Chapter 5 - The Father in the Messages
The investigators recovered the fabricated screenshots.
Simone had used a fake-message generator.
Andre's name appeared at the top.
Even his profile picture was correct.
Andre: Maya needs to stop expecting special treatment.
Andre: If she keeps acting like this, maybe Celeste's house is better for her.
Andre: Don't ruin your evening because she's crying.
Andre: The other kids earned the pizza.
Maya had been shown different screenshots over several months.
Andre read them in his attorney's conference room.
He felt physically ill.
One investigator asked, “Does your daughter know these are fake?”
“Yes.”
“Who told her?”
“I did.”
“Did she believe you?”
Andre hesitated.
“I think so.”
That answer bothered him.
Trust wasn't restored because he announced the truth once.
Simone had built her deception gradually.
Andre would have to rebuild gradually too.
The forensic review found something else.
The hidden phone had once been connected to Andre's home Wi-Fi.
Its cloud backup contained deleted photographs.
Invoices.
Bank statements.
Company login screens.
One photograph showed Maya standing outside Andre's office.
The image appeared to have been taken secretly from inside.
Beneath it, Simone had sent Darren:
She keeps watching.
Darren replied:
Then make her want out.
There it was.
The reason.
Not only jealousy.
Not only resentment.
Maya had become a witness.
Andre returned to the hotel.
Maya sat on the bed watching cartoons.
He sat beside her.
“Can I ask you something?”
She paused the television.
“When you saw Simone and Darren in my office, did they know?”
“Darren saw me.”
“What did he do?”
“He closed the door.”
“And Simone?”
“She came upstairs later.”
Maya's face changed.
“What happened?”
“She asked what I saw.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Why?”
“Because she was scary.”
Andre nodded.
“What happened after that?”
“She hugged me.”
That was not the answer he expected.
“Hugged you?”
“She said we had to stop fighting.”
Maya stared at her hands.
“Then she told me maybe I would be happier with Aunt Celeste.”
Andre understood.
Fear followed by affection.
Threat followed by rescue.
“She said Celeste wanted me.”
“Celeste does love you.”
“I know.”
“But?”
“She said you wanted me to go too.”
Andre's throat tightened.
“Maya, I never wanted you gone.”
She nodded.
Then quietly:
“Why didn't you notice?”
There was no defense worth giving.
Because he worked too much.
Because Simone always had an explanation.
Because he wanted peace.
Because believing a problem was ordinary was easier than imagining something terrible.
“I should have,” Andre said.
Maya stared at him.
“That isn't an answer.”
He almost smiled sadly.
She was right.
“I noticed pieces,” he said. “But I kept explaining them away.”
“Why?”
“Because the truth would've meant somebody I trusted was hurting you.”
Maya's eyes filled.
“So you believed her because you loved her?”
Andre took a breath.
“Yes.”
“And didn't believe me because you loved her?”
That question broke something inside him.
“I don't want to lie to you,” he said. “Sometimes I trusted her explanation more than your feelings. That was wrong.”
Maya wiped her cheek.
“Are you going to marry somebody else?”
Andre almost laughed from surprise.
“No plans.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“I don't like stepmoms.”
Andre pulled her into his arms.
For the first time, Maya hugged him back without hesitation.
His phone rang.
The forensic accountant.
Andre answered.
“We found where part of the missing money went,” she said.
“Darren?”
“Some.”
“And the rest?”
A pause.
“A house.”
Andre frowned.
“What house?”
“That's the strange part.”
She gave him an address.
Andre recognized it immediately.
It was less than ten minutes from Maya's maternal aunt Celeste.
May you like
And the property was titled solely in Simone Bennett's name.
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