Chapter 14 - The Eight Million DollarsThe foundation audit had shown that eight million dollars were missing.
Then twenty million.
Then forty.
Marcus had assumed the original figure was only the beginning of Richard's operation.
Now he wasn't sure.
He reopened every account.
Every transfer.
Every hidden trust.
Every foundation property.
At three in the morning, he found something.
A dormant account.
Opened twenty-seven years earlier.
No name.
No physical address.
Only a number.
The balance was $184 million.
Marcus stared at the screen.
"That's impossible."
I stood behind him.
"What?"
He turned the monitor toward me.
"The account has never been touched."
"Then why does it exist?"
"I don't know."
He opened the transaction history.
There were no withdrawals.
No deposits.
Nothing.
Except one automatic transfer scheduled every ten years.
The next transfer was due tomorrow.
Marcus's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a woman's voice whispered:
"Don't let the transfer happen."
Marcus froze.
"Who is this?"
"You know who I am."
"Evelyn?"
Silence.
Then:
"Your father wasn't trying to steal the money."
Marcus looked at me.
"What was he doing?"
"Protecting it."
"From whom?"
"You."
Marcus's expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
"The money belongs to someone else."
"Who?"
The line went dead.
Marcus immediately contacted the bank.
The transfer was scheduled for 9:00 a.m.
He ordered a freeze.
The bank refused.
"Why?"
"Because the account isn't owned by the Cole Foundation."
"Then who owns it?"
The banker hesitated.
"It's registered to a minor."
Marcus stared.
"What's the name?"
The banker answered.
"Lily Carter."
I felt the world stop.
Marcus turned toward me.
I couldn't speak.
My daughter was four years old.
She had never opened a bank account.
She had never signed anything.
She didn't even understand money.
Yet someone had placed $184 million in her name.
And then Lily walked into the room.
She looked at the screen.
May you like
Then smiled.
"That's my money."
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