Chapter 7 - THE EIGHT MONTHS THEY STOLE FROM US
I didn't scream when Rachel told me Benjamin was dead.
I simply sat down.
Five years and four months.
That meant he had survived for approximately eight months after his disappearance.
Eight months during which I believed he was gone.
Eight months during which he might have wondered whether I was safe.
Whether I had given birth.
Whether our daughter had his eyes.
Adrian stood several feet away.
For once, he looked like a man who understood that money could not repair what had been taken.
“I want the records,” I whispered.
Rachel nodded.
“We're arranging their release through the proper process.”
“I want to know how he died.”
“We'll find out what the records establish.”
Then I looked at Adrian.
“And I want to know who kept him from coming home.”
His expression hardened.
“So do I.”
The next two days were unbearable.
I still fed Mia breakfast.
Helped her brush her hair.
Listened to her tell me about the imaginary adventures of Captain Peanut.
But every time I looked at her, I imagined Benjamin doing those things beside me.
The doctors' records eventually arrived through counsel.
They confirmed that the patient admitted as Daniel Ward had suffered severe injuries before his first hospitalization.
He had undergone extensive rehabilitation and experienced significant complications.
The medical documentation described his final illness, although the circumstances that caused his original injuries remained under investigation.
Then I saw something that nearly broke me.
A note entered by a nurse.
Patient repeatedly requests contact with wife, Elena, and asks whether his child has been born.
I covered my mouth.
He had been asking for us.
While I stood at his supposed grave, he had been asking for me.
A second note appeared two months later.
Patient shown photograph of infant daughter. Became visibly emotional.
I stared at the words.
Mia.
Someone had shown Benjamin a picture of Mia.
I turned toward Rachel.
“Who?”
She checked the visitor log.
One name appeared.
Daniel Price.
The former security chief who had supposedly died overseas.
He had visited the Pennsylvania facility four times.
On the final visit, he was accompanied by Victor Kane.
I felt sick.
Then Gabriel discovered another document.
A private account created during the same period.
Its beneficiary was identified as a minor child.
Mia Hayes.
My daughter.
The account held nearly seven million dollars.
At first, I couldn't understand it.
“Did Benjamin leave this for her?”
Rachel studied the records.
“Not necessarily. The money appears to have come from entities associated with the disputed foundation transfers.”
My stomach tightened.
“Then why use Mia's name?”
Adrian looked toward Gabriel.
His expression had become cold.
“Because Victor needed somewhere to place money that wouldn't immediately point back to him.”
Gabriel nodded.
“And if the investigation eventually reached the account, he could claim Benjamin's family benefited from the theft.”
I stared at the document.
My six-year-old daughter had been turned into part of an elaborate financial disguise.
Then Rachel examined the trust agreement.
The listed trustee was me.
Elena Hayes.
My signature appeared on the final page.
I had never seen the document before.
Another forged signature.
Then Gabriel opened an internal memorandum attached to the account.
It had been prepared by Victor's attorney.
The memo discussed possible steps if the foundation's financial activities became public.
One section concerned my ability to manage Mia's assets.
Another discussed petitioning for an independent guardian if I were accused of misusing funds.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Victor wants to take my daughter?”
Rachel remained careful.
“The memo suggests someone considered using a financial accusation to challenge your authority. It doesn't mean a court would grant such a petition.”
But the intention was clear enough.
Victor hadn't simply used Benjamin.
He had created documents that could be used against me and Mia if the truth emerged.
Then Adrian's phone vibrated.
A message from Victor.
I hear you've been asking questions about the Hayes family.
Adrian stared at the screen.
Another message followed.
You should have left the past buried.
Then a photograph arrived.
Mia sitting in the mansion's garden that afternoon.
Someone had taken it from outside the security perimeter.
May you like
Beneath the photograph were six words.
Tell Elena to return my property.
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