Chapter 7
I called my mother immediately.
She answered on the third ring.
"Nick, sweetheart?"
"Mom, are you home?"
"Of course."
"Is the door locked?"
She sounded confused.
"Yes. Why?"
I closed my eyes.
"Please don't open it for anyone you don't know."
She hesitated.
"Nick, what's happening?"
I took a slow breath.
"Someone may try to bother you because of the investigation."
Martha became quiet.
Then she said, "Is this about Vanessa?"
"Yes."
I heard her sigh.
"That poor girl."
I nearly dropped the phone.
"Mom, she pushed you into a fountain."
"I know."
"She's suspected of stealing money from my company."
"I know, baby."
"Then why are you feeling sorry for her?"
My mother was silent for a moment.
"Because people who treat others that way must have something terribly wrong inside them."
I rubbed my forehead.
"That doesn't excuse what she did."
"No," Mom said firmly. "It doesn't."
I was relieved to hear that.
Then she added, "And I don't want her near me."
I promised to make sure she had support.
Angela agreed to stay with her for several nights.
We also documented the concerns and notified the investigators.
I wasn't going to wait for another incident.
The following morning, Denise Monroe arrived at Olivia's office.
She looked nothing like Vanessa.
Her clothes were simple.
Her face was tired.
And she carried a thick folder filled with old paperwork.
When she saw me, she hesitated.
"I'm sorry for what my family did."
I shook my head.
"You didn't do it."
She looked down.
"I should have spoken sooner."
Olivia invited her to sit.
Then Denise began telling us the story.
Several years earlier, Patricia had convinced Denise's husband, Samuel, to invest in a property development.
The investment promised unusually high returns.
Vanessa managed the financial paperwork.
At first, Samuel received regular statements showing profits.
Then the payments stopped.
When he demanded access to the underlying accounts, Patricia claimed there were temporary delays.
Vanessa accused him of being impatient.
Eventually, the company disappeared.
Samuel lost nearly $200,000.
The financial stress damaged his marriage to Denise.
They separated.
Denise later discovered that Vanessa and Patricia had redirected some of the funds into other companies.
When she confronted them, Patricia threatened to disown her.
Then she began telling relatives that Denise had mental health problems.
I felt sick.
"That's what they're trying to do to my mother."
Denise nodded.
"It's how they protect themselves."
Olivia examined the documents.
Several company names matched records from Adrian's old case.
Others appeared connected to V Holdings Group.
The pattern was becoming undeniable.
Different men.
Different investments.
Similar methods.
Promises.
Trust.
Access.
Then disappearing money.
Denise looked directly at me.
"Vanessa doesn't see people the way you do."
I remained silent.
"She sees opportunities."
I thought about our first date.
Vanessa had asked about my childhood.
My father's death.
My mother's sacrifices.
I'd believed she was trying to understand me.
Now I wondered whether she had been looking for weaknesses.
Olivia asked Denise whether she would provide a formal statement.
She nodded.
"Yes."
Then she opened another envelope.
"This is the reason I finally came forward."
Inside was a photograph.
It showed Patricia standing beside Vanessa and a man in a gray suit.
I frowned.
"Who's that?"
Denise looked frightened.
"His name is Leonard Shaw."
Olivia leaned forward.
"The financial consultant?"
Denise nodded.
I looked at Olivia.
"You know him?"
"He's been involved in several disputed investment transactions."
Denise continued.
"Leonard helps them move money."
I felt cold.
"Is he involved now?"
She hesitated.
"I believe so."
Then she showed us an email.
It contained instructions for transferring funds through multiple companies.
The sender was Leonard.
The recipient was Vanessa.
The date was three weeks before our engagement party.
I stared at the screen.
They had been planning financial transfers before the public confrontation.
The fountain incident hadn't created the fraud.
It had exposed it.
Later that afternoon, investigators contacted Olivia.
The information Denise provided helped connect the transactions.
The authorities were considering broader financial fraud allegations.
A temporary freeze had been placed on certain disputed funds through the appropriate legal procedures.
David also confirmed that the attempted second transfer had failed.
Our immediate payroll was secure.
For the first time in days, I could breathe.
Then my phone rang.
Mom.
I answered immediately.
"Mom?"
Her voice was shaking.
"Nick, there's a woman outside."
I stood.
"Who?"
"Vanessa."
My chest tightened.
"Don't open the door."
"I haven't."
I heard knocking in the background.
Then Vanessa's voice.
"Martha! I know you're in there!"
I grabbed my keys.
"Mom, stay inside. Angela is there, right?"
"Yes."
"Call the police if she refuses to leave or threatens you."
I ended the call and contacted the authorities.
Then I drove toward my mother's house.
I arrived to find Vanessa standing on the sidewalk.
She wore dark sunglasses and a white designer suit.
Her expression changed when she saw me.
"Nick!"
I stepped out of the car.
"Leave my mother alone."
She removed her sunglasses.
"You're being ridiculous."
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to apologize."
I stared at her.
"Then why are you shouting at her through a locked door?"
Vanessa folded her arms.
"She won't talk to me."
"She doesn't have to."
Her face hardened.
"Your mother ruined everything."
I felt anger rise.
"No. You did."
She stepped closer.
"We were supposed to get married."
"You pushed her."
"It was one mistake!"
I shook my head.
"The missing money wasn't a mistake."
Her expression changed.
"The forged application wasn't a mistake."
She looked around nervously.
"The companies weren't a mistake."
"Nick, lower your voice."
I stared at her.
"You wanted my mother to look unstable so you could claim she attacked you."
Vanessa froze.
For the first time, she seemed genuinely surprised.
"Who told you that?"
I remained silent.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Denise."
I said nothing.
Vanessa began laughing.
"My sister has always been jealous of me."
I looked at her.
"Go home, Vanessa."
She stepped closer.
"Nick, please. We can still fix this."
I shook my head.
"No."
Her face twisted.
"You think you're better than me?"
"No."
"You think your mother is some saint?"
"She doesn't need to be perfect to deserve respect."
Vanessa stared at me.
Then she lowered her voice.
"If you continue this investigation, you'll regret it."
I held her gaze.
"Is that a threat?"
She smiled coldly.
"Take it however you want."
The police arrived moments later.
They spoke with Vanessa and documented the incident.
She eventually left.
I entered my mother's house.
Martha was sitting beside Angela.
When she saw me, she stood.
"Nick!"
I hugged her tightly.
"I'm here."
She began crying.
"I didn't open the door."
"You did exactly the right thing."
She held me for a long time.
Then she whispered, "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
I pulled back.
"Mom, none of this is because of you."
She nodded.
But I could see the fear in her eyes.
That evening, Olivia called.
Investigators had obtained important new evidence linking Vanessa, Patricia, and Leonard to the unauthorized transfers.
Several accounts had been restricted.
The case was moving quickly.
Then Olivia paused.
"Nick, there's something else."
"What?"
"Vanessa's attorney has contacted us."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"She wants to negotiate."
I felt anger rise.
"Negotiate what?"
"She says she'll help recover the money if you agree to withdraw your complaint."
I stared at the phone.
"And?"
Olivia's voice became firm.
"That's not a decision we should make without understanding the full evidence and legal implications."
I nodded.
Then she added, "There's one more condition."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"Vanessa wants you to make a public statement saying the fountain incident was a misunderstanding."
I closed my eyes.
Even now, she cared about her reputation more than the woman she'd humiliated.
I looked toward my mother.
She sat quietly beneath the old quilt, reading a book.
For years, she'd taught me that honesty mattered even when telling the truth was difficult.
I turned back toward the phone.
"Olivia, tell her no."
May you like
Then I added something I had never said with such certainty.
"I won't lie about what happened to my mother."
