Chapter 4
I met Nia the next morning in a private conference room at my attorney's office.
Not at the hotel.
Not at her mother's house.
And not somewhere Evelyn could interrupt us.
I wanted answers.
And I wanted them documented.
Nia arrived wearing a simple black dress.
Her long hair was tied back.
Her eyes were red.
When she saw me, she stopped.
"Marcus."
I stood.
"Nia."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she began crying.
"I'm sorry."
I looked at her.
"I know."
She stepped closer.
"Can I hug you?"
I hesitated.
Then shook my head.
"Not yet."
Her face crumpled.
But she nodded.
"I understand."
We sat across from each other.
My attorney, Olivia Grant, joined us.
Nia had brought her own attorney after I encouraged her to seek independent advice.
That mattered.
Whatever had happened, I didn't want her pressured into admitting something she hadn't done.
Olivia opened the meeting.
"Marcus has questions about the proposed Carter Prestige Ventures investment."
Nia nodded.
I leaned forward.
"Did you know my signature was on that application?"
She looked confused.
"What signature?"
Olivia placed a copy in front of her.
Nia stared.
Then her face went pale.
"Oh, my God."
I watched carefully.
She looked genuinely shocked.
But I couldn't rely on expressions alone.
I asked, "Did you submit it?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"Did you sign my name?"
"No!"
Tears filled her eyes.
"Marcus, I swear."
I took a breath.
"Then explain why your name appears as an officer."
Nia looked down.
"My mother asked me to become a director."
I frowned.
"When?"
"Four months ago."
My chest tightened.
"Before our wedding?"
She nodded.
I leaned back.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Her voice broke.
"Because she said it was a family business matter."
I stared.
"We were about to get married."
She nodded.
"I know."
I took a breath.
"What did she tell you about the company?"
Nia explained that Evelyn had been struggling financially.
Her luxury event business lost several major clients.
A property development venture had stalled.
And several creditors were demanding payment.
Evelyn told her the company needed an investor.
She claimed Dad's investment group was interested.
She said my agreement would make the transaction easier.
I stared at Nia.
"Did you believe her?"
She nodded weakly.
"At first."
I felt my chest tighten.
"What changed?"
Nia looked down.
"She started asking questions about your father."
I frowned.
"What questions?"
"His business interests."
My stomach turned.
"Then?"
"His personal wealth."
I closed my eyes.
Nia continued.
"She said she needed to know whether his company could finance the project."
I looked at her.
"And you didn't think that was strange?"
She began crying.
"I did."
I waited.
"But I didn't challenge her."
My chest tightened.
"Why?"
Nia wiped her cheeks.
"Because every time I questioned Mom, she said I was embarrassing her."
For a moment, the room went quiet.
Then Nia whispered, "I've spent my whole life trying to make her proud."
I looked at her.
She continued.
"She made me feel like I wasn't good enough unless I impressed people."
Her voice cracked.
"And when I met you, she said your family was beneath us."
I stared.
"Did you believe her?"
Nia lowered her eyes.
"Sometimes."
The admission hurt more than I expected.
She began crying harder.
"I hate saying that."
I took a breath.
"But it's true?"
She nodded.
I looked away.
For twelve years, my father had taught me that a person's value came from character.
Nia's mother had taught her that respect depended on wealth.
And somewhere between those two beliefs, our relationship had been quietly breaking.
I leaned forward.
"Nia, you laughed at my father."
She nodded through her tears.
"I know."
"Because you thought he was poor?"
She covered her face.
For several seconds, she couldn't answer.
Then whispered, "Yes."
My heart sank.
I closed my eyes.
At least she had finally told the truth.
Nia continued.
"I didn't think about how much he loved you."
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I didn't think about what he'd done for you."
I looked at her.
"I don't need my father to be rich for him to deserve respect."
She nodded quickly.
"I know that now."
I took a breath.
"No, Nia."
She looked up.
"You knew it before."
Her expression crumpled.
"You just chose not to act like it mattered."
She began sobbing.
For a long time, nobody spoke.
Then Olivia redirected the conversation toward the financial documents.
Nia provided emails from Evelyn.
Several messages described the investment as already approved.
Others asked Nia to sign routine corporate forms.
One contained a scanned signature page.
My signature.
I stared at it.
The date was two months earlier.
I remembered that week.
I had been traveling for work.
I hadn't signed anything connected to Carter Prestige Ventures.
Olivia asked Nia whether she had the original email.
She did.
The message had been sent from Evelyn's account.
My stomach tightened.
Then Nia revealed something else.
Her mother had asked her to use our wedding as an opportunity to introduce Dad to several investors.
I frowned.
"Why?"
Nia swallowed.
"She hoped he'd announce support for her development project."
I stared.
"At our wedding?"
She nodded.
I felt sick.
My father had attended to watch his son get married.
Evelyn had seen him as a potential source of money.
Then Nia began crying again.
"Marcus, I didn't know she was going to humiliate him."
I looked at her.
"I believe you didn't know about the gift."
She seemed relieved.
Then I continued.
"But you knew she had been insulting him for months."
Her face fell.
I took a breath.
"And you helped create an environment where she thought it was acceptable."
Nia covered her mouth.
For the first time, she didn't argue.
She simply nodded.
"You're right."
After the meeting, I stepped into the hallway.
My father was waiting near the windows.
He had insisted on coming.
Not to confront Nia.
But to support me.
When he saw my face, he stood.
"Son."
I walked toward him.
Then hugged him.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Dad held me tightly.
"Whatever happens, you're going to be okay."
My throat tightened.
I nodded.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel Brooks.
I answered.
"Marcus, we have an update."
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
"The independent review has identified several unusual transactions connected to Carter Prestige Ventures."
I frowned.
"What kind?"
"Transfers through companies controlled by Evelyn."
I swallowed.
"How much?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Nearly three million dollars."
I stared toward the window.
Then he continued.
"And Marcus, some of those funds came from money collected for a charitable housing project."
My heart stopped.
"What charitable project?"
Daniel took a breath.
"A program intended to provide affordable homes for elderly residents."
I looked at my father.
He was standing beside me in the same old brown suit.
And suddenly, the woman who mocked him for looking poor might have been involved in taking money meant to help vulnerable people.
I closed my eyes.
May you like
The wedding had exposed cruelty.
But now the financial investigation was uncovering something much worse.
