Chapter 3: Three Million Dollars Missing
"Three million?""
Marcus repeated the words as if saying them again might somehow make them less real.
Daniel Price's voice came through the speaker.
"Three million, four hundred thousand, to be exact. The money moved through three separate accounts.""
Marcus gripped the edge of the table.
"Who authorized it?""
"Your son's credentials.""
Ethan shook his head immediately.
"No.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Daniel, freeze everything. Nobody touches another account until I get there.""
"Already done. But Marcus, there's something else.""
"What?""
"The final transfer was authorized from inside your house.""
Silence swallowed the dining room.
Ethan looked toward the security monitor.
Vanessa looked down at her phone.
Marcus slowly turned toward his wife.
"Inside this house?""
Daniel continued.
"At 8:31 p.m. The system records the device address, and it's connected to your private home network.""
Marcus looked at the clock.
It was now 9:06 p.m.
At 8:31, Ethan had been upstairs showering after returning from the gym.
Vanessa had been downstairs.
Marcus had been driving home.
"Daniel," Marcus said, "send me the transaction records. Immediately.""
"I've sent them to your secure email.""
Marcus ended the call.
Ethan stepped forward.
"Dad, I told you I didn't do it.""
Marcus didn't respond.
He opened his email and found the attached report.
Three transfers.
Three accounts.
Three separate authorization timestamps.
His eyes moved down the screen.
Then he stopped.
"The device...""
Ethan leaned closer.
"What?""
Marcus turned the phone.
The transaction report listed a device name.
Not Ethan's laptop.
Not his work phone.
A desktop computer registered to the house.
Specifically, the computer in Marcus's private study.
Ethan looked up.
"That's your computer.""
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
Vanessa stepped toward him.
"Someone could have accessed it.""
Marcus turned.
"Who has the password?""
"I don't know.""
"Who uses the study?""
"You do.""
"Who else?""
Vanessa's eyes flickered.
"Your son used to.""
Ethan shook his head.
"Not for months.""
Marcus looked toward the staircase.
The study was upstairs, directly across from the master bedroom.
He had installed a fingerprint lock six months earlier.
Only two people had authorized access.
Marcus.
And Vanessa.
He looked at her.
"Why is your fingerprint registered on my study computer?""
Vanessa's expression barely changed.
"Because you asked me to help organize your files.""
"When?""
"Months ago.""
Marcus looked back at the report.
"Then why was the transfer made tonight?""
"I don't know.""
Ethan stepped toward the table.
"Check the camera in the hallway.""
Vanessa's head snapped toward him.
"What?""
"The hallway camera. It covers the staircase and the entrance to Dad's study.""
Marcus looked at his son.
"Would it show the computer?""
"No. But it would show who entered the study around 8:31.""
Marcus hurried to the security console.
He opened the camera grid.
The hallway feed showed an empty staircase.
He dragged the timeline backward.
8:20 p.m.
A woman appeared.
Vanessa.
She was wearing a cream-colored blouse and black trousers.
Not the red dress.
She carried a small black folder and walked toward the study.
Marcus leaned closer.
The footage showed her entering the room.
At 8:27, she came out.
She looked both ways before closing the door.
Then she descended the stairs.
Ethan stared at the screen.
"That's her.""
Vanessa folded her arms.
"Of course I went into the study. I live here.""
Marcus didn't look away from the recording.
"You said you were upstairs getting ready for dinner.""
"I changed my mind.""
"At 8:20?""
"Marcus, you're making this into something it isn't.""
He selected the next camera.
The study entrance.
The footage showed Vanessa entering again at 8:29.
This time, she stayed inside for nearly six minutes.
At 8:35, she emerged.
She was holding the same black folder.
Marcus paused the recording.
"What's in that folder?""
"Personal documents.""
"Which documents?""
"My own.""
Marcus looked at her.
"Why did you need them from my study?""
Vanessa's voice sharpened.
"Because I have every right to access this house.""
Ethan pointed at the screen.
"Look at her left hand.""
Marcus zoomed in.
Vanessa was holding a small silver object.
A USB drive.
Ethan recognized it.
"That's the drive you keep in the locked drawer.""
Marcus turned.
"How do you know?""
"Because I helped you encrypt it.""
Marcus stared at the screen.
The USB drive contained backup authentication certificates and financial records for his company.
He had stored it in a locked drawer because it could be used to access sensitive financial systems.
"Vanessa," he said slowly, "why were you carrying my USB drive?""
She shook her head.
"I don't remember.""
"You don't remember?""
"I carry dozens of things around this house.""
Ethan let out a breath.
"She's lying.""
Vanessa suddenly slammed her palm against the table.
"Stop calling me a liar!""
The cash jumped slightly.
The envelope slid across the polished wood.
"You've spent six years treating me like an outsider," she continued, looking at Ethan.
"You never accepted me. You never wanted your father to be happy. You think everything belongs to you.""
Ethan stared at her.
"This isn't about whether I like you.""
"Of course it is!""
"No. It's about three million dollars.""
Marcus raised his hand.
"Enough.""
Vanessa's eyes filled again.
But this time, she didn't cry.
Instead, she walked toward the living room and picked up her handbag.
Marcus watched her.
"Where are you going?""
"Somewhere I don't have to stand here while you accuse me.""
"You're not leaving.""
She laughed without humor.
"You're going to keep me prisoner now?""
"No. I'm going to call the police.""
Vanessa stopped.
For the first time, genuine fear crossed her face.
Marcus reached for his phone.
She immediately stepped toward him.
"Don't do that.""
"Why?""
"Because you don't know what you're dealing with.""
Marcus stared at her.
"Then tell me.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"You should ask Daniel about the company.""
"I just spoke to Daniel.""
"Ask him about the offshore account.""
Marcus went still.
"What offshore account?""
Vanessa's lips tightened.
Ethan looked between them.
"What is she talking about?""
Marcus slowly lowered his phone.
"Vanessa, what offshore account?""
She took a breath.
Then she said, "The one your son has been using to move the money.""
Ethan stared at her.
"That's ridiculous.""
Vanessa opened her handbag and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
She placed it on the table.
It showed an account number, a bank name, and a list of transfers.
At the bottom was a signature.
Ethan Hale.
Marcus picked it up.
His face changed.
The signature looked exactly like Ethan's.
Ethan stepped closer.
"That's not mine.""
Marcus studied it.
"Are you sure?""
"Yes.""
"Look at it.""
"I am looking at it! I didn't sign that!""
Vanessa leaned against the table.
"You can keep defending him, Marcus. But the documents don't lie.""
Ethan took the paper from his father's hand.
He examined the signature.
Then he noticed something.
A small detail.
The signature was his.
But the date beside it was impossible.
It claimed he had opened the account four years earlier.
On that date, Ethan had been seventeen.
He had been living in another state with his mother, attending high school.
He had never even met the bank listed on the document.
"Dad," Ethan said, "this account was supposedly opened when I was seventeen.""
Marcus looked up.
"What?""
"I was living in Ohio. You know that.""
Marcus took the document back.
He stared at the date.
Vanessa quickly reached for it.
"That doesn't prove anything. He could have opened it later.""
"The bank's original records will prove when it was opened," Ethan replied.
Marcus looked at her.
"How did you get this document?""
Vanessa said nothing.
"Who gave it to you?""
Still nothing.
Ethan moved toward the security console again.
"There's one more thing we should check.""
Marcus looked exhausted.
"What now?""
"The system records when someone accesses the security archive. If someone tried to delete the footage tonight, there'll be a log.""
Vanessa suddenly dropped her handbag.
It hit the floor.
A small object rolled out.
A silver USB drive.
The same one from the hallway recording.
Marcus stared at it.
Then he looked at the paused image on the monitor.
Vanessa holding the drive.
He slowly picked it up.
"Why is this in your handbag?""
Vanessa's voice trembled.
"I found it on the stairs.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
She didn't answer.
Marcus inserted the drive into the security console.
A folder appeared.
It contained several files.
Most were encrypted.
But one was named:
*DINING_ROOM_BACKUP_2030.*
Marcus frowned.
"Why would you have a backup of the dining room camera?""
Ethan looked at the screen.
"Open it.""
Marcus clicked.
The video loaded.
It showed the dining room from a different angle.
A second camera.
One Marcus had installed but never connected to the main display.
The footage began at 7:58 p.m.
Vanessa entered carrying the stack of cash.
She placed it on the table.
Then she removed a sealed envelope from her handbag.
She opened it.
Inside were several printed documents.
She arranged them carefully.
Then she looked directly at the camera.
And spoke.
The audio was clear.
"If Marcus sees this, the boy will already be gone.""
Marcus stopped moving.
Vanessa took a step toward the console.
"Turn it off.""
Ethan leaned closer.
Onscreen, Vanessa opened her phone and made a call.
A man's voice answered.
"Is everything ready?""
Vanessa smiled.
"Almost.""
"What about the money?""
"It's in place.""
"And the boy?""
Vanessa glanced toward the staircase.
"He'll be blamed for everything.""
Marcus's face went white.
He recognized the voice.
It belonged to someone he trusted.
Someone who had worked beside him for nearly fifteen years.
Someone who knew every financial weakness in his company.
The recording continued.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
"Once Marcus signs the papers, the house and the company will both be ours.""
Ethan looked at his father.
"What papers?""
Marcus didn't answer.
He was staring at the screen.
Because the man speaking to Vanessa had just given her one final instruction.
"Don't forget," the man said.
"Tomorrow morning, Marcus must sign the transfer agreement.""
Then the recording ended.
Marcus slowly turned toward Vanessa.
"Who were you talking to?""
Vanessa's face had gone completely still.
She looked at Marcus.
Then at Ethan.
Finally, she whispered the name.
"Daniel.""
Marcus's phone began ringing again.
This time, the caller ID showed Daniel Price.
And when Marcus answered, he heard a sentence that made the blood drain from his face.
"Marcus, don't trust your wife. She's not the one who started this.""
A pause.
May you like
Then Daniel continued.
"Your son isn't the only person they've been planning to destroy.""
