Chapter 4 - Richard’s Envelope
At the hospital, doctors examined Rebecca and the unborn baby.
The baby appeared unharmed.
Rebecca had a fractured rib, a sprained wrist, and bruising across her face and arm.
Emma refused to leave her side.
Richard sat near the window.
For the first time since arriving, he looked uncertain.
Rebecca remembered Trevor’s final words.
“Why did you come to the house?”
Richard hesitated.
“I wanted to see you.”
“You had not visited in eleven months.”
“I called.”
“Trevor said you stopped trying.”
Her father’s jaw tightened.
“I called every week.”
Rebecca stared at him.
“I never received those calls.”
“Trevor answered twice. He said you did not want contact.”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
Trevor had told her Richard considered her an embarrassment.
He said her father resented the marriage and wanted nothing to do with Emma.
Richard reached into his suit jacket and removed a sealed envelope.
“I came because of this.”
Inside was a financial audit of Hayes Construction, Trevor’s company.
Richard’s investment firm had discovered suspicious transfers involving Rebecca’s inheritance.
More than $3.8 million had been removed from an account requiring her personal authorization.
Rebecca stared at the signature forms.
“That is not my signature.”
“I know.”
The transfers had paid Trevor’s company debts, gambling losses, and a private property registered to another woman.
Rebecca felt dizzy.
“He told me the inheritance was still untouched.”
Richard showed her another page.
Trevor had recently increased Rebecca’s life-insurance policy to $8 million.
He was the sole beneficiary.
The change occurred three weeks after Rebecca announced her pregnancy.
Richard’s voice became quiet.
“I did not come because of the money.”
May you like
He looked at the monitors surrounding his daughter.
“I came because I believed you might be in danger.”
