Chapter 13 - The Signature That Was Impossible
Emma stared at the document on the screen.
Her name.
Her signature.
A contract transferring ownership of Carter Industries.
But there was one problem.
She had never signed it.
“No…”
Her voice barely came out.
“This is fake.”
Nobody answered.
Because everyone in the room was thinking the same thing.
How could someone forge her signature on a document from eight years ago?
Daniel stepped closer to the screen.
“When was this created?”
Max checked the date.
“Two days before your father disappeared.”
Emma felt a cold wave move through her body.
Two days before.
The exact moment her life changed forever.
“My father knew about this?”
Max nodded.
“He found this document before he vanished.”
Emma looked at him.
“Then why didn’t he tell me?”
“Because he didn’t know who he could trust.”
Daniel looked at the document carefully.
“There’s something wrong.”
Emma turned.
“What?”
Daniel pointed.
“The signature.”
Everyone looked closer.
“It looks like Emma’s.”
He paused.
“But it’s missing something.”
Emma frowned.
“What?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Your father taught you how to sign your name when you were a child.”
She nodded slowly.
“He always told me to add a small line at the end.”
Daniel pointed at the paper.
“This signature doesn’t have it.”
Emma felt her heart race.
Someone had copied her signature.
But whoever did it…
Didn’t know her.
Didn’t know the little detail only her family knew.
Max looked toward the dark window.
“There is only one person who could have created this.”
Emma whispered:
“Richard.”
Max nodded.
“Your uncle.”
“But he was supposed to be dead.”
“He wanted everyone to believe that.”
Daniel looked confused.
“Why fake his own death?”
Max answered:
“Because disappearing was the only way he could continue controlling everything.”
Emma looked at the documents.
“From where?”
Max opened another file.
A company name appeared.
Whitmore Holdings.
Emma froze.
“My mother’s family?”
Max nodded.
“Richard didn’t just steal from Carter Industries.”
“He created a war between two families.”
Emma looked at Daniel.
“And you knew?”
Daniel looked ashamed.
“I knew parts of it.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Daniel took a deep breath.
“I knew Richard was alive.”
Emma stepped back.
“You knew?”
“I was trying to find proof.”
“You lied again.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
Her eyes filled with anger.
“Stop saying that.”
Daniel became silent.
Because he knew.
The excuse was no longer enough.
Then suddenly…
A phone rang.
Everyone froze.
It was coming from the old house phone.
A phone that had not worked in years.
Max slowly picked it up.
Nobody spoke.
Then a voice came through.
Old.
Calm.
Confident.
“You finally found my little game.”
Emma’s blood ran cold.
Because she recognized the voice.
“Uncle Richard?”
The man laughed.
“Hello, Emma.”
A pause.
“I’ve been waiting for you to find the truth.”
The line went silent.
May you like
Then one final sentence came through.
“You just made the biggest mistake your father ever made.”
