Chapter 6: The Man Who Came Back for the Folder
Derek Shaw stepped out of the elevator wearing the same navy suit he'd worn earlier.
But he wasn't laughing anymore.
He held his phone in one hand and kept glancing toward the security officer beside him.
“I'm telling you,” he said, “I left a folder in the apartment.””
The officer remained expressionless.
“Mr. Bennett has requested that you wait here.””
Derek sighed.
“Look, this is a private family matter.””
“Then you can discuss it with Mr. Bennett.””
The elevator doors closed.
Derek adjusted his jacket.
Then he saw Marcus standing at the end of the hallway.
His face changed.
“Marcus.””
“Derek.””
“I didn't expect you to be here.””
Marcus looked at him.
“That's becoming a popular excuse tonight.””
Derek tried to smile.
“Can we talk privately?””
“No.””
Derek glanced toward the living room.
“Is Vanessa here?””
“She's inside.””
“Good. Then she'll confirm I have a folder upstairs.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“What does the folder contain?””
“Business documents.””
“Whose business?””
“Mine.””
“Then why is it in my home?””
Derek hesitated.
“Vanessa asked me to review some paperwork.””
Marcus gave him a cold look.
“Were you reviewing the paperwork that carried my forged signature?””
Derek stopped smiling.
Behind Marcus, Ethan stepped into the hallway.
“Mr. Shaw, I'm Ethan Cole. I'm acting as Mr.
Bennett's counsel. I'd advise you not to enter the residence or remove any property until the contents of the room have been documented.””
Derek looked at the attorney.
“Documented? What are you talking about?””
Ethan held up a copy of the authorization.
“Do you recognize this?””
Derek glanced at it.
Then quickly looked away.
“I've never seen that before.””
Marcus watched him.
“You sent Vanessa an email about transferring control.””
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
“Shaw Advisory Group.””
Derek's jaw tightened.
“That's a legitimate company.””
“Then you won't mind explaining why money from my daughter's trust was transferred to it.””
Derek stepped backward.
“I'm not discussing financial matters without my lawyer.””
“Good,” Ethan said.
“You should contact one.””
Derek looked at Vanessa through the open doorway.
“Vanessa?””
She didn't move.
He tried again.
“Tell him I was only helping you.””
Vanessa stared at the floor.
Marcus noticed something then.
Derek wasn't simply surprised.
He was afraid.
And Vanessa was afraid of something different.
They were no longer standing together.
They were watching each other.
Back in the living room, Ethan asked the security manager to keep Derek near the elevator while he contacted the appropriate authorities.
Marcus remained beside Lily.
She had finished half her hot chocolate. Three marshmallows floated on top, and she was carefully fishing out the last one with a spoon.
He watched her for a moment.
Then he looked toward the hallway.
“Ethan,” he called, “can you come here?””
The attorney walked over.
“What's wrong?””
“I want Lily examined tonight. And I want someone qualified to speak with her without making her feel she's in trouble.””
Ethan nodded.
“I'll arrange that.””
Lily looked up.
“Am I going to the hospital?””
Marcus immediately took her hand.
“Only if the doctor thinks you need to, sweetheart.””
“Did I do something bad?””
“No.””
“Are they going to ask me questions?””
“Maybe a few. But you can tell the truth, and you can tell them when you need a break.””
Lily hesitated.
“What if Mrs. Bennett gets angry?””
Marcus leaned closer.
“She doesn't get to decide whether you can tell the truth.””
Lily looked at him for a long moment.
Then she nodded.
Across the living room, Vanessa sat on the edge of the sofa.
She had removed her earrings and placed them beside her phone.
Her expensive dress now looked wrinkled.
“Marcus,” she said quietly.
He didn't turn.
“Not now.””
“Please.””
He glanced at Ethan, who stepped aside to give them some distance while remaining within sight.
Marcus approached the sofa.
“What?””
Vanessa looked toward Lily.
“Can we speak somewhere private?””
“No.””
Her eyes filled.
“I'm trying to apologize.””
“For what?””
“For the scene earlier.””
Marcus waited.
She looked down.
“I shouldn't have thrown the wine.””
“That's right.””
“And I shouldn't have made her clean.””
“No.””
Vanessa pressed her fingers together.
“I was stressed. Derek was difficult. The house was a mess. I wasn't thinking.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Were you thinking when you recorded her crying?””
She flinched.
“Those recordings were taken out of context.””
“Were you thinking when you forged my signature?””
“That was never going to be used without discussing it with you.””
“Were you thinking when you arranged to send her away?””
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
“I was trying to make the best decision for everyone.””
“Everyone except Lily.””
Her face crumpled.
“You don't understand what it's been like living here with her.””
Marcus looked at her in disbelief.
“She is a child, Vanessa.””
“Yes, and children can be cruel!””
“What did she do to you?””
Vanessa stared at him.
Then she gave a small, bitter laugh.
“She reminded me every day that you loved someone before me.””
Marcus went still.
“What?””
“She talked about the woman in the photographs. She wanted her old Christmas decorations. She kept asking about the things in her mother's boxes. She never accepted me.””
Marcus looked toward the Christmas tree.
“That's what this is about?””
“You married me, Marcus. I thought I would become part of your family. Instead, every room was filled with reminders of another woman and her daughter.””
“You knew I had a child when you married me.””
“I thought things would be different.””
“They were different. Lily had a new person in her life who was supposed to care about her.””
Vanessa looked away.
Marcus continued.
“You weren't required to replace her mother. You were required to treat her with kindness.””
“I did care about her.””
“Then why did she beg me not to tell you she'd been hurt?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Marcus studied her for a moment.
“You could have told me you were unhappy. You could have asked for help. You could have walked away. But you chose to make an eight-year-old child afraid of her own home.””
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“You'll regret this.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No. I regret not seeing it sooner.””
A doctor arrived shortly afterward.
She introduced herself as Dr. Helen Morris, a pediatrician who worked with the family's medical practice.
She spoke to Lily gently, asking permission before examining her knee and hands.
Marcus remained nearby, but the doctor suggested that he give Lily a little privacy for some of the questions.
He hesitated.
Lily noticed.
“Daddy, stay close.””
“I'll be right outside the door.””
She nodded.
Marcus moved into the hallway.
He could hear the doctor's calm voice, followed by Lily's soft answers.
After several minutes, Dr. Morris stepped out.
“She's physically stable,” she told Marcus.
“There are some bruises and tenderness around her knee and hands. I'll document what I observed. She also appears extremely anxious about upsetting her stepmother.””
Marcus looked down.
“Can we take her somewhere safe tonight?””
“Absolutely. She needs rest, reassurance, and a predictable environment. I would also recommend that you arrange a proper child-protection assessment.””
Marcus nodded.
“Thank you.””
Dr. Morris gave him a serious look.
“One more thing. Don't ask her to repeat her story over and over. Let trained professionals handle the documentation. Right now, she needs to know she's safe.””
Marcus thanked her again.
When he returned to the room, Lily was sitting on the bed holding her rabbit.
“Are we going home?”” she asked.
Marcus smiled softly.
“We're already home, princess.””
She glanced toward the door.
“I mean a different home.””
Marcus understood.
“We can stay somewhere else tonight if that makes you comfortable.””
Lily thought about it.
“Can I take my rabbit?””
“You can take every rabbit in this room.””
She smiled.
“Even the big one?””
“Especially the big one.””
He picked up the large stuffed bear from the corner and tucked it under his arm.
Lily laughed.
It was the first real laugh he had heard from her all evening.
And he held onto that sound.
Downstairs, Ethan was speaking with someone on the telephone.
Marcus approached him.
“What's happening?””
“The relevant agencies have been contacted. The bank has been instructed to restrict further movement from the trust account while we review the transactions. I've also asked our forensic accountant to preserve the digital records.””
“What about Derek?””
“He's agreed to wait for his lawyer. He is not being allowed into the office or near the documents.””
Vanessa stood near the fireplace, listening.
Then she suddenly spoke.
“You can't freeze my accounts.””
Ethan turned.
“I said the trust account would be restricted, Mrs. Bennett. Any personal accounts are a separate matter.””
“You know I have bills.””
“Your personal spending arrangements can be reviewed independently.””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“You're trying to leave me with nothing.””
Marcus shook his head.
“I'm trying to stop money from being taken from my daughter's trust.””
“After everything I've done for you?””
He stared at her.
“Don't make me explain what you've done to Lily again.””
Vanessa's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
Then looked toward the hallway.
Marcus noticed.
“Who is it?””
“No one.””
Her phone vibrated again.
She picked it up and walked toward the kitchen.
Marcus watched her.
Then he turned to Ethan.
“Can you stay with Lily for a moment?””
“Of course.””
Marcus followed Vanessa at a distance.
She stood beside the kitchen island, her back turned toward the living room.
Her voice was barely audible.
“I told you not to come back.””
A pause.
“No, he found the documents.””
Another pause.
Marcus stepped closer.
Vanessa lowered her voice even further.
“He has the recording.””
Her hand began to tremble.
“Don't talk to me like that. You said everything was handled.””
Marcus stepped into view.
Vanessa spun around.
The phone slipped in her hand.
“Who are you talking to?”” he asked.
“It's none of your business.””
“Put it on speaker.””
“No.””
“Then end the call.””
She pressed the screen.
But before the call disconnected, a man's voice came through.
“Vanessa, listen to me. You need to find the original file before Marcus does. The recording you showed him was only a copy.””
Marcus froze.
Vanessa stared at him.
The voice continued.
“And whatever you do, don't let him see what happened on November seventeenth.””
The call ended.
Marcus slowly looked at Vanessa.
“What happened on November seventeenth?””
She didn't answer.
He took one step closer.
“What happened that day?””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
May you like
Then, in a voice so quiet he almost couldn't hear it, she said:
“Ask Derek what happened to Lily before you came home.””
