Chapter 3 - What They Never Knew I Owned
Daniela stared at the screen until the words stopped looking real.
OWNER OF RECORD:
Mercer Residential Holdings LLC.
Not Adrian.
Not Celeste.
Not Daniela.
An LLC.
She looked toward the dining room.
“Who owns Mercer Residential Holdings?”
Celeste’s face tightened.
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
Daniela held up her phone.
“The house is owned by an LLC.”
Adrian walked toward her.
“That’s impossible.”
“Look.”
He took the phone.
Daniela watched him read.
“No.”
He enlarged the document.
“This must be old.”
“It was recorded eighteen months ago.”
Vanessa came closer.
“What happened eighteen months ago?”
Celeste said nothing.
Daniela remembered.
Eighteen months earlier, the roof had leaked.
The insurance company had requested ownership documents.
Celeste told Daniela she would handle the claim.
Two weeks later, Celeste asked Daniela for fourteen thousand dollars to cover “the deductible and emergency repairs.”
Daniela had transferred the money.
“Celeste,” Daniela said quietly. “Who owns the LLC?”
Celeste folded her arms.
“The family.”
“Which family?”
“This is none of your concern.”
Daniela laughed.
For the first time that day, she actually laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because the answer was absurd.
“I paid property expenses on a house owned by a company you won’t identify, and that’s none of my concern?”
“You lived here.”
“So did you.”
“It is my family home.”
“Then why hide the owner?”
Adrian looked at his mother.
“I asked you a question.”
Celeste’s expression hardened.
“You are not going to interrogate me in my own home.”
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Apparently it might not be your home either.”
Celeste shot her a look.
Daniela’s phone vibrated again.
Same sender.
Another attachment.
This time it was a corporate filing.
Daniela opened it.
Mercer Residential Holdings LLC.
Registered manager:
Celeste Mercer.
Member information was not public.
But the registered mailing address caught Daniela’s attention.
It was not the house.
It was the office address of Harper & Cole Accounting.
She knew that firm.
Adrian’s father had used it.
More importantly, Daniela’s own company had used the same accounting firm during a merger consultation two years earlier.
She knew someone there.
Daniela called.
A woman answered after three rings.
“Harper & Cole.”
“Renee? It’s Daniela Reyes.”
A pause.
“Daniela?”
“Yes.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I need to ask something unusual.”
She glanced at Celeste.
“Do you know Mercer Residential Holdings?”
Renee became cautious.
“I can’t discuss client information.”
“I understand. I’m not asking for confidential records. I received a public filing showing your office as the mailing address.”
Another pause.
“Where did you get that?”
“Anonymous email.”
Renee exhaled.
“Daniela, you should get an attorney.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“I really can’t say.”
“Renee.”
“I’m serious.”
Daniela lowered her voice.
“Did you know I’ve been paying expenses on that property?”
Silence.
Then:
“I didn’t.”
Something in Renee’s tone changed.
Daniela heard keyboard clicks.
“Daniela, don’t sign anything.”
“I’m not signing anything.”
“And don’t transfer any more money.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“I need to call someone.”
“Who?”
“I can’t say yet.”
The line disconnected.
Adrian stared.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know.”
Celeste suddenly picked up her phone.
Daniela saw her typing rapidly.
“Who are you messaging?” Vanessa asked.
“No one.”
“Mom.”
Celeste put the phone into her handbag.
Daniela watched closely.
Too fast.
Too nervous.
Adrian stepped toward her.
“Give me your phone.”
Celeste laughed.
“You have lost your mind.”
“Maybe.”
“Adrian.”
“Who owns the LLC?”
“I told you. The family.”
“Then show me.”
“I don’t have to show you anything.”
He stared at her.
For years Adrian had avoided challenging his mother.
Daniela had once mistaken that for respect.
Now it looked more like conditioning.
Celeste knew exactly how far she could push him.
But something had changed.
The trust had cracked the foundation.
The deed had widened it.
Adrian reached for his own phone.
“I’m calling Dad’s old attorney.”
Celeste moved toward him.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
“Why?”
“Because there are things you don’t understand.”
“Then explain them.”
Celeste’s voice dropped.
“Your father was not the man you think he was.”
Vanessa went still.
Adrian’s expression darkened.
“Don’t do that.”
“It’s true.”
“Every time you get cornered, you blame someone who isn’t here.”
Celeste flinched.
Daniela noticed.
That sentence had hit something real.
Adrian continued.
“Dad is dead. He can’t answer.”
Celeste’s eyes filled with tears.
Not theatrical tears.
Daniela knew the difference.
These were real.
But real tears did not guarantee truth.
“Your father made decisions,” Celeste whispered.
“What decisions?”
“He moved assets.”
“Why?”
“To protect them.”
“From what?”
Celeste looked at Daniela.
That bothered her.
“From what?” Adrian repeated.
Celeste’s gaze remained on Daniela.
“From her.”
Daniela felt the room tilt.
Adrian turned.
“What?”
Celeste pointed.
“Your father knew exactly who she was.”
Daniela stared.
“I met your father twice.”
“Exactly.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Celeste’s breathing quickened.
“You think your marriage happened by accident?”
Daniela looked at Adrian.
He appeared as confused as she was.
Celeste continued.
“You think he didn’t investigate the woman his son was going to marry?”
Daniela’s patience vanished.
“Say what you mean.”
Celeste opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
Daniela saw the caller ID.
Renee Harper.
Celeste rejected the call.
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniela’s phone rang.
Renee.
Daniela answered immediately.
“Renee?”
“I need you to listen carefully.”
“What happened?”
“I called my senior partner. We reviewed an old file.”
Daniela gripped the phone.
“What file?”
“The Mercer property.”
Everyone was watching her.
Renee continued.
“There was a capital contribution made to Mercer Residential Holdings eighteen months ago.”
“How much?”
“A little over one hundred and ninety thousand dollars.”
Daniela felt the air leave her lungs.
That number was close to the total she had calculated.
“From whom?”
Renee hesitated.
“That’s the problem.”
“Tell me.”
“The money came from an account connected to you.”
Daniela turned toward Celeste.
Celeste looked away.
“I never invested in that company.”
“I know.”
“How could money from my account become a capital contribution?”
“We’re trying to determine that.”
Adrian stepped closer.
Daniela put the call on speaker.
Renee’s voice filled the room.
“Daniela, did you ever sign a reimbursement waiver relating to household expenses?”
“No.”
“A spousal contribution agreement?”
“No.”
“Any document assigning household payments as capital contributions?”
“No.”
Celeste closed her eyes.
Renee continued.
“Then you need legal counsel immediately.”
Adrian looked at Daniela.
“What does this mean?”
Renee answered.
“It may mean Mrs. Reyes has a financial interest in the property company.”
Daniela’s heartbeat thundered.
Celeste spoke suddenly.
“No.”
Renee heard her.
“Celeste?”
“You are violating confidentiality.”
“I’m stating general legal implications based on Daniela’s own payments.”
“You will regret this.”
Renee’s voice became cold.
“Is that a threat?”
Celeste hung up by reaching for Daniela’s phone.
Daniela pulled it back.
“Don’t touch me.”
Celeste stepped away.
Adrian looked between them.
“You used her money.”
“I used household funds.”
“Her funds.”
“She was your wife!”
Daniela stared.
Celeste realized what she had admitted.
Vanessa whispered, “Oh my God.”
Daniela’s anger became quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
“You took payments I made for specific bills and represented them as contributions to your LLC?”
Celeste shook her head.
“That is not what happened.”
“Then what happened?”
“You benefited from living here.”
“I paid to live here.”
“You were family.”
“You said five minutes ago I never would be.”
Celeste had no answer.
Daniela picked up the folder.
She removed the invoice copies.
For years she had treated them like proof of generosity.
Now they looked different.
Evidence.
Adrian stepped beside her.
“I’ll fix this.”
Daniela looked at him.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t even know who owned your house.”
He flinched.
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
She softened slightly.
“But right now, I need someone who understands this.”
Her phone buzzed.
Renee had texted a name.
Maya Chen.
Attorney.
Financial litigation.
Daniela called.
Maya answered quickly.
“Ms. Reyes?”
“Renee gave you my number?”
“She did.”
Daniela looked at Celeste.
“Yes.”
“Do you have copies of your bank statements?”
“All four years.”
“Receipts?”
“Yes.”
“Tax records?”
“Yes.”
“Any communications discussing what the payments were for?”
Daniela thought.
Emails.
Texts.
Contractor messages.
“Yes.”
“Good. Do not leave the originals in that house.”
Daniela’s eyes moved toward her document box.
Already packed.
“I won’t.”
“And one more thing.”
“What?”
“Do not agree to any private family settlement tonight.”
Daniela almost smiled.
“That won’t be a problem.”
Maya paused.
“Why?”
“Because I’m leaving.”
“Good.”
Daniela ended the call.
Celeste scoffed.
“So now you’re suing us.”
Daniela lifted her suitcase.
“I haven’t decided anything.”
“You called a lawyer.”
“You gave me a reason.”
Adrian moved toward her.
“Daniela, please.”
She looked at him.
He seemed different from the man who had pointed at the door.
Smaller somehow.
Not because he had lost power.
Because he had finally discovered how little power he ever had.
“I need space,” she said.
“Where will you stay?”
“I told you. I have somewhere.”
“Can I call you?”
“Yes.”
Celeste snapped, “Adrian!”
He ignored her.
Daniela noticed.
That was new too.
Vanessa hugged Daniela unexpectedly.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniela froze.
Vanessa stepped back.
“For all of it.”
Daniela nodded.
Then she walked outside.
The movers had finished loading the truck.
Her car waited behind it.
Daniela placed her handbag on the passenger seat.
For the first time in hours, she was alone.
She closed the door.
Her hands trembled.
Only then.
Only after she had left.
She allowed herself thirty seconds.
Then she started the engine.
Her temporary apartment was fifteen minutes away.
A furnished two-bedroom unit belonging to her friend Monica, who had moved overseas for six months.
Daniela had agreed to rent it quietly after a particularly vicious argument with Celeste three weeks earlier.
At the time, she told herself it was insurance.
Now it was refuge.
She reached the building.
The movers unloaded.
Daniela signed the paperwork.
By seven that evening, she was sitting on the floor beside three boxes, eating takeout noodles from a paper container.
Her phone had seventeen missed calls.
Nine from Adrian.
Four from Vanessa.
Three from unknown numbers.
One from Celeste.
Daniela ignored all of them.
Then a text appeared from Maya.
I pulled the LLC filing history. We need to meet first thing tomorrow.
Daniela replied:
How bad?
The typing dots appeared.
Stopped.
Appeared again.
Finally:
There is a document with your signature on it.
Daniela stared at the screen.
She typed:
I never signed anything.
Maya answered.
I know. That’s why you need to see it.
Daniela set the noodles aside.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then she answered.
“Hello?”
A man spoke quietly.
“Ms. Reyes, my name is Samuel Ortiz. I worked for Adrian’s father.”
Daniela sat straighter.
“What do you want?”
“To tell you why Celeste was afraid of the Hawthorne account.”
Daniela’s pulse accelerated.
Samuel continued.
“But first, you need to understand something.”
“What?”
“Your husband’s father didn’t create that trust for Adrian and Vanessa.”
Daniela frowned.
“Thomas said they were beneficiaries.”
“They are.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Samuel lowered his voice.
“They became beneficiaries after someone else was removed.”
Daniela stood.
“Who?”
There was a knock at her apartment door.
Three slow knocks.
Samuel went silent on the phone.
Daniela stared toward the entrance.
Then he whispered:
“Don’t open it until you ask who’s there.”
Daniela approached carefully.
“Who is it?”
A woman answered from the hallway.
“My name is Evelyn Reyes.”
Daniela froze.
That was her mother’s maiden name.
May you like
The woman continued.
“And I think Celeste Mercer has been hiding something that belongs to both of us.”
