Chapter 8 - The Hidden Account

The number kept replaying in my head.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

That was how much they were trying to move.

My money.

My house.

My future.

But the part I couldn’t understand was Skylar’s name.

Why would they involve her?

I spent the entire morning searching through every document Melissa sent me.

Then I found it.

A trust account.

Created three years earlier.

My daughter’s name was listed.

I froze.

Because I remembered that account.

It was supposed to be for Skylar’s future.

College.

Her first home.

Her dreams.

Brandon knew about it.

Gertrude knew about it.

And now I understood.

They weren’t just targeting my property.

They were targeting everything connected to my daughter.

I called Brandon.

He answered immediately.

“Charlotte.”

His voice sounded tired.

“What did you do with Skylar’s account?”

Silence.

A long silence.

Then:

“What are you talking about?”

I closed my eyes.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Charlotte—”

“I know about the trust.”

Another silence.

And that silence was the answer.

“How much?”

He didn’t respond.

“How much did you take?”

His voice became defensive.

“I didn’t take anything.”

“Then explain why her account was connected to that company.”

“I was going to put it back.”

Those words hit me harder than a confession.

Put it back.

Like it was a borrowed item.

Like it wasn’t my daughter’s future.

“You touched her money?”

“Charlotte, listen—”

“No.”

My voice shook.

“You touched my daughter’s money.”

“I was trying to help the family.”

I laughed.

A painful laugh.

“The family?”

I looked around the hotel room.

“The family that made her eat instant soup while they ate seafood?”

He said nothing.

Because there was nothing he could say.

That afternoon, I met Melissa again.

She had more documents.

“This is worse than we thought.”

I looked at her.

“How?”

“Brandon wasn’t acting alone.”

I already knew the answer.

“Gertrude?”

She nodded.

“They created a plan months ago.”

She pushed a folder toward me.

Inside were emails.

Messages.

Financial plans.

I read through them.

And then I saw something that made my hands shake.

A message from Gertrude.

“Once Charlotte signs the final paperwork, we can control everything.”

I looked at Melissa.

“What final paperwork?”

She pointed to another page.

“A life insurance agreement.”

My face went pale.

“Life insurance?”

“Yes.”

I stared at the document.

My name.

My signature.

A policy I never approved.

Then I saw the beneficiary.

Brandon.

I couldn’t speak.

Melissa quietly said:

“Charlotte, this is no longer just financial fraud.”

The room felt smaller.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying they were planning for a future where you weren’t in control anymore.”

That night, I returned to the house.

Not to stay.

To collect things.

The place felt different.

Every room held memories.

The kitchen where I cooked family dinners.

The hallway where Skylar took her first steps.

The living room where Brandon proposed.

Now everything felt like a stage.

A performance.

I walked into my office.

And something caught my eye.

A small crack behind the bookshelf.

I moved it.

Behind it was a hidden compartment.

My heart raced.

Inside was a small box.

I opened it.

And found a notebook.

Not mine.

Gertrude’s.

I flipped through the pages.

Dates.

Names.

Money amounts.

Plans.

Then I reached the final page.

And my blood froze.

Because the last sentence was written in bold.

“If Charlotte refuses to cooperate, use Skylar.”

I dropped the notebook.

My hands trembled.

They weren’t just planning against me.

They were planning against my daughter.

And suddenly…

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TO BE CONTINUED…