Noah’s voice got louder.
“You opened Dad’s drawer.”
“I was looking for an envelope.”
“You took the key.”
“Noah!”
I slammed my palm onto the doorframe.
“Do not shout at him.”
Tiana went silent.
Mom came down the hallway.
“What is going on?”
“My company documents are missing.”
Her face went pale.
I pulled out my phone.
Tiana’s expression sharpened.
“Who are you calling?”
“Rebecca.”
That scared her.
Rebecca Sloan had been my attorney for twelve years.
She handled both my business and my father’s estate.
Tiana stepped closer.
“Marcus, involving lawyers will destroy this family.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
I pointed toward Noah’s bruised face.
“That destroyed this family.”
Rebecca answered on the second ring.
“Marcus?”
“I need you at my house.”
“What happened?”
“I think Andre has been stealing from the company.”
Tiana closed her eyes.
“And some documents are missing from my office.”
Rebecca’s tone changed instantly.
“Do not confront him about financial records. Do not access or alter company files from your home computer. Preserve everything.”
“Why?”
“Because if documents are missing, we need a clean record.”
She paused.
“Is Noah safe?”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll be there.”
After I hung up, my mother whispered, “This has gone too far.”
I looked at her.
“No. It went too far when Andre put his hands on my son.”
Tiana grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.”
“You’re not taking anything from upstairs.”
“You can’t trap me here.”
“I’m not.”
I stepped aside.
“Walk out.”
She stared at me.
“But you leave the engagement ring.”
Mom gasped.
Tiana’s expression collapsed.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“Marcus.”
“The ring.”
Tears appeared instantly.
I felt nothing.
She slowly removed it.
The diamond caught the hallway light as she placed it on the console table.
“I loved you.”
I looked at Noah.
Then back at her.
“You threatened my son into silence.”
Her face hardened.
“That boy has been trying to break us apart since the beginning.”
Noah flinched.
That sentence ended whatever mercy I might have had left.
“Get out.”
Tiana opened the door.
But before she stepped outside, headlights swept across the windows.
A black SUV stopped beside my driveway.
Andre climbed out.
He wasn’t alone.
A man in a gray suit stepped from the passenger side carrying a leather folder.
Rebecca’s warning echoed in my head.
Preserve everything.
The stranger walked toward my house.
Then he held up a document.
“Marcus Carter?”
“Yes.”
May you like
He reached the porch.
“You’ve been served.”
