Chapter 4
I ran after Jasmine.
"Stop!"
She continued down the hallway.
"Jasmine, I said stop!"
She turned near the stairs.
"What now?"
"Tell me what you know about my mother's letter."
She crossed her arms.
"Why don't you ask your father?"
"Because you're the one who took it."
"You can't prove that."
I stared at her.
"Did you read it?"
She smiled.
"Maybe."
Something hot rose inside my chest.
For years, I'd lowered my voice around Jasmine.
I'd apologized when she insulted me.
I'd pretended not to hear her cruel comments.
But the letter was different.
It was one of the last things my mother had left me.
And Jasmine had no right to touch it.
"Give it back," I said firmly.
She stepped closer.
"You need to understand something, Maya. Your father may be protecting you tonight, but that doesn't change who makes decisions in this house."
I shook my head.
"Not anymore."
Her face tightened.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm done being afraid of you."
For a moment, she looked genuinely surprised.
Then she laughed.
"That little speech won't save you."
I walked past her.
Not because I was surrendering.
Because I knew exactly who I needed to speak to.
Dad was still in his office with Daniel.
They looked up when I entered.
"Jasmine took Mom's letter."
My father stood.
"What letter?"
"The one you gave me on my birthday. The sealed envelope."
His expression changed immediately.
"Did you open it?"
I shook my head.
"No."
Dad closed his eyes.
Daniel looked between us.
"What letter?"
Dad sat down.
"Elena wrote Maya a letter shortly before she died."
I had never heard him say my mother's name with such pain.
He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out an old notebook.
"She wrote several things during her final months. Some were messages for Maya's birthdays. Some were instructions about her future."
"Why didn't you keep copies?" Daniel asked.
"She wanted Maya to receive them personally."
I stared at him.
"Was there something in that letter you didn't want me to know?"
Dad looked shocked.
"No."
"Jasmine said—"
"Jasmine has been lying to you."
"Then tell me what Mom wrote."
His eyes filled.
"I don't know, sweetheart. She sealed it herself."
I wanted to believe him.
This time, I did.
Daniel suggested we document the missing letter and avoid another confrontation.
Then he made several calls.
By the next morning, he had arranged an appointment with a trust specialist.
He also obtained permission to review the public property records.
I barely slept.
At sunrise, I found Dad sitting alone in the kitchen.
Two untouched cups of coffee stood on the table.
He looked exhausted.
"Morning," he said softly.
I sat opposite him.
"Where's Jasmine?"
"Still upstairs."
We sat in silence.
Finally, he spoke.
"I owe you an apology."
I looked down.
"You already apologized."
"Not properly."
He leaned forward.
"When your mother died, I promised myself you'd never feel alone. I worked hard because I thought providing a good home meant I was taking care of you."
His voice cracked.
"But I missed what was happening inside that home."
I swallowed.
"Dad—"
"No. Let me finish."
He wiped his eyes.
"I let Jasmine convince me that the tension between you was ordinary family adjustment. I didn't ask enough questions. I didn't listen closely enough."
A tear slid down my cheek.
"I tried to be good."
He looked devastated.
"Oh, baby. You were good."
"I stayed quiet because I wanted you to be happy."
Dad reached across the table.
"You should never have had to sacrifice your happiness for mine."
I took his hand.
For the first time in years, I felt a little of the old warmth between us.
Then his phone rang.
Daniel.
My father answered.
As he listened, his expression changed.
"Are you sure?"
He stood.
"All right. We'll meet you there."
He hung up.
"What happened?" I asked.
He stared at me.
"Daniel found something in the property records."
Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in Daniel's office.
He placed two documents on the table.
The first was the original deed showing Dad and Jasmine as joint owners.
The second was a more recent filing.
"This document was recorded eight months ago," Daniel explained.
Dad leaned forward.
"I never saw this."
"It purports to transfer Marcus's interest to an entity called Carter Family Holdings LLC."
My father looked stunned.
"That's my business holding company."
Daniel nodded.
"Who manages it?"
"I do."
Daniel turned another page.
"According to the state records, Jasmine was added as a manager last year."
Dad stared at the paper.
"She helped with administrative tasks, but she was never supposed to have control of the company."
Daniel spoke carefully.
"The filing history is unusual. We need to determine whether the documents were properly authorized."
I felt sick.
"Does that mean Jasmine owns the house?"
"Not necessarily," Daniel said. "A recorded document doesn't automatically establish that a transaction was lawful. We're examining the ownership chain and corporate records."
Dad pressed his hands against his forehead.
"How did she do this without me knowing?"
Daniel gave him a serious look.
"Someone with access to your records, accounts, and electronic signatures could have submitted documents. That doesn't mean they were valid."
I remembered the papers Jasmine had asked me to sign.
"Did she use my signature too?"
"We don't know yet."
Daniel slid another page across the table.
"This is the part that concerns me most."
It was a loan document.
A large loan.
Secured against assets associated with the company.
The outstanding balance was $310,000.
Dad nearly stood out of his chair.
"What is this?"
"The lender's recorded notice references the property."
"I never borrowed that money."
Daniel nodded slowly.
"Then we need the loan file immediately."
I stared at the amount.
Three hundred and ten thousand dollars.
Along with the money missing from Mom's trust.
It was almost half a million dollars.
"What did Jasmine do with it?" I whispered.
Nobody answered.
Daniel explained that he was preparing formal requests for records and seeking urgent legal protection where appropriate.
Then he looked at me.
"Maya, I need you to do something."
"What?"
"Write down every document Jasmine ever asked you to sign. Every account she discussed. Every conversation about your inheritance."
I nodded.
"I'll do it."
"And don't discuss our investigation with her."
We returned home that afternoon.
Jasmine's car was gone.
Dad went directly to his office.
I went upstairs.
As I passed the guest bedroom, I heard something.
A faint electronic ringing.
It came from behind the door.
I pushed it open.
On the nightstand sat an old phone Jasmine sometimes used for work.
The screen lit up with an incoming call.
A name appeared.
"Adrian."
Then a message flashed across the screen.
I only caught the beginning.
"Did Marcus discover the loan? We need to move before—"
The screen went dark.
I stood frozen.
Who was Adrian?
And why was he worried about my father discovering the loan?
I backed out of the room.
Then I heard the front door open downstairs.
Jasmine had returned.
And she was speaking to someone on her phone.
"Stop panicking," she hissed.
I moved silently toward the staircase.
May you like
Her next words made my blood turn cold.
"Marcus still doesn't know what happened to Elena's original will."
