Vanessa's lips parted.

But before she could answer, Dad's phone rang.

The caller ID displayed the name of his attorney.

He answered, listened for a few seconds, and then his expression became unreadable.

When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

“Emily, don't sign anything. Not tomorrow. Not ever, until we understand what they've done.””

He ended the call.

Then he looked at Vanessa.

“Our attorney just confirmed that someone filed a preliminary transfer request against Emily's trust three weeks ago.””

My fingers tightened around my mother's letter.

Three weeks ago, I had been busy choosing flowers, tasting wedding cakes, and sending invitations.

Someone had already been trying to steal my future.

And my stepmother had been smiling in every wedding photograph.

Chapter 5: The Signature That Wasn't Mine

By midnight, the house no longer felt like home.

Dad had asked Peter to secure the documents and contact the company's legal department. Vanessa had retreated to the guest bedroom, insisting she needed time to calm down. Madison disappeared upstairs without another word.

I remained in the living room with my mother's letter spread across the coffee table.

Every few minutes, I looked at the forged signature.

It was strange to see my name transformed into evidence of something I had never agreed to do.

At 12:18 a.m., my phone buzzed.

Daniel.

How are you holding up? I can come over if you need me.

I stared at the message, suddenly desperate to hear his voice.

I called him.

He answered immediately.

“Emily? What's wrong?””

I tried to speak, but my throat closed.

“Hey,” Daniel said gently.

“Take a breath. I'm here.””

“My dress is ruined.””

Silence.

“What?””

“Madison poured dirty water all over it. Dad saw everything. And now we've discovered that Vanessa may have tried to steal my inheritance.””

“I'm coming over.””

“Daniel, it's almost one in the morning.””

“I don't care. Are you safe?””

I glanced toward the staircase.

“Yes.””

“Then unlock the front door. I'll be there in twenty minutes.””

When he arrived, he found me sitting on the living room floor with my mother's letter in my lap.

He knelt beside me and pulled me into his arms.

I cried against his shoulder until the words came out in broken pieces.

He didn't interrupt. He didn't tell me to calm down or remind me that tomorrow was supposed to be happy.

He simply held me.

When I finally finished, he picked up the forged document and examined the signature.

“Have you ever seen this company name before?””

I leaned closer.

The company was called Northbridge Holdings.

“No.””

Daniel read the registration number printed at the bottom.

“Emily, this company was incorporated recently.””

“How do you know?””

“I work in commercial property. I review corporate filings all the time. The registration number suggests it was formed less than six months ago.””

Dad, who had been standing near the study door, turned around.

“Can you verify that?””

Daniel nodded.

“If the public registry is accessible, yes. But we should let your attorney handle the legal implications.””

Dad extended his hand.

“Show me the document.””

Daniel passed it over.

Dad studied the company name.

“Northbridge Holdings,” he murmured.

“That sounds familiar.””

He disappeared into his study and returned with a thick folder.

Inside were printed reports, bank correspondence, and notes from meetings he had attended over the previous few months.

He spread the papers across the coffee table.

“Three months ago, someone approached our company about refinancing several commercial properties. The offer came through an intermediary. I rejected it because the terms were unreasonable.””

Daniel pointed at the page.

“Is that the same company?””

Dad compared the names.

“No. But the intermediary was called Northbridge Advisory.””

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.

“Could they be connected?””

“Possibly,” Daniel replied.

“But we need evidence before drawing conclusions.””

Dad nodded.

“Tomorrow morning, my attorney will investigate.””

I looked down at my wedding ring.

“Should we postpone the wedding?””

Daniel turned toward me.

“Do you want to get married tomorrow?””

“Yes.””

“Then we're getting married tomorrow.””

“But everything is falling apart.””

He took both my hands.

“Your stepmother's behavior doesn't get to decide whether we begin our life together.””

I swallowed.

“What about the dress?””

“We'll find a solution.””

For the first time that night, I smiled.

It wasn't a big smile, and it didn't last long, but Daniel noticed.

“There she is,” he whispered.

Then a sharp sound came from upstairs.

A door slammed.

Dad stood immediately.

“Stay here.””

He walked toward the staircase, but Vanessa appeared at the landing before he reached it.

She was dressed now, wearing black trousers and a blouse. A large handbag hung from her shoulder.

Dad looked at the bag.

“Where are you going?””

“To my sister's.””

“At one in the morning?””

“I need space.””

“You'll have space after you've answered our questions.””

Vanessa's eyes flashed.

“You can't keep me prisoner in my own house.””

“I'm not stopping you from leaving. I'm asking why you packed documents from my study.””

She froze.

Dad held up a small stack of papers.

“I found the empty folder in the desk. Peter says you entered the study at 9:42 p.m. on Tuesday.””

Vanessa tightened her grip on her handbag.

“I was looking for insurance information.””

“Then why is the folder missing?””

“I don't know.””

Dad stepped closer.

“Vanessa, I am giving you one chance to tell the truth.””

She laughed bitterly.

“You want the truth? Fine. I've spent seven years watching you put Emily first. Every decision, every conversation, every dollar seems to revolve around what she needs.””

I stared at her.

“That's not true.””

“Isn't it?”” she snapped.

“Your father paid for your education. He helped you buy your first car. He supported your wedding while Madison has had to fight for everything.””

“Madison has never had to fight for anything,” I said.

“You've given her everything I've ever owned.””

Vanessa's face reddened.

“You ungrateful little—”

“Enough!”” Dad shouted.

The sound echoed through the hallway.

Vanessa went silent.

Dad pointed toward the handbag.

“Put the documents on the table.””

She shook her head.

“They're mine.””

“Then you won't mind showing them to our attorney.””

For several seconds, she stood motionless.

Then she opened the bag and removed a thick envelope.

Dad took it.

Inside were copies of bank statements, company records, and a document bearing his signature.

He scanned the first page, then the second.

His face grew pale.

“What is this?””

Vanessa's expression shifted from anger to fear.

“Richard, don't read that here.””

He turned the page.

The document authorized a substantial loan secured against shares in Bennett Construction. The signature looked genuine, but the authorization had never been discussed at any board meeting Dad could remember.

Daniel leaned over his shoulder.

“Is that your signature?””

Dad stared at it.

“It looks like mine.””

“Did you sign it?””

“No.””

My stomach dropped.

Someone had forged my signature to take my inheritance.

Someone had also forged Dad's signature to borrow against the company.

And Vanessa had been carrying the documents in a handbag she intended to take out of the house.

Dad looked at her.

“How much money did you borrow?””

Vanessa began shaking her head.

“I didn't borrow anything.””

“Then why does this document say otherwise?””

She looked toward the staircase.

“Because you don't know what you're dealing with.””

Dad took out his phone.

“I'm calling the police.””

Vanessa grabbed his wrist.

“Don't! You don't understand. If you report this, they'll come after Madison, too.””

My heart lurched.

Dad slowly lowered the phone.

“Why would they come after Madison?””

Vanessa released his wrist.

Her face crumpled.

For the first time, she looked less like a woman defending herself and more like someone trapped in a nightmare of her own making.

“Because,” she whispered, “Madison was the one who delivered the original documents.””

Madison appeared at the top of the staircase.

She had heard every word.

“Mom,” she whispered.

“You promised you wouldn't tell them.””

Dad looked up at her.

“Delivered them to whom?””

Madison backed away.

Then she turned and ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door.

Vanessa covered her face.

And Dad stood in the hallway, holding the evidence that his own wife had been hiding a financial crime beneath the preparations for his daughter's wedding.

Chapter 6: The Woman Who Wanted My Mother's Life

Dad didn't call the police immediately.

Instead, he called his attorney, who instructed him to preserve every document, avoid confronting anyone further without counsel, and refrain from making accusations until the evidence could be verified.

By two in the morning, Peter had arrived again with a secure case for the papers. Dad placed the forged loan authorization inside it, along with the attempted transfer of my trust.

Vanessa sat on the living room sofa, staring at the floor.

For once, she had nothing to say.

I wanted to hate her without reservation. It would have been easier if she had been a stranger who entered our house with a plan to steal from us.

But I remembered the early days after my mother died.