Chapter 7 - WHY EMILY WAS CHOSEN
By sunrise, Daniel knew almost everything.
But one question remained.
Why Emily?
There were fourteen employees in the mansion.
Three had access to private rooms.
Two had worked for the Ashford family longer than Emily.
Yet Vanessa had copied Emily’s identification.
Used Emily’s name.
Entered Emily’s bedroom.
Forced Emily to carry the handbag.
And planted the necklace where everyone would find it.
The answer came from a file Emily had almost forgotten.
Six months earlier, she had applied for an apartment.
The landlord required employment verification.
Vanessa had volunteered to fax Emily’s paperwork.
Daniel retrieved the copy from the office computer.
There it was.
Emily’s Social Security information.
Her driver’s license.
Her signature.
Her previous address.
Everything Vanessa needed to construct false records.
Emily stared at the screen.
“She had this for six months.”
Daniel nodded.
“She chose you long before you found the envelope.”
Emily felt sick.
Margaret sat silently nearby.
For the first time since the party, she looked older than her sixty-two years.
Daniel turned toward her.
“Did you know Vanessa was using Emily’s identity?”
“No.”
“Did you know about the forged stock documents?”
“No.”
“Did you know about the foundation money?”
Margaret hesitated.
Daniel already had his answer.
“You knew some of it.”
“I knew she moved money.”
“How much?”
“I thought it was temporary.”
Daniel laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“Temporary theft?”
Margaret looked away.
“I believed the merger would replace everything.”
Emily finally understood Margaret’s role.
She had agreed to one lie.
Then another.
Then another.
Each time Vanessa had promised it was temporary.
Each time Margaret had stepped deeper into the scheme.
Daniel leaned against the desk.
“Why?”
Margaret stared at her son.
“Because Ashford Development was losing money.”
Daniel froze.
Margaret continued.
“Your father left problems you never knew about.”
“Loans.”
“Guarantees.”
“Properties that were overvalued.”
“The merger was supposed to save us.”
Daniel’s anger shifted into shock.
“You hid all of this from me?”
“I was trying to protect the family.”
Vanessa had discovered the weakness.
Then she had offered a solution.
Move foundation money temporarily.
Manipulate the trust.
Use pledged shares to secure bridge financing.
Make the merger happen before Daniel discovered the truth.
Emily was supposed to become the scapegoat if anything collapsed.
A poor housekeeper.
A planted necklace.
Forged signatures.
A copied ID.
An easy story.
Daniel looked at Emily.
“They built an explanation around you.”
Emily’s eyes filled, but her voice remained steady.
“Because they thought my word was worth less than theirs.”
May you like
Margaret lowered her eyes.
Nobody contradicted Emily.
