Chapter 5: The Account
David read the message twice.
Then a third time.
He looked at Jessica.
“What old bank account?””
Jessica didn't respond.
“Jessica.””
She remained silent.
David turned to Michael.
“You know?””
Michael shook his head.
“I swear I don't.””
David looked at Jasmine.
“Go upstairs.””
“No.””
“Jasmine.””
“I've been kept in the dark long enough.””
David stared at her.
She didn't move.
Finally, he nodded.
“Fine.””
He looked at Jessica.
“Tell me about the account.””
Jessica sat down slowly.
“There was an account your mother opened.””
Jasmine's heart skipped.
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“At First National.””
David frowned.
“That account was closed years ago.””
Jessica shook her head.
“No.””
David stared at her.
“Yes, it was.””
“I thought it was.””
“What do you mean?””
Jessica looked at her hands.
“Your mother had a second account.””
Jasmine stepped closer.
“My mom never told me.””
“She didn't tell many people.””
David's voice sharpened.
“Why do you know about it?””
Jessica swallowed.
“Because I found the statements.””
“When?””
“After she died.””
Jasmine stared at her.
“You went through Mom's things?””
“I was trying to organize the house.””
“You found the account.””
“Yes.””
“And what did you do?””
Jessica didn't answer.
David's face changed.
“Jessica.””
“I transferred some money.””
The room went silent.
“How much?””
“Not much.””
“How much?””
Jessica whispered a number.
Jasmine's eyes widened.
David stared at her.
“That account had over four hundred thousand dollars.””
Jessica looked away.
“I used some of it.””
“For what?””
“My son.””
David's voice became barely audible.
“You used your dead wife's money for your son?””
“I intended to put it back.””
“Did you?””
Jessica shook her head.
“No.””
Michael stepped forward.
“David, there's more.””
David turned.
Michael took a breath.
“The account wasn't just cash.””
“What else?””
“There were investment certificates.””
David's face went still.
“Worth?””
“Almost three million.””
Jasmine's knees felt weak.
“What?””
Michael nodded.
“Your mother had built the account over many years.””
David walked to the cabinet.
He opened a drawer.
Inside were old folders.
He pulled one out.
His hands trembled.
“My wife never told me.””
Jessica spoke quietly.
“She wanted Jasmine protected.””
David looked at her.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
Jessica's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
“That if Jasmine knew, she would take everything.””
Jasmine stared at her.
“You thought I'd steal my own mother's money?””
“No.””
“Yes, you did.””
Jessica shook her head.
“I thought people around you would convince you to leave.””
David slammed the folder onto the table.
“You transferred property.””
“You accessed accounts.””
“You forged or used documents you had no right to use.””
Jessica began crying.
“I was trying to make sure my son wasn't forgotten.””
David's voice broke.
“Your son was never my enemy.””
He pointed toward Jasmine.
“But you turned my daughter into one.””
Michael suddenly spoke.
“David.””
David looked at him.
“You should check the account before you blame Jessica for everything.””
“What do you mean?””
Michael reached into his pocket.
“I found something yesterday.””
He handed David a bank statement.
David looked at the date.
Then the amount.
Then the transaction history.
His face drained of color.
“What is this?””
Michael said nothing.
Jasmine stepped beside her father.
The statement showed repeated withdrawals.
Not from Jessica.
Not from her son.
Someone else had been taking money.
Small amounts at first.
Then larger ones.
And the latest transaction had happened only three days earlier.
David looked at the account number.
“This isn't the old account.””
Michael shook his head.
“No.””
“Then what is it?””
Michael pointed to the bottom of the page.
A reference number was printed there.
David stared at it.
His eyes widened.
“That number…”
“What?”” Jasmine asked.
David looked at her.
“That is the number attached to your mother's estate trust.””
Jasmine's heart pounded.
“But Mom's trust was never activated.””
“I thought it wasn't.””
Michael looked toward Jessica.
She was crying silently.
David turned to her.
“You knew.””
Jessica shook her head.
“No.””
“You knew about the trust.””
“I knew there was something.””
“You knew someone was moving money.””
“No.””
“Then why are you scared?””
Jessica looked at the statement.
Her lips trembled.
“I didn't move that money.””
David stepped closer.
“Who did?””
Jessica looked at Jasmine.
Then at Michael.
Finally, she whispered a name.
And Jasmine recognized it immediately.
It belonged to the one person they had trusted enough to handle every important document in the family.
Jessica's voice broke.
“He's the reason I thought I had to protect my son.””
David stared at her.
“Who?””
Jessica swallowed.
“Your lawyer.””
At that exact moment, David's phone rang.
The screen showed Martin's name.
David answered.
He listened for three seconds.
Then his expression changed.
Martin's voice was shaking.
“David, don't come to my office.””
“Why?””
“Because someone broke in last night.””
David stood completely still.
Then Martin whispered:
“And they weren't looking for money.””
“They were looking for one specific file.””
David tightened his grip on the phone.
“What file?””
A long silence.
Then Martin answered.
“Your wife's original trust documents.””
The call ended.
Jasmine looked at her father.
May you like
David looked at Jessica.
And suddenly, the property transfer was no longer the biggest secret in the house.
