Chapter 4
I turned toward Maya.
She went completely still.
“What does he mean?”
She looked at Robert.
“Don't.”
My stomach tightened.
“Maya.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Dad, please.”
I stared at her.
“What have you done?”
Jordan looked between us.
“Maya, what's going on?”
She stepped backward.
Robert gave a bitter smile.
“Maybe your daughter should tell you about the money.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“What money?”
Maya covered her face.
“I didn't know it was wrong.”
Denise moved closer.
“Arthur, let's remain calm.”
But calm was becoming impossible.
I had just learned that my own brother may have forged my signature.
Now my daughter was hiding something too.
I looked at Maya.
“Tell me.”
She lowered her hands.
“Uncle Robert told me I could receive part of my trust early.”
I stared at her.
“How much?”
She whispered.
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
Jordan gasped.
“Maya!”
She began crying.
“I thought it was mine!”
“It is yours eventually,” I said. “But your mother's trust has rules.”
Robert folded his arms.
“Rules you created.”
“No,” Denise said firmly. “The trust was established by Evelyn Bennett with independent legal oversight.”
Robert ignored her.
Maya looked at me desperately.
“I used some of it to pay off my student credit cards.”
My heart sank.
“What else?”
She hesitated.
Then whispered, “I gave Uncle Robert twenty thousand.”
I closed my eyes.
Jordan stared at her.
“You gave him money?”
“He said it was an investment.”
Robert interrupted.
“It was.”
Denise looked toward him.
“Into what?”
Robert said nothing.
Maya rubbed her hands together.
“He said the investment would help me start my own company.”
I felt sick.
My daughter had always wanted to open a marketing agency.
She had talent.
She had ambition.
And Robert had used that dream to manipulate her.
“Maya,” I asked, “did he give you any investment documents?”
She nodded.
“They're in my email.”
“Can you show Denise?”
Robert stepped forward.
“That's private business information.”
Denise looked at him.
“She can choose to share her own documents.”
Maya reached for her phone.
Robert's face hardened.
“Think carefully.”
My daughter froze.
I moved between them.
“Don't threaten her.”
He laughed.
“I'm trying to protect her.”
“No,” I said quietly. “You've been protecting yourself.”
Maya opened her email.
She forwarded the documents to Denise.
As my attorney reviewed them, Jordan sat heavily in a chair.
He looked devastated.
“I can't believe this.”
I sat beside him.
He looked at me.
“Dad, did you really think we deserved those scholarships?”
I frowned.
“What?”
He swallowed.
“Were we good enough? Or did you just pay for everything?”
That question hurt in a different way.
I reached for his shoulder.
“Jordan, you earned your grades.”
“But the scholarship—”
“Your scholarships were awarded under university rules. I funded the program, but independent committees selected recipients.”
He looked surprised.
“You didn't choose us?”
“No.”
“Not even once?”
I shook my head.
“The committee didn't know the founder was your father until after the decisions were finalized.”
His eyes filled.
“So we earned our places?”
“Yes.”
He covered his face.
I continued.
“I wanted you to know that you could succeed because of your own work.”
He began crying.
“And we treated you like you were nothing.”
I couldn't speak.
Because it was true.
Denise looked up from Maya's documents.
“Arthur.”
Something in her voice made me stand.
“What?”
She turned her laptop toward me.
The investment agreement listed a company called RB Legacy Holdings.
Robert owned it.
But the account receiving Maya's money belonged to another entity.
“What's this?” I asked.
Denise pointed.
“The transfer went to a company that appears to have financial problems.”
Robert stepped forward.
“That isn't relevant.”
Denise continued.
“The company is currently facing several creditor claims.”
I looked at my brother.
“Were you using Maya's money to cover your debts?”
He glared at me.
“Every business goes through difficulties.”
“Answer me.”
He looked away.
I felt a wave of anger.
Not because of the money.
Because of the betrayal.
Robert had manipulated my children into rejecting me.
He had used their trust.
And he had apparently taken money meant to give them security.
I walked toward him.
“You knew Evelyn was dying when she created those trusts.”
His expression changed.
“You were there when she signed the papers.”
He swallowed.
“You promised her you'd look after them.”
“Arthur—”
“You held her hand.”
Robert looked away.
“And you told her she could rest because our children would always have family.”
My voice broke.
“How could you do this?”
For the first time, Robert had no answer.
Then he turned toward the door.
“I'm done with this.”
Denise stepped aside.
“You're free to leave. But you should preserve all relevant records.”
He glared at her.
Then at me.
“You think you've won.”
I shook my head.
“This isn't a game.”
Robert opened the door.
Before leaving, he looked at Maya.
“You'll regret turning against me.”
Then he disappeared into the hallway.
Maya began crying uncontrollably.
I wanted to hold her.
I wanted to comfort her.
But I was still hurting.
I needed time.
“Dad,” she whispered.
I looked at her.
“Please don't hate me.”
I closed my eyes.
“I could never hate you.”
She stepped toward me.
“Then why won't you look at me?”
I swallowed.
“Because I don't know how to look at you without remembering what happened outside.”
She stopped.
The room became silent.
I took my camera bag from the table.
“I need to go home.”
Jordan stood.
“Dad, we'll come with you.”
I shook my head.
“Not today.”
Maya began crying harder.
“But Dad—”
“Please.”
I wasn't trying to punish them.
I simply needed to breathe.
Claire arranged for a university driver to take me to my car.
Before I left, Denise promised to begin a formal review of the forged documents.
I thanked her.
Then I walked outside.
The graduation decorations were still hanging.
Families were still taking photographs.
The sun was beginning to lower behind the stone buildings.
I reached my car and placed the camera bag on the passenger seat.
Then I opened it.
Inside was Evelyn's envelope.
I touched the handwriting.
For eight years, I had imagined handing it to our children with joy.
Now I wondered whether they would ever understand the love behind it.
I started the engine.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A woman's voice spoke.
“Mr. Bennett?”
“Yes?”
“My name is Patricia Cole. I used to work for your brother.”
I frowned.
“How can I help you?”
She hesitated.
“Sir, I saw what happened at graduation.”
I waited.
Then she whispered.
“Your brother has been planning this for months.”
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“What do you mean?”
She took a shaky breath.
“He didn't just want your children's inheritance.”
I stared through the windshield.
“What else did he want?”
May you like
Her answer made my blood run cold.
“He wanted your entire scholarship foundation.”
