Chapter 2
The Signature Nobody Was Supposed to See
Richard Williams had always been the quiet one.
While Evelyn controlled every conversation, Richard usually stood beside her with a tired smile.
He rarely challenged her.
He rarely disagreed.
And during the eighteen months I'd known him, I'd never heard him raise his voice.
But now he stood in the bridal suite doorway looking furious.
"Patricia," he repeated, "put those documents away."
My attorney didn't move.
"Mr. Williams, I'm representing Nia."
Richard stepped inside.
"And I'm telling you that you're about to make a serious mistake."
Marcus turned toward him.
"Dad, what's going on?"
Richard looked at Evelyn.
She wouldn't meet his eyes.
Then he glanced at the two documents on the dressing table.
His expression tightened.
"Where did you get those?"
Patricia closed the folder halfway.
"From the original signing records."
Richard stared at her.
"I thought those records were secured."
Something cold moved through me.
"Secured from whom?"
He ignored me.
I stepped forward.
"Mr. Williams, are you telling me you knew someone changed my agreement?"
Richard finally looked at me.
"Nia, this is a complicated family matter."
I felt my anger rising.
"It's my father's company."
He sighed.
"And nobody wants to take it from you."
Patricia raised the forged page.
"Then why does this document attempt to transfer control of Nia's business assets?"
Richard's jaw tightened.
Marcus approached the table.
"Dad, answer her."
Richard looked at his son.
"You need to trust me."
Marcus shook his head.
"I trusted Mom yesterday."
The room became silent.
He turned toward Evelyn.
"You told me the attorneys had approved everything."
Evelyn finally spoke.
"They had."
Patricia looked at her.
"Not this page."
Evelyn folded her arms.
"Your interpretation differs from ours."
Patricia shook her head.
"This isn't an interpretation issue. The executed page was physically replaced."
I looked at Marcus.
His face was pale.
For the first time, I saw fear replacing confusion.
He picked up the forged document.
Then read the paragraph concerning my company.
His eyes widened.
"This gives the Williams holding company authority over Nia's shares."
Patricia nodded.
"Under certain conditions, yes."
Marcus looked toward his parents.
"Why would we need that?"
Evelyn opened her mouth.
Richard stopped her.
"Let me explain."
He stepped closer.
"The Williams family has investments tied to the Bennett distribution network."
I frowned.
"My company?"
Richard nodded.
"Your father's company has valuable contracts and property."
I felt sick.
"What investments?"
He hesitated.
"Business arrangements your father made years ago."
My heart began pounding.
"My father never mentioned any arrangement with your family."
Richard looked away.
"Some things were confidential."
I stared at him.
My father had died four years earlier.
He'd left me every financial document.
Every contract.
Every account.
I knew his business better than anyone.
And I had never seen the Williams name connected to it.
"Show me the contracts."
Richard's expression hardened.
"That's unnecessary."
I stepped forward.
"Then stop pretending you have a right to my company."
Marcus raised one hand.
"Dad, what exactly are you saying?"
Richard looked exhausted.
"I'm saying this marriage could help both families."
I turned toward Marcus.
"Did you know about this?"
He stared at me.
"No."
I searched his face.
"Marcus."
He stepped closer.
"Nia, I swear."
I wanted to believe him.
But the last twenty minutes had destroyed my ability to trust anyone in that room.
Patricia placed the original signed page on the table.
"There's something you all need to see."
Richard's face changed.
"Patricia."
She ignored him.
"The agreement was signed in my office at 3:42 yesterday afternoon."
She pointed toward the page.
"Both Nia and Marcus signed in front of me and my assistant."
Marcus nodded.
"Yes."
Patricia continued.
"Afterward, Evelyn asked my assistant to send the document to the Williams family attorney for review."
Evelyn lifted her chin.
"That's standard."
"Not after execution."
Patricia turned the page.
"More importantly, the replacement contains an electronic certification added at 8:17 last night."
I frowned.
"What certification?"
"A digital approval identifying the person who authorized the substitution."
Richard took one step backward.
Patricia looked at him.
"That approval came from a device registered to your office."
The silence was deafening.
Marcus slowly turned toward his father.
"Dad?"
Richard said nothing.
Evelyn's eyes filled.
I stared at them.
The woman I'd slapped.
The man who'd interrupted Patricia.
And the groom standing between us.
For a moment, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
Then Marcus whispered, "You both knew."
Richard rubbed his forehead.
"Son..."
Marcus shook his head.
"No."
He looked at Evelyn.
"You let Nia blame you."
Evelyn's face crumpled.
"I was protecting you."
I laughed bitterly.
"Protecting him from what?"
Richard turned toward me.
"From the truth about your father."
My breath caught.
"Don't."
He continued.
"Your father's company wasn't as successful as you believe."
I stared.
"That's a lie."
Richard shook his head.
"Four years ago, Bennett Distribution borrowed money from private investors."
I felt sick.
"Who?"
Richard looked toward Evelyn.
Then answered.
"Me."
Marcus stepped backward.
I looked at Patricia.
She seemed surprised.
That frightened me more than anything.
Richard continued.
"Your father owed me eight million dollars when he died."
My knees weakened.
"That's impossible."
He reached into his jacket.
Then removed an old document.
A loan agreement.
My father's name appeared at the bottom.
I stared at the signature.
It looked real.
Too real.
Richard placed the paper on the table.
"If this debt becomes public, your company could lose everything."
I couldn't breathe.
Marcus grabbed my hand.
"Nia..."
I pulled away.
Richard's voice softened.
"We were trying to protect you."
I looked at the forged agreement.
Then the supposed loan.
Then the expensive wedding gown I'd spent months choosing.
Suddenly, nothing felt real.
I whispered, "You planned to use our marriage to collect a debt?"
Richard lowered his eyes.
Evelyn began crying.
Marcus stood motionless.
Then Patricia picked up the loan document.
She examined the signature.
Her expression changed.
"Richard."
He looked at her.
She turned the page toward the window.
The sunlight revealed a faint watermark beneath my father's signature.
Patricia stared at it.
Then whispered something that made my stomach drop.
"This paper didn't exist four years ago."
May you like
Richard's face went white.
And I realized the forged wedding agreement was only the beginning.
