Chapter 2
I pulled into a quiet parking lot ten minutes after leaving Marcus's house because my hands were shaking too badly to keep driving.
"Rachel, start from the beginning."
My chief operating officer went silent for a moment.
Then she said, "The company we're buying is Williams Development Group."
I closed my eyes.
I knew the name.
Of course I did.
My investment firm, Carter Capital Holdings, had spent three months negotiating the acquisition.
Williams Development Group owned several commercial properties around Atlanta.
The company had been struggling financially.
My team planned to acquire its assets, restructure its debt, protect existing employees, and turn the business around.
It was a good opportunity.
At least, that was what I believed.
I had never connected the company to Marcus.
He had told me his father was involved in real estate.
But Williams wasn't an unusual surname.
And Marcus rarely discussed his family's business.
He always said he preferred building his own career.
I admired that.
Now I wondered what else I didn't know.
"Rachel, who owns the company?"
"According to the documents, the primary shareholders are Robert Williams, Diane Williams, and Vanessa Williams."
I stared through the windshield.
Robert was Marcus's father.
Diane was the woman who had insulted me.
Vanessa was the woman who laughed.
I felt sick.
"Does Marcus own any shares?"
Rachel hesitated.
"That's where things get interesting."
I sat upright.
"What?"
"His name appears in an older shareholder agreement."
My heart quickened.
"How old?"
"Eight years."
I frowned.
"Explain."
Rachel took a breath.
"Robert apparently transferred fifteen percent of the company to Marcus when Marcus turned twenty-four."
I stared at the dashboard.
"Then why isn't he listed now?"
"That's what we're investigating."
A cold feeling settled in my stomach.
"Rachel, please tell me we're not buying a company with disputed ownership."
"We haven't signed the final agreement."
"Good."
I exhaled slowly.
Then she continued.
"But there's another problem."
I closed my eyes.
"Of course there is."
Rachel lowered her voice.
"We found unusual withdrawals from the company's operating accounts."
"How unusual?"
"Almost four million dollars over three years."
My stomach tightened.
"Where did the money go?"
"Mostly to consulting companies connected to Diane and Vanessa."
I stared ahead.
The numbers didn't surprise me.
Corporate fraud happened.
But the timing did.
The woman who had accused me of looking for Marcus's money might have been quietly draining her own husband's company.
"Has Robert seen the records?"
"We don't know."
"Does Marcus know?"
"Probably not."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Don't make assumptions. Verify everything."
Rachel agreed.
"We're arranging an independent review."
I looked toward the road.
"Pause the acquisition."
"Already done."
"Good."
Then I asked the question I had been avoiding.
"Rachel, does anyone at Williams Development know Carter Capital is mine?"
She hesitated.
"Their legal team knows you're the chief executive."
I swallowed.
"But Diane and Vanessa?"
"We don't know whether they've reviewed the ownership disclosures."
I almost laughed.
They had spent the evening treating me like a woman who couldn't afford their lifestyle.
Meanwhile, they were negotiating to sell their family company to mine.
I ended the call.
Then I sat alone for several minutes.
I wanted to call Marcus.
I wanted to tell him everything.
But I needed to understand what was happening before I dragged him into it.
My phone rang.
Marcus.
I stared at his name.
Then answered.
"Hi."
His voice was strained.
"Nia, are you home?"
"Not yet."
"Can we talk?"
I closed my eyes.
"Marcus, I don't think tonight is a good time."
"Please."
Something in his voice made me hesitate.
He continued.
"I'm standing outside my mother's house, and I feel sick."
My anger softened.
"Marcus..."
"I should've stopped them sooner."
I looked down.
"You told them to stop."
"Not strongly enough."
He exhaled.
"My mother embarrassed you. My sister laughed. And I just stood there trying to calm everyone down."
I said nothing.
He continued.
"You deserved better."
My eyes filled with tears.
"Thank you."
"I mean it."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he asked, "Can I come see you?"
I hesitated.
I loved him.
But I also knew that the situation with his family's company could become serious.
"Not tonight."
He sounded hurt.
"Okay."
I swallowed.
"Marcus, I need to ask you something."
"Anything."
"Does your family own Williams Development Group?"
Silence.
Then he answered.
"Yes."
My chest tightened.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He sounded confused.
"I thought I did."
"You said your dad worked in commercial real estate."
"Yeah."
I took a breath.
"Are you involved in the company?"
His tone changed.
"Not anymore."
I sat straighter.
"What does that mean?"
He hesitated.
"It's complicated."
I closed my eyes.
"Marcus, please."
He exhaled.
"Eight years ago, my father gave me a small ownership stake."
My stomach tightened.
"Fifteen percent?"
Silence.
Then he said, "How do you know that?"
I stared at the steering wheel.
I had revealed too much.
"Marcus, I need you to trust me."
His voice became cautious.
"Nia, what's going on?"
I swallowed.
"I run Carter Capital Holdings."
He went quiet.
I continued.
"My company has been negotiating to acquire Williams Development Group."
For several seconds, I heard nothing.
Then Marcus whispered, "You're Nia Carter?"
I closed my eyes.
"Yes."
"The Nia Carter?"
I almost smiled.
"Apparently."
He let out a stunned breath.
"Nia, why didn't you tell me?"
I looked toward the dark parking lot.
"Because I wanted you to know me before you knew my bank account."
He didn't answer.
I continued.
"I wasn't hiding it to hurt you."
He finally spoke.
"I know."
Relief washed through me.
Then his voice hardened.
"But my family doesn't know?"
"I don't know what they know."
He let out a bitter laugh.
"They certainly didn't act like they knew."
I almost laughed too.
Then I remembered the financial records.
"Marcus, there's something else."
He became serious.
"What?"
"I think there may be problems with your family's company."
Silence.
Then he said quietly, "I know."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
He took a breath.
"Nia, I've been trying to tell my father for years."
I sat upright.
"Tell him what?"
"That my mother and Vanessa are using the company like their personal bank account."
My stomach dropped.
"You know?"
"I suspected."
I gripped the phone.
"Then why didn't you stop it?"
His voice cracked.
"Because nobody believed me."
I closed my eyes.
He continued.
"My father said I was jealous. Vanessa said I wanted control. Mom accused me of trying to destroy the family."
I felt tears burning my eyes.
"Marcus..."
"Three years ago, they removed my access to the financial records."
I sat very still.
Then he said something that changed everything.
"And last year, my father told me I'd voluntarily surrendered my shares."
I stared at the phone.
"Did you?"
"No."
My chest tightened.
"Marcus, do you have a copy of the transfer document?"
He hesitated.
"Yes."
"Can I see it?"
Another pause.
Then he whispered, "Nia, someone forged my signature."
I covered my mouth.
The family that had judged me for wearing inexpensive clothes might have stolen their own son's inheritance.
And Marcus had been carrying that betrayal alone.
I looked toward the road.
"Where are you?"
"Still outside Mom's house."
I started the engine.
"Don't go anywhere."
He sounded confused.
"Nia?"
"I'm coming back."
May you like
Because suddenly, the evening wasn't about a rude dinner anymore.
It was about a man I loved who might have been robbed by the people he trusted most.
