Chapter 8 - The Trust Rafe Never Mentioned
Rafe hadn't told Sloane about the trust because he'd intended it as a surprise.
Now the surprise had become evidence in a conspiracy.
They met at her attorney's office the following morning.
It was the first time they'd seen each other since the night she left.
Rafe stopped in the doorway.
Sloane wore black leggings, a cream sweater, and her hair in a loose braid.
She looked exhausted.
Beautiful.
And painfully distant.
His eyes dropped to her bare left hand.
He swallowed.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Sloane indicated the chair opposite her.
“Sit down, Rafe.”
He obeyed.
Her attorney, Catherine Bell, opened a folder.
“Mr. Calder, we need to discuss the trust established for your daughter.”
Rafe nodded.
“I understand.”
Sloane studied him.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I planned to give you the documents after the baby was born.”
“You created a financial trust without discussing it with me?”
“Yes.”
“Rafe.”
“I know.”
She exhaled.
“Do you understand why this matters?”
“Because I made another decision about our family without including you.”
Her eyes softened slightly.
“Yes.”
He leaned forward.
“I established it because I wanted our daughter to have a future separate from my business.”
“How much?”
“Twenty million dollars, transferred from verified personal assets.”
Catherine examined the records.
“The trust structure appears legitimate. However, the account was targeted by a fraudulent transfer request.”
Sloane looked at Rafe.
“Who knew about it?”
“My attorney. The trustee. Malik.”
“And Tessa?”
“No.”
He hesitated.
“At least, I never told her.”
Sloane's expression changed.
“What?”
Rafe looked toward Catherine.
“I need to be completely honest.”
The attorney waited.
“Six months ago, someone accessed a restricted server containing family financial records.”
Sloane folded her arms.
“Who?”
“Tessa reported the breach.”
“And?”
“She said she believed it came from the Kesler organization.”
Sloane stared.
“Did you investigate?”
“Yes. But we never identified the person responsible.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Rafe lowered his head.
“Because I thought I could handle it.”
Sloane let out a shaky breath.
There it was again.
The same excuse.
The same pattern.
Rafe met her eyes.
“I'm not asking you to forgive me today. I just want to stop lying by omission.”
Silence settled over the office.
Finally, Sloane nodded.
“Then keep going.”
Rafe opened a second folder.
He showed her the legitimate source of the trust money and the measures being taken to protect it.
For the first time, he shared everything.
No selective details.
No reassuring half-truths.
When the meeting ended, he stood.
“Thank you for seeing me.”
Sloane hesitated.
Then took his hand.
Just for a moment.
“Thank you for telling me the truth.”
Rafe looked at their joined hands.
He didn't try to hold on when she released him.
That afternoon, Tessa called Sloane.
Her voice trembled.
“I'm sorry.”
Sloane stood beside the window.
“For what?”
“For making you feel like you were competing with me.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you stop calling him?”
Tessa began crying.
“Because I was scared. And because I knew he'd always come.”
Sloane closed her eyes.
At least it was honest.
Then Tessa whispered, “There's something else.”
“What?”
“I found my mother's original files.”
Sloane's pulse quickened.
“And?”
“The trust wasn't the first account they targeted.”
“Whose was?”
Tessa took a shaky breath.
“Yours.”
Sloane frowned.
“I don't have a trust.”
“You do.”
A silence followed.
Tessa continued.
“Your father opened it before he died.”
Sloane went cold.
“My father died when I was twelve.”
May you like
“I know.”
“And the money has been missing for sixteen years.”
