Chapter 8 - The Forged Signature
August stared at the guardianship petition bearing his name.
"I never signed this."
Nora held it to the light. "The signature is convincing."
"Because someone has been copying it."
Victoria looked toward the window.
August caught it.
"Was the plan to take Elsie after Caroline died?"
"If Caroline was dying, the child needed stability."
"She needed family."
"Exactly."
"You mean control."
Nora pointed to the filing stamp.
"This was prepared three weeks before Caroline died."
August turned to Victoria. "How did anyone know she was dying?"
No answer.
Mason entered with a copy of Marcus's flash drive.
Nora opened it on an isolated laptop.
Invoices.
Payments.
Private investigators.
A spreadsheet labeled CUSTODY TRANSITION.
One line read:
Pediatric identity confirmation complete.
August looked at Mason. "DNA?"
Mason nodded. Someone had secretly confirmed Elsie was Caroline's daughter.
Then Nora opened an email from Victoria's account to Marcus:
Proceed only when C is no longer able to object.
Victoria stood. "That is fabricated."
"The metadata says otherwise," Nora replied.
A hidden folder opened.
Inside was a scanned letter from Caroline.
Dad, if Victoria ever tells you she was trying to save Elsie, ask her what happened to Owen Shaw.
Elsie stared at the screen.
"That's my dad."
August turned. "I thought your father died before you were born."
"Mom said he did."
Mason looked at another file.
"According to this, Owen Shaw died six months after Elsie was born."
The girl went very still.
"My mom lied?"
August reached for her hand.
May you like
"No. I think she was protecting you."
But now he needed to know from what.
