Chapter Twenty-Two
Faith booked a hotel room not far from the airport using her own money.
It was nothing like the hotels she would have booked months ago, but it was clean, and the water was hot.
Sleep-deprived, she looked at the bed longingly, but with only a couple of hours to get ready, there was no time to relax.
She had to prepare and be clear-headed for this meeting with her parent’s lawyer.
Mr. Bradford had been quite clear on the time.
She took a long shower and applied minimal makeup, enough to cover the bags under her eyes with just a hint of gloss on her lips and an extra coat of mascara.
Her hair she left to dry naturally; two hours later, it fell down her back in silky auburn waves.
She’d chosen a simple cream-colored dress that was sleeveless with a high neck and a hemline that hit a couple of inches above her knees.
An expensive holdover from her previous life, it was a favorite and the only dress she’d kept.
She grabbed a white eyelet sweater and slipped into a pair of black flats before she tucked her phone into a small bag.
Her Uber was outside. She was ready to go.
The ride downtown took a bit; the streets were busy, and by the time she reached Market Street, it was pushing ten a.m. With thirty minutes to spare, she grabbed her favorite latte from a Starbucks.
Fire Lake was miles from any Starbucks, and while she’d grown to love Hal’s strong brew, the latte was heaven.
She enjoyed every bit of it as she walked toward the bay before dipping into one of the tallest office buildings in the area.
Luxurious and sleek, she took the elevator up to the thirty-first floor, where she found the plush offices of Bradford, Melnick, and Samson.
The young woman at the desk smiled warmly as she crossed the foyer. She was someone Faith recognized from previous visits.
“Good morning, Miss Winters. They’re waiting for you in the conference room. Follow me.”
They? Faith frowned and followed the woman down the hall. Her nerves bubbled close to the surface, and she tried to clamp down on them as the woman opened the last door on the right. She smiled and stepped aside with a nod.
Faith exhaled and walked past her. She blinked away the brilliant sunshine that fell from large windows that banked the entire room, and when her vision cleared, she froze.
Sitting with Mr. Bradford was her financial advisor, Mr. Jackson; that wasn’t totally unexpected, but the woman between them was.
Her mother.
Nella Winters-Brooks got to her feet and smoothed the front of her light pink linen pantsuit.
Her dark hair was slicked back into a tight bun, which enhanced the kind of bone structure that was God-given.
Her makeup was immaculate, professionally applied to hide any flaws, and a smoky liner enhanced her expressive blue eyes.
At fifty, her mother still had the kind of beauty that turned heads.
The kind of beauty that opened doors and opportunities.
It was the kind of beauty that could be used, and for the first time in her life, Faith had doubts.
She saw her mother through a different lens.
They’d never had the kind of relationship kids dreamed of.
But there had been love of a sort. Still, did she really know her mother?
Could you love someone and not know them?
The subtle hint of jasmine filled her nostrils when her mother stopped a few inches away, eyes questioning as if she weren’t sure what to do or how to act.
“Faith,” she said softly. “You look different.”
“Do I?” Faith found her voice and hoped like hell her knees didn’t buckle because they were like rubber.
She’d always felt as if she were living in the wide shadows Nella cast, but those days were over.
She lifted her chin and met her mother’s gaze.
“You look like you’ve just spent three days at the spa. ”
Surprise flashed in Nella’s eyes, but she quickly hid it and glanced over to the table. “Can I have a few moments with my daughter?”
The two men got to their feet hastily and exited the room, leaving Faith alone with a mother who felt like a stranger.
As soon as they were gone, Nella grabbed Faith into her arms and held her close. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve been worried sick. You weren’t answering my messages or talking to anyone. Mr. Bradford has been trying to get a hold of you for days and days.”
Faith didn’t say a word because she couldn’t. Her throat was locked down so tight it hurt, and she pulled away from her mother.
“I know this is all confusing for you and I—”
“Confusing? What’s to be confused about?
You and Michael stole hundreds of millions of dollars from people who trusted you.
Employees who worked their entire lives for your company.
Their retirement and savings all gone. It’s not confusion that I feel.
It’s disgust and disbelief and hurt and shame.
” Tears sprang to her eyes, and she swiped at them angrily. “How could you do it?”
“You think I’m guilty.” Anger flashed in her mother’s eyes.
“I think that Michael wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without your knowledge because you’ve been controlling him since the day you two met.”
“I guess innocent until proven guilty isn’t something you believe in.” Nella sighed and touched the bridge of her nose. It was a nervous gesture; one Faith was used to. “I know you’re upset.”
“I’m more than upset.”
“And I know that your life was upended. God knows where you’ve been this whole time or what you’ve been doing for money, but you have to know I’ll get it all back for you. I promise. This is all a mistake. A misunderstanding.”
“Did you know I had death threats? That people I’d never met sent me messages of the likes you couldn’t imagine, detailing all the horrific things they would do to me.
” She leaned close. “All of it because of what you and Michael did. Declan tossed me aside like I didn’t matter. Friends I’d had for years dropped me.”
Faith stepped away from her mother because she needed some space. “At the time I thought my life was over. I thought there was no way I could come back from the situation you two put me in.” She glanced over her shoulder. “But I found a way and I’m happy and I don’t need anything from you.”
“Everyone needs money.” Nella’s expression was cool.
“But they don’t need millions, and they certainly don’t need money that doesn’t belong to them.”
“Faith—”
“I don’t know anything about your case. It’s been easy to stay in the dark because everyone from my former life is sitting in my rear-view mirror.”
“I’m sorry about that, honey. I truly am.”
“When did you get out?”
“Out?”
“Bail, mother. When did they allow you bail?”
Nella was silent, her eyes frosty.
“I guess I can google it and find out.” Faith reached into her bag for her cell phone.
“Oh, for God’s sake, I was released two weeks ago.”
Hurt, the kind that is hot and big and stings, rushed through Faith, and she stared up at the ceiling.
She pictured her little apartment in Fire Lake.
The flowers on her table, picked from the garden near the big tree.
She thought of Taco running wildly in the backyard and the bag of apples she’d been gifted.
Gus laughing at something she said. Then, kissing her until her head spun.
“If things were different.” She turned to her mother.
“If you were different, you would have called me two weeks ago and I could have told you about a man I met. A man I fell in love with. I would have told you that he will probably break my heart, and you would have told me to drop him immediately.” She smiled.
“I wouldn’t have listened to you of course but it would have been enough to know you cared.
That you’d be there for me. That you’d pick up the pieces and put me back together when it ended. ”
“Faith, I don’t understand where this is going.”
Of course, she didn’t.
“The man I love doesn’t love me and whatever we had is over. A part of me is glad he doesn’t know the real me because I’m so ashamed of where I come from.”
Pink dots appeared in her mother’s otherwise alabaster complexion. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips thinned.
There she was. The real Nella Winters-Brooks. The mother who didn’t care about anyone but herself.
“You ungrateful little bitch. Everything I did was for you. For us. You lived a life of privilege. A life anyone would want if they could have it.”
Her mother was wrong on so many levels, but Faith realized she didn’t care enough point them out. She realized she’d come to San Francisco to close this chapter of her life.
“Why did you reach out? It’s been two weeks,” she asked, watching Nella closely.
Her mother composed herself. It only took seconds, and if this was a different situation, Faith might have been impressed.
“I need you to initial and sign some documents.”
“What kind of documents?”
“They’re all regarding your trust. There are some gray areas that need to be resolved. We need them painted black so to speak.” Before she could reply, Nella crossed the room and opened the door, allowing Bradford and Jackson back inside.
She was silent as the men returned to their respective seats and shuffled the papers in front of them.
Mr. Jackson pointed out the areas that needed a signature while Bradford explained what each of them meant.
When the men were done speaking, Faith stared at the papers in front of her, then glanced around the room before settling on her mother.
“If I understand correctly, you’re asking me to substantiate the date that the trust was created.”
Her mother said nothing. Mr. Jackson nodded. “Correct.”
“And according to these documents the trust was created on the day that Mom and Michael married.”
A tic appeared beside her mother’s right eye. Again, Mr. Jackson nodded, though his answer was subdued. “Yes.”
“I’m going to assume if that date stands then the government has no claim on the funds in that account.”
The tic became more pronounced.
“The government cannot touch a trust.” Mr. Bradford spoke up, then glanced at her mother before handing Faith a pen.
“I think they can if they feel the trust was padded with monies illegally obtained. Say, by a couple defrauding thousands of employees of their retirement funds.” She smiled at the financial advisor, who didn’t have the balls to look her in the eye.
“Just sign the papers, Faith.” Her mother’s tone was sharp, the look on her face ugly.
Bradford handed her a pen, which she set down on top of the papers.
“I attempted to sign into the account this morning and my credentials didn’t work. I’d like to see the balance of the trust.” She eyed Mr. Jackson. “Now.”
A sheen of sweat shone from the top of his bald head. “I didn’t bring any statements.” He darted a look at her mother.
“You have a laptop,” Faith pointed out. “Open up the account so that I can see what kind of money we’re talking about.”
After a few tense moments, her mother directed him to do what Faith had asked, and when he turned the laptop around so that she could see the screen, her heart sank.
The last time she’d accessed the account it had been worth about ten million dollars.
The balance today was sitting at just over one hundred million.
The disappointment and hurt hit hard, and she wasn’t sure she could hide it.
Faith shook her head and pushed the papers away.
“The dates are wrong. That trust was initiated when I turned sixteen. I remember it because the two of you,” she pointed at the men, “interrupted my birthday party and I had to dry off from the pool and come into the house to sign it.” She stepped away from the table before facing her mother once more.
“I won’t sign. Fraud is your game, not mine. ”
Her mother’s face turned a squeamish shade of green, and the woman started picking at the palm of her hands.
“I have a meeting with the Department of Justice in an hour. You might want to fit in a massage before they rescind your bail.”
With that parting shot, Faith left the conference room, ignoring her mother’s wild pleas and demands that she return. She sailed past reception and made it to the elevator before her legs gave out.
She had one goal left. Meet with the Department of Justice and do the right thing. Then go home to Fire Lake and make a life for herself. One filled with the things that mattered. One that could make her proud.
Even without Gus, she knew it was where she needed to be. Maybe luck would come her way again. Maybe she would find another man to make her heart sing.
It was a big maybe. But it was all she had.