Chapter 5
My mother answered on the fourth call.
“Marcus.”
“Did Noah send you a video?”
Silence.
That was enough.
“When?”
She sighed.
“Two weeks ago.”
My anger returned instantly.
“You had it for two weeks?”
“I didn’t understand what I was seeing.”
“What were you seeing?”
“People arguing.”
“Noah sent it to you for a reason.”
“He said he was scared.”
I closed my eyes.
Rebecca stood beside me, listening.
“And what did you do?”
“I spoke to Andre.”
I almost dropped the phone.
“You told Andre?”
“I asked him what was happening.”
“And?”
“He said Noah had misunderstood an adult conversation.”
My voice shook.
“Mom, Noah asked you for help.”
“I know.”
“No. You don’t.”
“Marcus—”
“He went to you because he thought you would protect him.”
“I was trying to protect everyone.”
That sentence made me furious.
Protect everyone.
It usually meant protect the person causing the damage so nobody had to admit the family was broken.
“Do you still have the video?”
“Yes.”
“Do not delete it.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“Send it to Rebecca.”
My mother hesitated.
“There’s something else.”
Rebecca looked at me.
“What?”
“Come here.”
“Why?”
“Because I found something after you called earlier.”
I wanted to refuse.
Then Mom said, “It belonged to your father.”
Forty minutes later, Rebecca and I stood inside the house where Andre and I had grown up.
Noah came with us.
I didn’t want him out of my sight.
Mom led us into Dad’s old study.
The room still smelled faintly like cedar.
She opened the bottom drawer of his desk and removed a sealed envelope.
My name was written across the front.
Marcus.
I recognized Dad’s handwriting immediately.
My throat tightened.
“Where was this?”
“In the safe.”
“Why have I never seen it?”
Mom looked ashamed.
“Because your father told me to give it to you if Andre ever challenged the company ownership.”
Rebecca stared at her.
“He anticipated that?”
Mom nodded.
“He was worried about Andre’s gambling.”
That was new.
I looked at her.
“What gambling?”
She sat down.
“Your brother started losing money before your father died.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mom.”
“Enough that your father paid debts twice.”
I stared at her.
“You never told me.”
“He made me promise.”
“Dad?”
“No. Andre.”
That answer explained too much.
My mother had been protecting him for years.
Rebecca opened the envelope after I gave permission.
Inside was a notarized letter.
Dad had written it eighteen months before his death.
He explained that Andre had repeatedly asked for advances from the company.
He had also attempted to use company equipment as collateral for a private loan.
Dad had blocked him.
The letter stated clearly that Andre’s twenty-percent ownership was intentional.
It also said any document showing a different distribution should be considered suspicious unless witnessed by Rebecca.
The final paragraph hurt the most.
Marcus,
I hope you never need this letter. Andre is my son and I love him, but loving someone does not mean trusting him with things he has shown he cannot protect. If I am gone, protect the company. More importantly, protect Noah. Andre resents what I am leaving your boy, and resentment can turn family into strangers.
I had to stop reading.
Noah sat very still.
Mom was crying.
“You knew.”
My voice sounded empty.
She shook her head.
“I knew your father worried.”
“You knew Andre resented Noah.”
“I thought he would grow out of it.”
“He hit him.”
She covered her face.
“I know.”
“You gave him warning after Noah asked you for help.”
“I made a terrible mistake.”
I wanted to yell.
Instead I looked at Noah.
He was staring at his grandmother.
“Why didn’t you believe me?”
Mom broke.
She moved toward him.
Noah leaned closer to me.
She stopped.
“I thought if I talked to Andre, he would fix it.”
Noah’s voice was small.
“He told me you said I was dramatic.”
Mom’s face collapsed.
“I never said that.”
“He said you did.”
She cried harder.
“I’m sorry.”
Noah didn’t answer.
I didn’t force him.
Apologies do not create instant forgiveness.
Sometimes they only begin the work.
Rebecca scanned Dad’s letter and sent copies to secure storage.
Then my mother forwarded Noah’s video.
It was longer than the one on his phone.
Much longer.
The footage began with Andre and Tiana discussing company accounts.
Then Andre said my name.
“He’ll sign everything after the wedding.”
Tiana laughed.
“He signs whatever I put between the construction documents.”
I felt sick.
Andre continued.
“Once the marriage is official, we move the remaining cash.”
“And Noah’s trust?”
Tiana asked.
Andre replied.
“That’s the difficult part.”
I stopped the video.
Noah looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
I didn’t want to answer.
Rebecca did.
“Your grandfather left you part of the company.”
His eyes widened.
“What?”
“You own fifteen percent through a trust.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You weren’t supposed to manage it until you were older.”
We continued.
Andre’s voice returned.
“If Marcus dies before the kid turns twenty-five, the trust provisions get messy.”
Tiana lowered her voice.
“But marriage gives me standing.”
My entire body went cold.
Rebecca paused the video herself.
Nobody spoke.
Then came movement outside Mom’s front window.
Headlights.
A car stopped.
Mom walked toward the curtain.
Her face went pale.
“What?”
She turned toward us.
“It’s Andre.”
Noah immediately grabbed my arm.
Andre stepped from his car.
Then another person got out.
May you like
Tiana.
They walked together toward my mother’s front door.
