Chapter 6 - Kevin's EmergencyThe Brother They Always Protected
Kevin called me that night.
"Where are you?"
I looked at my security camera feed.
His truck was parked at the curb.
"Why?"
"I need to talk."
"No."
"Madison, please."
"You should've thought of that before using my identity."
"I'm not the one who did it."
I paused.
"What?"
"I'm serious."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I didn't know."
"Then who did?"
Silence.
"Kevin."
He exhaled.
"Come outside."
"No."
"Please."
I watched him walk toward my porch.
He looked different.
No expensive jacket.
No designer watch.
No smug smile.
He looked terrified.
I opened the door but didn't invite him in.
He stopped three feet away.
"I didn't know about the documents."
"Did you know about the company?"
"Carter Holdings?"
"Yes."
He looked down.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"About two years."
I felt something inside me crack.
"My father said it was your company."
"It's not."
"Then whose is it?"
Kevin looked at me.
"Grandma's."
I stared.
"That's what Aunt Diane said."
Kevin swallowed.
"She left it."
"To me?"
He nodded.
"Then why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because Dad moved the assets."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
I stepped closer.
"Kevin, I know about the $420,000."
His face went pale.
"Who told you?"
"Aunt Diane."
He closed his eyes.
"God."
"So it was true."
"My business wasn't supposed to take all of it."
"But it did."
"Dad said he'd fix it."
"With my house."
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
I whispered, "How bad is it?"
He sat on the porch step.
"Very."
"How much do you owe?"
"About $312,000."
"That's the number on the document."
"Yes."
"Who do you owe?"
"A private lender."
"Why not a bank?"
"I couldn't qualify."
"Why?"
He laughed bitterly.
"Because I was already underwater."
I studied him.
"What happened to Grandma's money?"
"I lost some."
"How much?"
"Most."
"You lost $420,000?"
"No."
He looked up.
"I was given access to about $180,000."
"Where did the rest go?"
He stared at the floor.
"Dad."
My voice hardened.
"He took it."
I froze.
"What?"
"Kevin?"
"Dad took the rest."
"For what?"
"I don't know."
"You expect me to believe Dad took Grandma's money?"
"I saw the transfers."
"Where?"
"His computer."
I stepped back.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Dad threatened me."
My heart pounded.
"With what?"
"He said he'd make sure my wife found out everything."
"Everything?"
Kevin laughed once.
"There are things you don't know about Dad either."
"What things?"
He looked at my house.
Then at me.
"The land."
"What about it?"
"Grandma didn't just own the land."
He lowered his voice.
"She had already signed it over to you."
I stared.
"When?"
"Months before she died."
"Then how did the Whitmans own it?"
"They didn't."
My breath caught.
"Then who sold it to me?"
Kevin looked toward the street.
"The person who bought it from Dad."
"Who?"
Kevin stood.
"You need to check the original deed."
"I already did."
"No."
He shook his head.
"Check the recording history."
"Why?"
"Because your house was transferred three times in six months."
My blood ran cold.
"That isn't possible."
"It happened."
"Why?"
"To make you think you were buying a clean property."
I stared at him.
"Who was the final seller?"
Kevin didn't answer.
Instead, he said:
"Madison, somebody didn't just want your house."
May you like
He looked directly into my eyes.
"They needed you to buy it."
Related Stories
