Chapter 4
The next morning, I discovered that someone had tried to withdraw forty thousand dollars from Maya's college savings.
The request had been submitted at 8:16 a.m.
Less than nine hours after she confronted Darius.
I stood in my home office staring at the bank alert.
The attempted transaction had been blocked.
But the destination account had already been recorded.
COLEMAN FAMILY CONSULTING LLC.
My stomach turned.
I recognized the name.
Darius's supposed business.
The same business Maya believed made him successful.
I called the bank immediately.
The representative confirmed that someone had attempted to initiate a transfer using information associated with Maya's education account.
"Was the transfer completed?" I asked.
"No, Mr. Bennett. It was flagged for additional verification."
I closed my eyes.
"Thank God."
The representative continued.
"We recommend securing the account and reviewing authorized access."
"I'll do that."
I contacted our attorney, Olivia Grant.
She had handled several business matters for me over the years.
When I explained what happened, she became serious.
"Marcus, preserve everything."
"I have the bank records."
"Keep the messages too."
I nodded.
"I will."
Then she asked a question I hadn't considered.
"How did Darius know the college account existed?"
I stared at the wall.
"I don't know."
"Who had access to the information?"
"Me, Nia, and Maya."
Olivia paused.
"Then we need to determine whether someone shared account details."
I looked toward the hallway.
Maya was sleeping upstairs.
She had cried until nearly three in the morning.
When she finally fell asleep, Nia covered her with a blanket.
I had sat beside her bed for another hour.
I couldn't imagine accusing her of anything.
But I knew Darius might have manipulated her into sharing information.
"I'll talk to her," I said.
Olivia's voice softened.
"Be careful how you approach it."
"I know."
After ending the call, I found Nia in the kitchen.
She was staring into a cup of coffee.
"Did you sleep?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Not really."
I sat across from her.
"We need to talk."
Her expression changed.
"What happened?"
I showed her the alert.
She covered her mouth.
"Oh, my God."
"Someone tried to transfer the money."
"Who?"
"The destination account belongs to Darius's company."
Nia stared at the screen.
Then she began shaking.
"Marcus, he told me he changed."
I looked up.
"What?"
She lowered her eyes.
"Six months ago. When Maya found him."
My stomach tightened.
"You knew she contacted him?"
Nia began crying.
"Not at first."
I sat very still.
"When did you find out?"
"About four months ago."
I felt a wave of hurt.
"And you didn't tell me."
She shook her head.
"Maya begged me not to."
I looked away.
Nia reached across the table.
"Marcus, I thought she needed to make her own decision about him."
I swallowed.
"And Darius?"
"He called me."
My chest tightened.
"What did he say?"
"He apologized."
I stared at her.
"For what?"
"Everything. Leaving. The arguments. The way he treated me."
Nia wiped her eyes.
"He said he wanted to rebuild his relationship with Maya."
I shook my head.
"Did he mention the payments?"
She hesitated.
"No."
I felt sick.
"He was still collecting money from me."
Nia covered her face.
"I'm sorry."
For a moment, anger rose inside me.
Not because Nia wanted Maya to know her biological father.
I understood that.
But because secrets were becoming a language inside our home.
And I had contributed to it.
I took a breath.
"We all need to stop hiding things."
Nia nodded through her tears.
"You're right."
Then footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Maya stood near the kitchen doorway.
Her eyes were swollen.
Her lavender hoodie hung loosely around her shoulders.
"Are you talking about me?"
I looked up.
"Come sit down."
She hesitated.
Then slowly approached.
I showed her the bank alert.
Her face changed instantly.
"What is that?"
"Someone tried to move money from your college account."
She stared at the screen.
"To Dad's company?"
I nodded.
Her lips trembled.
"No."
I waited.
She shook her head.
"He wouldn't."
I didn't argue.
Instead, I asked, "Did you give him any information about your college savings?"
Maya looked down.
My chest tightened.
"Maya?"
She began crying.
"He said he wanted to help."
Nia closed her eyes.
I stayed quiet.
Maya continued.
"He asked how much money I had saved."
I nodded.
"And?"
"He said he knew a financial adviser."
My stomach sank.
"He told me the adviser could help my money grow."
I looked at her.
"Did you send him anything?"
She wiped her face.
"A screenshot."
My heart tightened.
"Of what?"
"The account page."
I took a slow breath.
"Did it show any account details?"
She nodded weakly.
"I'm sorry."
I closed my eyes.
Not because I was angry with her.
Because Darius had used her trust exactly the way I feared he would.
I leaned forward.
"Maya, look at me."
She raised her eyes.
"You made a mistake."
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"But someone deliberately took advantage of you. That's his responsibility."
She began sobbing.
"I thought he loved me."
I moved beside her.
"I know."
She looked at me.
"Why would he do this?"
I wished I had an answer that could make it hurt less.
But I didn't.
"I don't know everything about why Darius makes the choices he makes."
I took her hand.
"But none of those choices mean you're worth less."
She cried harder.
I held her.
For several minutes, the three of us sat together.
Then my phone rang.
Olivia.
I answered.
"Marcus, I've found something concerning."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"There's a pending civil case involving Darius Coleman."
I frowned.
"What kind?"
"Several people accuse him of taking money for investment services he never delivered."
I looked at Maya.
She was wiping her eyes.
Olivia continued.
"His company is facing serious financial trouble."
I felt cold.
"How serious?"
"Very."
She paused.
"And there's something else."
I gripped the phone.
"What?"
"Someone connected to his business contacted Maya's university."
My heart jumped.
"Why?"
"They claimed to be acting on behalf of her family."
I stared at the wall.
"What did they want?"
Olivia's voice hardened.
"Information about the tuition deadline and refund policies."
I felt my blood run cold.
Darius wasn't merely trying to steal from the college account.
He might have been planning to use Maya's entire education as part of his scheme.
I looked toward my daughter.
She was still sitting beside Nia.
Her face was pale.
I thought about the forty-thousand-dollar bill that had started everything.
And suddenly, I realized the timing might not have been a coincidence.
Darius had encouraged Maya to demand the full amount immediately.
He had pushed her into confronting me.
And while our family was fighting, someone was trying to gain access to her money.
I felt anger rise.
But this time, it wasn't directed at Maya.
I looked at Olivia's number glowing on my phone.
"Find out who contacted the university."
"I already have a name."
I swallowed.
"Who?"
She answered.
"Reginald Turner."
Reggie.
The man who had tried to take Maya to Charlotte.
And according to Olivia, he wasn't simply Darius's friend.
May you like
He was a partner in Coleman Family Consulting.
The same company that had just tried to take my daughter's college savings.
