“I don’t know whether to hate him or mourn him,” Mara whispered.

“Perhaps you’re allowed to do both.”

Then we found the letter that changed everything again.

PART 2

In a letter written for Mara’s eighteenth birthday, Zane explained that he had created a private investment account for her education and future.

He had funded it with his own money for years.

The account was managed through his company by Clark, his oldest business partner and closest friend.

I knew Clark extremely well.

He had stood beside me at the funeral, praised Zane’s loyalty, and promised to protect everything my husband had built.

The following morning, I took Mara to the company office.

Clark looked sympathetic when I entered.

Then he saw Mara.

His expression changed immediately.

“This is Zane’s daughter,” I said.

Clark leaned back.

“Irene, perhaps this is not the right time.”

“It is exactly the right time.”

Mara placed the letter on his desk.

“My father wrote that you managed an education account for me.”

Clark barely looked at it.

“That account was closed years ago.”

“Closed how?” I asked.

“There were circumstances.”

“What circumstances?”

He sighed as though we were inconveniencing him.

“The company was struggling. Zane understood why the money had to be used.”

I studied his face.

“A moment ago, you said the account was simply closed. Now you’re claiming Zane approved the transfer.”

His jaw tightened.

Mara pointed toward the date on the letter.

“This was written two months after my eighteenth birthday. My father still believed the account belonged to me.”

Clark had placed himself against Zane’s own written record.