Chapter 6
The next morning, Marcus arrived at the hotel carrying a cardboard box.
I watched him through the security monitor in Dad's private residence.
He looked terrible.
His suit was wrinkled.
His eyes were red.
He hadn't shaved.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him.
Then I remembered that sympathy had kept me silent for too long.
Rebecca, my family attorney, was sitting beside me.
Olivia had arranged for Marcus to meet us in a private conference room downstairs.
Dad had insisted on keeping the meeting professional.
Nobody wanted another shouting match.
Especially not around the twins.
Before leaving, I kissed Amara and Ava.
Both girls were sleeping peacefully under the watchful care of a qualified nurse.
I touched their tiny hands.
"Mommy will be right back."
Then I went downstairs.
Marcus stood when I entered.
"Nia."
I nodded.
"Marcus."
He looked at Rebecca.
Then at Olivia.
Then at Dad.
"I guess everyone hates me."
I sat down.
"This isn't about whether people hate you."
His shoulders dropped.
"I know."
Olivia gestured toward the box.
"Are those the records?"
Marcus nodded.
"Everything I could find."
He opened it.
Inside were contracts.
Bank statements.
Emails.
And a small black notebook.
Dad leaned forward.
"What's that?"
Marcus picked up the notebook.
"Mom keeps notes about her private investments."
Olivia frowned.
"How did you obtain it?"
"She left a copy in my office years ago. I found it while cleaning out the filing cabinet."
He placed it on the table.
"I don't know if it proves anything."
Olivia nodded.
"We'll examine it properly."
Marcus looked at me.
"I want to tell you the truth."
I folded my hands.
"Then start."
He took a long breath.
Two years earlier, Diane had persuaded him to expand his business.
She introduced him to investors.
Encouraged him to borrow money.
And promised that her company would manage certain contracts.
At first, everything seemed successful.
Then costs increased.
Several clients delayed payments.
Diane began charging consulting fees.
Marcus complained.
She reminded him that he owed her everything.
When he asked her to reduce the payments, she threatened to withdraw her support.
I listened without speaking.
Then Marcus admitted something worse.
"Last year, I discovered that some invoices didn't match the services listed."
Olivia leaned forward.
"What did you do?"
Marcus looked down.
"Nothing."
Dad's face hardened.
"Nothing?"
Marcus shook his head.
"I was scared."
I stared at him.
"You knew something was wrong, and you kept paying her?"
He nodded.
"I thought I could make enough money to cover everything."
I closed my eyes.
That had become Marcus's favorite excuse.
He thought he could fix it.
He thought it wouldn't matter.
He thought nobody would find out.
And every time, his choices made the damage worse.
Olivia asked for the names of the people involved.
Marcus gave them.
He also provided access to business records and agreed to cooperate with a forensic accountant.
Dad watched him carefully.
"Are you doing this because you finally understand what happened, or because your mother has turned against you?"
Marcus looked at him.
"Both."
For once, he didn't pretend to be better than he was.
I appreciated the honesty.
But it didn't erase the betrayal.
After the meeting, Marcus asked whether he could speak to me alone.
Rebecca looked at me.
I shook my head.
"Not yet."
Marcus nodded.
"I understand."
Before leaving, he handed me a small envelope.
"These are for the girls."
I opened it.
Inside were two photographs from the hospital.
One showed Marcus holding Amara.
The other showed him holding Ava.
He had written their names and birth dates on the backs.
My throat tightened.
"I don't want them to grow up thinking I never loved them," he whispered.
I looked at him.
"Then become someone who knows how to love them responsibly."
He started crying.
I didn't comfort him.
Not because I wanted him to suffer.
Because I finally understood that his healing was his responsibility.
That afternoon, Olivia called.
She had reviewed the notebook and compared several entries with known financial records.
The results were troubling.
Diane's company appeared to have collected fees from multiple businesses owned by people who trusted her.
Some payments had legitimate documentation.
Others required further explanation.
Olivia was careful.
She said the notebook wasn't proof of a crime by itself.
But it provided leads investigators could verify.
Dad sat quietly as she spoke.
Then she mentioned another name.
Charles Whitmore.
Marcus's late father.
I frowned.
"Why is his name involved?"
Olivia explained that an old company associated with Charles still appeared in several financial records.
Dad's expression changed.
He knew something.
I turned toward him.
"Dad?"
He looked away.
My stomach tightened.
"What aren't you telling me?"
He sighed.
"Charles and I did business together many years ago."
I stared at him.
"You knew Marcus's father?"
Dad nodded.
"We weren't close friends, but we worked on a few projects."
I felt betrayed again.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't think it mattered."
I shook my head.
"That's what everyone keeps saying."
Dad looked ashamed.
"You're right."
He sat beside me.
"Charles was an honest businessman. At least, that was my experience."
"What happened to him?"
"He died after a sudden illness."
I remembered Marcus telling me the same story.
Dad continued.
"After Charles died, Diane took control of several business interests."
I looked at him.
"And?"
"Some former partners questioned how those assets were handled."
My stomach tightened.
"Did you know she was dishonest?"
Dad shook his head.
"I knew there were disputes. I didn't know the facts."
I took a breath.
"Then why did you warn me about her?"
His eyes filled.
"Because I saw how she treated people. I watched her humiliate employees. I heard her talk about families as if money determined their worth."
I stared at him.
He continued.
"I should have explained my concerns instead of simply ordering you to stay away."
I nodded slowly.
For the first time, Dad wasn't just telling me he had been right.
He was admitting how he had been wrong.
That meant more than he realized.
The next evening, Diane appeared at the hotel.
She demanded to see Dad.
When the manager refused to send her upstairs, she began shouting in the lobby.
I watched the security footage with Rebecca.
Diane wore another expensive designer dress.
Her sunglasses were perched on her head.
She looked furious.
"Tell Arthur Coleman I'm not leaving until he speaks to me!"
The manager remained calm.
"Mr. Coleman is unavailable."
Diane slammed her handbag onto the counter.
"He's destroying my son's life!"
I felt my stomach tighten.
Then Diane said something that made Rebecca sit forward.
"If Arthur thinks he's going to expose my business, he should remember what happened the last time someone tried!"
The manager looked confused.
But Rebecca immediately asked the security team to preserve the recording.
I turned toward her.
"What does that mean?"
She looked at me carefully.
"I don't know yet."
Then she made a phone call.
Several minutes later, she returned.
"Nia, your father needs to hear this."
My heart began pounding.
"Why?"
Rebecca hesitated.
"Because one of the old financial disputes involving Diane ended after an important witness unexpectedly withdrew his statement."
I stared at her.
"Who?"
She looked down at her notes.
"Charles Whitmore's former accountant."
I felt cold.
"And according to the records, he recently contacted an attorney."
I swallowed.
"What did he say?"
May you like
Rebecca looked up.
"He says he's finally ready to explain what happened."
