Chapter 6: The Price of Being His Daughter
At eight the next morning, I sat across from Thomas Whitaker in his downtown Hartford office, still wearing the wedding ring Ethan had given me.
The ceremony had never happened.
The flowers were gone, the orchestra had been paid a cancellation fee, and the guests had returned to their hotels with stories they would probably tell for years.
But I wasn't thinking about the wedding anymore.
I was thinking about the house.
The letter.
And the man who had spent eight months convincing me that he had returned because he loved me.
Thomas spread the original documents across his desk.
He wore a charcoal suit and narrow glasses, and he handled each page as carefully as if it might crumble beneath his fingers.
"These are extremely important," he said.
"The original agreement establishes that Darius acknowledged Elaine's ownership of the house. The repayment arrangement also contradicts the claim that she transferred the property to cancel a debt.""
I leaned forward.
"Can we prove the transfer agreement is false?""
"We can challenge its authenticity. The copied signature is a significant issue, but we'll need a qualified document examiner and the original filing records.""
"How long will that take?""
"That depends on the county's response and whether Darius contests the challenge.""
I exhaled.
"So he can keep claiming the house while everyone investigates?""
"He can make the claim. That doesn't mean he owns the property. We'll seek to prevent any further transfer while the dispute is resolved.""
Ethan sat beside me, his hand resting on my knee.
"What about the money Marcus lent him?"" he asked.
Thomas adjusted his glasses.
"That's a separate matter. The loan agreement is signed, and the payment records support it. Marcus may have grounds to recover the money, depending on the terms and any applicable deadlines.""
I stared at the documents.
Marcus had paid Darius's rent, covered his debts, and helped him appear successful enough to approach me.
Now Darius might have to repay him.
"Did Marcus know about the property in Boston?"" I asked.
Thomas shook his head.
"Not according to the records I have.""
I slid the photograph across the desk.
"This was in my mother's box. She wrote that it was where the missing money went.""
Thomas studied the image.
"Do you know the address?""
I gave it to him.
He typed it into his computer, then frowned.
"This building is registered to a limited liability company.""
"Does Darius own the company?""
"Possibly. I would need to examine the corporate records before confirming that.""
I remembered the email Darius had sent Marcus.
I can't approach her looking like a failure.
The sentence made me feel physically ill.
"Was he using the money my mother inherited to buy this building?""
"We cannot conclude that from this photograph alone," Thomas replied.
"But if the financial records connect the funds to the property, it could explain why your mother retained the letter.""
He folded his hands.
"Nia, I need to ask you something. Did Darius ever discuss your mother's estate with you?""
I shook my head.
"He told me she kept us apart. He said he had spent years trying to find me.""
"Did he provide any evidence?""
"Old photographs. Birthday cards he said he'd written. He told me he'd tried to contact me through relatives.""
"Did you see the cards?""
"No. He said he'd kept them for himself.""
Thomas exchanged a glance with Ethan.
"Did you know that Marcus had helped him before he contacted you?""
"No.""
"Did Darius tell you that he had been living in Boston for the last several years?""
"Yes. He said he was running a property management business.""
Thomas made a note.
"That may be relevant.""
I stared at him.
"Relevant to what?""
"His financial circumstances, his motive for claiming the house, and whether his statements to you were part of a deliberate attempt to gain access to your inheritance.""
The word deliberate echoed in my mind.
I had wanted to believe Darius's return was a miracle.
Maybe it had been a calculation.
"What do I do now?"" I asked.
"First, preserve every message and document. Don't delete anything. Don't sign anything he gives you. Second, avoid discussing the evidence with him until we've secured the relevant records.""
"And Marcus?""
"Your stepfather should preserve his loan agreement and payment records. He should also avoid making informal arrangements with Darius.""
I nodded.
Thomas slid a business card across the desk.
"If Darius contacts you, call me.""
As we stood to leave, I hesitated.
"Mr. Whitaker, did my mother ever say why she wanted me to wait until I was twenty-five?""
He looked at me for a long moment.
"She believed that by then, you would be old enough to understand that loving someone doesn't require you to trust every word they say.""
I swallowed.
"She knew I might choose him.""
"She knew you might want to.""
He walked us to the door.
"Your mother wasn't trying to control your future, Nia. She was trying to make sure your future belonged to you.""
Outside the office, Ethan took my hand.
"What are you thinking?""
I looked at the city street.
"I'm thinking about all the times I told Marcus he didn't understand what it meant to have a real father.""
Ethan squeezed my fingers.
"You were wrong about that.""
"I know.""
"And you're allowed to be wrong without spending the rest of your life punishing yourself.""
I looked at him.
"Do you still want to marry me?""
His expression softened.
"Yes.""
"Even after all this?""
"Especially after all this. But I want us to get married because we choose each other, not because we feel obligated to finish a wedding we've already paid for.""
I laughed through my tears.
"That sounds reasonable.""
"I'm occasionally capable of being reasonable.""
We were halfway to the parking garage when my phone rang.
Darius.
I stopped walking.
Ethan looked at the screen.
"Do you want to answer?""
I hesitated, then accepted the call.
"What do you want?""
His voice was sharp.
"Where are you?""
"Why?""
"Because I went to Marcus's house this morning, and he's refusing to speak to me.""
"Perhaps he doesn't want to speak to the man who tried to take his daughter's inheritance.""
Darius exhaled sharply.
"So you've been talking to the attorney.""
"Yes.""
"Then you know the situation is more complicated than you think.""
"I know you submitted a transfer agreement using Mom's signature.""
"I submitted a document I believed was legitimate.""
"You believed a document signed by a dead woman three weeks ago was legitimate?""
Silence.
Then he said, "You don't understand how legal estates work.""
"I understand that Mom left me the house.""
"Your mother made promises to me.""
"She also kept a letter in which you admitted you had hidden her money.""
His breathing changed.
"What letter?""
I glanced at Ethan.
He shook his head slightly, reminding me of Thomas's warning.
I had already said too much.
"That's not your concern," I replied.
Darius's voice hardened.
"Listen carefully, Nia. I have spent years trying to get my life back. I lost your mother, I lost my daughter, and I lost everything I worked for. I'm not going to let Marcus take the last thing I have.""
"The house isn't yours.""
"Your mother owed me.""
"For what?""
"For years of my life! For the money I put into our marriage! For the fact that I was your father before Marcus ever met you!""
I closed my eyes.
"Being my biological father doesn't give you ownership of my home.""
"Your home?"" he repeated bitterly.
"You wouldn't even have a home if Marcus hadn't decided to play savior.""
I felt something inside me go still.
"You're right. He did give me a home.""
Darius said nothing.
"He gave me a home when you left. He gave me a home when Mom died. He gave me a home when I couldn't sleep because I was afraid of losing the only parent I had left.""
My voice trembled.
"And yesterday, I made him feel like none of that mattered.""
Darius interrupted.
"Don't turn this into a speech about Marcus.""
"Why not? You're the one who keeps bringing him up.""
"Because he has manipulated you!""
"No. You have.""
The words came out quietly.
But they landed.
Darius went silent.
I continued.
"You told me you were successful. You told me you had spent years trying to find me. You told me you wanted to be my father. But you borrowed money from Marcus before you contacted me, and now you're trying to take a house that Mom left to me.""
"I came back because I missed you.""
"Then why did you need Marcus to pay your debts?""
"Because I needed help!""
"And why did you tell me you owned your apartment?""
"Because I was ashamed!""
I stared at the pavement.
For a moment, I felt sorry for him.
I could hear the desperation in his voice. I could imagine the humiliation of returning to a daughter who had grown up without him, knowing another man had taken the place he had abandoned.
But sympathy wasn't the same as trust.
"I can understand being ashamed," I said.
"I can understand needing help. What I can't understand is why you keep lying when the truth would be enough.""
His voice dropped.
"Because the truth makes me look like a failure.""
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
Not a confession of love.
Not an apology.
A confession of fear.
"You should have told me," I whispered.
"And what would you have done? Invited me into your life if I'd told you I was broke? Introduced me to your fiancé if I'd admitted I was living off borrowed money?""
"I might have.""
He laughed bitterly.
"No, you wouldn't have.""
"You don't know that.""
"I know people, Nia. I know how they look at men who have nothing.""
I thought of Marcus.
He had never needed expensive gifts to prove he loved me.
He had never needed a successful business or a polished story.
He had simply shown up.
"Maybe you should have tried being honest before deciding what I would think of you.""
Darius was silent for a long time.
Then he said, "I need you to do something for me.""
I almost laughed.
"Of course you do.""
"Withdraw the challenge against the house. Let the transfer stand. Once the property is in my name, I can sell it, repay Marcus, and start over.""
I stopped breathing.
"You want me to give you the house?""
"Temporarily.""
"That's not how ownership works.""
"I'll put it in writing.""
"No.""
"Nia, please. I wouldn't ask if I had another option.""
I looked at Ethan.
He was watching me with a troubled expression.
Darius lowered his voice.
"If you help me now, I can finally become the father you deserve.""
I felt tears rise again, but this time I didn't let them fall.
"You don't get to buy your way into being my father.""
"I am your father.""
"Then act like one.""
I ended the call.
For several seconds, I stood motionless.
Then my phone buzzed with a new message.
It was from Darius.
A photograph.
The image showed a document spread across a desk. At the bottom was a signature that looked disturbingly similar to my mother's.
The caption read:
Your mother promised me this house before she died. Ask Marcus what he knows.
I stared at the photograph.
Ethan leaned closer.
"Is that the transfer agreement?""
"I don't know.""
I zoomed in.
The document was dated five years earlier, shortly before my mother died.
Beneath the signature was a witness statement.
The witness's name was clearly printed.
*Marcus Bennett.*
My heart began to pound.
I had just promised myself I would stop believing Darius without evidence.
But now there was a document bearing Marcus's name.
A document dated five years earlier.
A document that appeared to show he had witnessed my mother's signature on an agreement transferring the house to Darius.
I called Thomas immediately.
He answered on the second ring.
"Nia?""
"Darius just sent me a photograph of another document. It claims my mother transferred the house to him before she died, and Marcus witnessed it.""
There was a pause.
"Do not respond to him," Thomas said.
"Send me the image.""
I forwarded it.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then I heard Thomas typing.
"There's something strange about this document," he said.
"What?""
"The witness statement.""
I gripped the phone.
"What about it?""
"Marcus's signature appears to have been copied from the acknowledgment he signed three weeks ago.""
My stomach dropped.
"So Darius fabricated it?""
"I can't confirm that without examining the original. But if the signature was copied, that would be extremely serious.""
I looked at Ethan.
He had gone pale.
Thomas continued.
"Nia, I need to ask you something. Did Darius tell you where he obtained this document?""
"No.""
"Then we need to find out.""
I looked at the photograph again.
My mother's signature.
Marcus's name.
The date.
And a clause at the bottom that I hadn't noticed before.
It stated that the house would become Darius's property upon my twenty-fifth birthday.
My birthday had been six weeks ago.
Which meant Darius hadn't simply returned to reclaim a place in my life.
May you like
He had returned just before the deadline he believed would make him the owner of my mother's house.
And when I chose him over Marcus at my wedding, I had unknowingly handed him the perfect opportunity to take it.
