Chapter 7 - Nathan's Warning
Nathan arrived at Margaret's house that evening.
He didn't look angry.
That made him more frightening.
He wore a dark wool coat and carried no briefcase.
He simply stood at the door.
Margaret refused to let him inside.
“What do you want?”
“I need to speak to Emily.”
“No.”
Nathan smiled.
“Mom, you don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
He looked past her.
“Emily has something that belongs to the company.”
Emily stepped into view.
“No.”
Nathan's smile disappeared.
“It belongs to the truth.”
His eyes hardened.
“You're making a mistake.”
“I've heard that before.”
Nathan lowered his voice.
“You don't know what happens if those documents become public.”
“People learn what you did.”
“People lose everything.”
Emily paused.
“People already lost everything.”
Nathan stared at her.
“You think Daniel will protect you?”
Emily looked at Daniel.
He stood behind Margaret.
His face was exhausted.
“No.”
Nathan smiled.
“Then we're done here.”
He turned.
Daniel suddenly spoke.
“Wait.”
Nathan stopped.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Did you forge her signature?”
Nathan looked at him.
“You already know the answer.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“You told me it would protect the family.”
“It did.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“It protected you.”
Nathan's expression changed.
For the first time, the brothers looked like enemies.
“You're going to regret this.”
Daniel replied quietly:
“I already do.”
Nathan left.
The room remained silent.
Emily looked at Daniel.
“Why did you defend me?”
He looked down.
“Because you were right.”
Margaret touched his shoulder.
“It's late.”
“I know.”
That night, Emily and Margaret reviewed every document.
They discovered fourteen property transfers.
Six had Emily's forged signature.
Four had Daniel's authorization.
Two had Nathan's.
The remaining two were signed by a corporate attorney.
The attorney's name was Thomas Reed.
Vanessa's father.
Emily stared at the name.
“That's impossible.”
Vanessa, who had been sitting quietly nearby, looked up.
“My father?”
Emily nodded.
Vanessa's face went pale.
“My dad retired years ago.”
“Apparently not.”
The documents connected both families.
Sterling Development.
The Reed law firm.
The property transfers.
And the affair.
It suddenly became clear that Vanessa had not been chosen randomly.
She was connected to the person who had certified the fraudulent documents.
Daniel looked at her.
“Did your father know?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Emily closed the folder.
“We find out.”
Margaret looked at her.
“And if he did?”
Emily's expression hardened.
May you like
“Then he answers for it.”
👉 The affair had begun to look less like a secret romance and more like a carefully arranged distraction.
