Chapter 9 - THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CURTAIN
I walked into the bank the next morning.
Everyone knew who I was.
But nobody expected me to arrive without the wheelchair.
The manager nearly dropped his coffee.
"Mr. Carter..."
I placed the documents on his desk.
"Explain this."
His face turned pale.
"I don't understand."
"Someone transferred money using my signature."
He looked nervous.
"I need to check the records."
"No."
I leaned forward.
"You need to tell me who authorized it."
Silence.
Then his hands started shaking.
"I was threatened."
I looked at him.
"By who?"
He swallowed.
"Vanessa's father."
Everything connected.
This was bigger than Vanessa.
Her family had been planning this for months.
The accident.
The company takeover.
The financial control.
They weren't reacting.
They were executing a plan.
When I returned home, Vanessa was waiting.
Alone.
She looked different.
Less confident.
More desperate.
"You went to the bank."
I stared at her.
"So you already know."
She sighed.
"Alexander..."
"Don't."
My voice stopped her.
"Don't pretend anymore."
She looked at me.
"I loved you."
I laughed quietly.
"No."
She looked hurt.
"You loved my success."
She stepped closer.
"I was scared."
"Of what?"
"Of losing everything."
I looked at her.
"You were never afraid of losing me."
The silence proved it.
Then she said something unexpected.
"I wasn't the one who caused the accident."
I froze.
"What?"
She looked away.
"You think you know everything."
My expression changed.
"Who did it?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she whispered:
May you like
"You need to ask your uncle."
TO BE CONTINUED...
