Chapter 6 - THE ACCOUNT IN MY DAUGHTER'S NAME
I drove back with Daniel on the phone the entire time.
Claire followed separately.
When I reached Noah's house, Ethan was waiting outside.
He opened the car door.
“Before you ask, Fiona is safe.”
I almost collapsed with relief.
“Where is she?”
“With Noah.”
I ran inside.
Fiona was sitting at the kitchen table coloring.
When she saw me, she smiled.
“Mommy!”
I hugged her so tightly she laughed.
“You're squeezing me.”
“Sorry.”
She looked at me.
“Are we going home?”
I swallowed.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because Uncle Noah's house is safer.”
She nodded as though that made sense.
Children accepted strange realities much faster than adults.
I kissed her forehead.
Then went into the office.
Ethan closed the door.
Daniel was already there.
Marcus joined us.
Luke stood by the window.
Noah remained with Fiona.
“Show me.”
Ethan opened the file.
The account had been created in Fiona's name.
Date of birth correct.
Social Security number correct.
Address correct.
Everything.
“How?”
Daniel answered.
“Someone had access to her birth certificate and Social Security information.”
“Ivan.”
“Possibly.”
“Who else?”
“Claire.”
I looked at the records.
The account had been dormant.
Then suddenly active.
Payments went in.
Payments came out.
Most were small.
But one stood out.
$10,000.
The dress.
I stared at it.
“Why?”
Ethan pointed to the transaction code.
“It wasn't a purchase.”
“What was it?”
“A transfer.”
“To whom?”
“An account belonging to a company called Bennett Children's Foundation.”
I frowned.
“My father's charity.”
“Yes.”
“And who controls that?”
“We don't know.”
Marcus looked at Luke.
Luke nodded.
“We traced the company.”
“And?”
“It has no employees.”
“What?”
“No employees. No physical office. No legitimate operations.”
“So it's a shell.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the date.
The transfer happened two days after Chloe first entered our home.
“Why use Fiona?”
Daniel answered.
“Because money moving through a child's account looks different from money moving through a corporate account.”
“Less suspicious?”
“Not exactly.”
He paused.
“More complicated.”
I understood.
Someone had created layers.
My name.
Fiona's name.
The foundation.
Northstar.
Ivan's company.
Claire's company.
It was a maze.
And someone had designed it deliberately.
That evening, Luke received a call.
He stepped outside.
When he returned, his face was grim.
“We found the source.”
“Who?”
“Elliot Grant.”
I stared.
“Your husband's partner?”
“Yes.”
“What does he have to do with Claire?”
“They know each other.”
“How?”
“They've known each other for twelve years.”
I frowned.
“Ivan met Elliot through work.”
“That's what he told you.”
“What is the truth?”
Luke looked at me.
“Elliot introduced Ivan to Claire.”
My stomach tightened.
“Then the affair was planned?”
“Not exactly.”
“Explain.”
“Claire approached Elliot because she wanted access to your father's trust.”
“Elliot saw an opportunity.”
“Yes.”
“He introduced her to Ivan.”
“Yes.”
“Then Ivan fell in love with her.”
Luke shrugged.
“Maybe.”
That word hurt.
Maybe.
I had spent eleven years believing I knew my husband.
Now every memory felt negotiable.
Fiona came into the room.
“Mommy?”
I turned.
“Yes?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why is Daddy mad at me?”
My heart broke.
“He isn't mad at you.”
“He said I ruined everything.”
I looked at my brothers.
Then back at her.
“He was wrong.”
“Is Daddy coming here?”
“No.”
“Are you leaving him?”
I hesitated.
“Yes.”
Fiona looked down.
“Because of me?”
“No.”
She looked up.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Then why?”
I took her hand.
“Because adults sometimes make choices that hurt people.”
She thought about it.
“Like Chloe?”
I nodded.
“Like Chloe.”
“Are you going to punish her?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because that's not our job.”
She smiled faintly.
“I don't want her to get punished.”
That surprised me.
“Why?”
“Because then she might be sad.”
I hugged her.
My daughter still had compassion after everything.
That mattered more than any money.
The next morning, the investigators returned.
This time, they had a different question.
“Mrs. Bennett, do you know whether your daughter has ever been given access to your husband's office?”
“No.”
“Has she ever been there?”
“Once.”
“When?”
“Last Christmas.”
“Was your husband present?”
“Yes.”
“Did anyone else have access?”
“Chloe.”
The investigator nodded.
“That's important.”
“Why?”
“Because the account was opened using a device registered to your home.”
My blood ran cold.
“What device?”
“An iPad.”
I knew exactly which one.
Fiona's old school tablet.
She had stopped using it months ago.
Ivan had taken it.
He said he needed to update it.
I had never seen it again.
“Where is it?”
The investigator looked at me.
“Your husband has it.”
Daniel immediately requested records.
Ethan traced the device.
It had connected to several networks.
Then, three months earlier, it connected to a private office.
Elliot Grant's office.
Marcus looked at me.
“Now we have a link.”
But then Ethan frowned.
“There is another connection.”
“Where?”
He turned the screen.
The device had also connected to the Crossfield Hotel.
I knew the name.
Ivan had claimed he had never stayed there.
A hotel receipt had been one of the first things that made me suspicious.
I looked at Daniel.
“That's where he met Chloe.”
“Yes.”
“And where the account was created.”
“Yes.”
Something else appeared.
A photograph.
Security footage.
Ivan entering the hotel.
Claire beside him.
But there was someone else.
A man in a gray coat.
He was carrying a red folder.
I stared.
“Who is that?”
Luke zoomed in.
His expression changed.
“That's your father.”
I laughed nervously.
“My father has been dead for twenty-two years.”
Luke shook his head.
“No.”
He zoomed closer.
“That's not your father.”
The man turned slightly.
Same face.
Same height.
Same gray hair.
But older.
Alive.
My hands went cold.
“Who is he?”
Luke answered quietly.
“We don't know.”
Then the man looked directly at the security camera.
As if he knew he was being watched.
May you like
And in his hand was something unmistakable.
My father's gold watch.
