Chapter 8 - Vanessa's Father
Thomas Reed agreed to meet them.
He chose a quiet private room in an old hotel.
When Vanessa entered, he stood.
“Vanessa.”
She didn't hug him.
“Did you certify those property transfers?”
Thomas looked at Emily.
Then Daniel.
Then his daughter.
“Yes.”
Vanessa's face fell.
“Why?”
“I was told the documents were legitimate.”
“By whom?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Nathan.”
Daniel stared at him.
“You knew the signatures were questionable.”
Thomas looked down.
“I suspected.”
Emily's voice remained calm.
“Did you know mine was forged?”
Thomas didn't answer.
That was enough.
Vanessa began crying quietly.
“You knew?”
“I was afraid.”
“Afraid of Nathan?”
“Yes.”
“And you let me date his brother?”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I didn't arrange your relationship.”
“But you knew.”
“Yes.”
Vanessa turned away.
Emily watched her.
She knew Vanessa had made her own choices.
But she also saw the fear on her face.
This was bigger than an affair.
Thomas explained that Nathan had been moving distressed company assets into shell entities.
The goal was to protect them from creditors.
But Nathan had also been taking money.
Millions.
The forged signatures were necessary to make the transfers appear legitimate.
Daniel had been useful because he was Emily's husband.
Nathan assumed Emily would trust him.
He was right.
Until she didn't.
Thomas handed Emily a flash drive.
“Everything I have is on this.”
Emily stared at it.
“What is it?”
“Emails.”
“From Nathan?”
“From everyone.”
Daniel looked at the drive.
“Why give this to us?”
Thomas looked at Vanessa.
“Because I should have stopped it earlier.”
Emily took the drive.
Then she noticed something.
A folder named:
PAGE 3 — ORIGINAL
Her heart stopped.
She opened it.
There was a scan of another document.
This one wasn't a property transfer.
It was a private agreement.
Daniel's name appeared.
Emily read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
Her expression changed.
Daniel saw it.
“What?”
Emily looked at him.
“You need to read this.”
He did.
His face went white.
The agreement stated that if Daniel cooperated with Nathan, Nathan would guarantee Daniel's financial protection after the divorce.
But there was a second clause.
If Daniel refused to cooperate, Nathan would expose Daniel as the sole person responsible for the fraudulent transfers.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“He was going to sacrifice me.”
Emily nodded.
“And you let him.”
Daniel looked down.
“I thought I could control it.”
“You couldn't.”
“No.”
He finally admitted it.
May you like
“I couldn't.”
👉 Daniel had just discovered that Nathan never intended to protect him—and Emily now held the document that could prove it.
