Chapter 6- WHEN THE PAST STRIKES BACK
1686 Words
The car disappeared into the darkness.
And Veronica had no idea that the truth waiting for her would force her to question everything she thought she knew about her husband.
She sat silently in the back seat, staring through the window as the streetlights passed one after another.
Her mind refused to settle.
Amara.
The missing money.
Daniel's arrest.
The authorization on the account.
Everything seemed connected, yet none of it made sense.
Daniel had promised her that he would never hide anything again.
She had believed him.
Now she needed to know whether he had kept that promise.
The business partner, Michael, sat in the passenger seat beside the driver.
After several minutes, he finally spoke.
“Veronica, there is something you should know before we get there.”
She looked up.
“What?”
“The evidence against Daniel isn't based only on the transfer.”
Her stomach tightened.
“What else is there?”
Michael turned slightly toward her.
“Someone accessed the company system using his personal security code.”
Veronica frowned.
“His password?”
“Yes.”
“Could someone know it?”
Michael nodded.
“Possibly.”
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
Veronica stared at him.
“Then why are they blaming Daniel?”
“Because the access happened from a device registered to him.”
She became silent.
A device registered to Daniel.
That sounded serious.
But she remembered how careful Daniel had become about protecting his accounts.
“He wouldn't steal the money,” she said.
Michael sighed.
“I don't think he would either.”
“Then you believe him?”
“I believe Daniel may be innocent. But the evidence has to be explained.”
The car continued through the quiet streets.
Soon, the police station appeared ahead.
Veronica's heart began beating faster.
She stepped out and followed Michael inside.
A police officer approached them.
“Are you Mrs. Daniel Umoru?”
“Yes.”
“I need to ask you a few questions.”
“Can I see my husband first?”
The officer hesitated.
“You may see him shortly.”
“Is he okay?”
“He's fine.”
Veronica released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
“Thank God.”
The officer led her to a small room.
Daniel was sitting on a chair.
His shirt was wrinkled, and exhaustion covered his face.
When he saw Veronica, he immediately stood.
“Why did you come?”
“I came because you're my husband.”
He looked away.
“I didn't want you involved.”
“You don't get to decide that alone.”
Daniel lowered his head.
“I know.”
She walked closer.
“Did you take the money?”
“No.”
“Did you send it to Amara?”
“No.”
“Do you know why her account received it?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I swear I don't.”
Veronica watched him carefully.
“Then tell me everything.”
Daniel took a deep breath.
“Yesterday, Michael called me because some payments in the company account didn't match the records. I went to the office and checked the system.”
“And?”
“I found several unusual transactions.”
“Did you report them?”
“Yes.”
“Then what happened?”
“Someone told the police that I had authorized the largest transfer.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Veronica's eyes narrowed.
“Did you speak to Amara recently?”
“No.”
“Not even once?”
“No.”
“Then why would the money go to her account?”
Daniel looked genuinely confused.
“I don't know.”
The door opened.
A police officer entered holding a file.
“Mr. Umoru, there is something you need to see.”
Daniel turned.
The officer placed several documents on the table.
“We found another transaction.”
Daniel looked at it.
His face changed.
“What is this?”
“It was made three days before the transfer that led to your arrest.”
Veronica leaned forward.
“What's wrong?”
Daniel pointed at the document.
“This isn't my signature.”
The officer looked at him.
“You're certain?”
“Absolutely.”
Michael stepped closer.
“Let me see.”
He examined the document.
“This signature does look different.”
The officer frowned.
“That doesn't explain the electronic authorization.”
Daniel looked at Veronica.
“Someone is trying to frame me.”
Veronica's heart sank.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
She answered cautiously.
“Hello?”
No one spoke.
“Hello?”
A woman's breathing could be heard faintly.
Veronica froze.
Then the call ended.
She stared at the screen.
Daniel noticed.
“Who was it?”
“I don't know.”
Her phone rang again.
This time, a message appeared.
Stop looking for answers if you want your family to remain safe.
Veronica's blood ran cold.
Daniel saw the message.
His expression changed immediately.
“Veronica, don't respond.”
She looked at him.
“Someone is threatening us.”
Michael stepped forward.
“Show me.”
Veronica handed him the phone.
He read the message.
“We need to report this.”
The officer immediately took note.
“Do you have any idea who sent it?”
“No,” Veronica answered.
But deep inside, one name came to her mind.
Amara.
She didn't want to believe it.
Amara had apologized.
She had said she wanted peace.
She had received the money.
Why would she threaten them?
Unless there was something Veronica didn't know.
The officer left to investigate the number.
Daniel sat down again.
Veronica remained beside him.
“There's something you're not telling me.”
He looked at her.
“I've told you everything.”
“Then why do I feel like we're missing something?”
Daniel became silent.
After several seconds, he finally spoke.
“There is one thing.”
Veronica waited.
“Before I married you, Amara wasn't the only person involved in my financial problems.”
She stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
“I had another business partner.”
“Who?”
“His name was Victor.”
Michael suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Veronica noticed.
“You know him?”
Michael nodded slowly.
“He worked with us before.”
Daniel continued.
“Victor left the company after a disagreement. He accused me of taking money that disappeared from an old account.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“What happened to him?”
“He disappeared from the business.”
Michael interrupted.
“Daniel, you never told me you suspected Victor.”
“I didn't have proof.”
Veronica looked from one man to the other.
“So Victor could have access to the system?”
Michael nodded.
“He knew how everything worked.”
Daniel leaned back.
“That would explain how someone could use my information.”
“But it doesn't explain Amara's account,” Veronica said.
Nobody answered.
Then the police officer returned.
“We traced the number.”
Veronica stood.
“And?”
The officer looked at her.
“The number is registered to a company.”
“What company?”
He opened the file.
“Amara's company.”
Silence.
Veronica felt her heart drop.
Daniel stood quickly.
“That doesn't prove Amara sent the message.”
“No,” the officer agreed. “But it gives us a direction.”
Veronica's mind was racing.
Amara had apologized.
She had claimed she wanted to move on.
Yet now her company number had been used to threaten Veronica.
There had to be an explanation.
The officer looked at Daniel.
“We're going to investigate this further.”
“Can my husband go home?”
“Not yet.”
Veronica nodded reluctantly.
Before she turned away, Daniel reached for her hand.
“Don't be afraid.”
She looked into his tired eyes.
“I'm not afraid for myself.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“Our daughter.”
Daniel squeezed her hand.
“Nothing will happen to her.”
Veronica wanted to believe him.
She left the room with Michael.
Outside the station, the night air felt colder than before.
Michael stopped beside her.
“Veronica.”
She turned.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“I remembered something about Victor.”
“What?”
“He didn't leave the company because of a disagreement.”
Veronica waited.
“He was dismissed.”
“Why?”
Michael lowered his voice.
“Because Daniel discovered that someone had been secretly moving company money.”
Veronica stared at him.
“Was Victor the one doing it?”
“We suspected him.”
“But you never proved it?”
“No.”
Veronica looked toward the police station.
Everything was becoming more complicated.
If Victor had stolen money before, he could be responsible now.
But why involve Amara?
Why threaten her?
And why make it appear as though Daniel had authorized the transfer?
Michael sighed.
“We need to find Victor.”
Veronica nodded.
“Yes.”
Her phone vibrated again.
She looked down.
Another message.
This one contained only a photograph.
Her hands began trembling.
It was a picture of her daughter.
Taken that very evening.
Veronica's breath caught in her throat.
Below the photograph were five words:
You were warned. Stay away.
She immediately looked around.
The street was almost empty.
Someone had been watching them.
Someone knew where her daughter was.
And whoever it was had just made the situation much more dangerous.
Veronica clutched the phone against her chest.
She had spent months believing the worst chapter of her life was behind her.
Now she understood something terrifying.
The secret that had once threatened her marriage was only the beginning.
And this time, the person hiding in the shadows wasn't trying to win Daniel back.
They were trying to destroy the entire Umoru family.
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