Daniel comes home after a year of military service, hoping to surprise his sister on her wedding day. But instead of welcoming him happily, Margaret glares at him and orders him to leave immediately.
Daniel hailed a taxi as he exited the airport, barely able to contain his excitement. It had taken much pleading with his seniors in the Army to get this one-week break for his little sisterâs wedding. But he had made it happen.
After their parentsâ deaths, Daniel always felt responsible for Margaret, even after she became an adult. He was looking forward to her wedding because it was a chance to bridge the gap between them. They both knew how distant theyâd become as adults.
The taxi stopped outside the venue. Daniel entered the restaurant, clutching Margaretâs favorite lilies, and spotted her in a wedding gown at a table, her husband, Gary, by her sideâŠ
âHello, sis!â Daniel exclaimed happily, approaching her.
Margaretâs face twisted with anger. âHow dare you come here after what you did, Daniel?â she fumed as she sprang to her feet.
Daniel was confused. âWh-what did I do?â
âStop playing games, Daniel!â she snapped. âThe vaultâŠMom and Dadâs inheritance for usâŠItâs gone!â
Daniel listened in shock as Margaret narrated how sheâd wanted to take their motherâs jewelry from the vault before the wedding but found it empty. Since nobody but Daniel and Margaret knew about the vault, Margaret suspected Daniel was the one who emptied it.
âYou better leave now, Danny. Weâll sort this out later!â Margaret said hurtfully as she began returning to her seat.
But Daniel grabbed her hand. âI didnât take anything, Maggie! How could you even accuse me of that?â
âStop it, Daniel,â Gary stepped in. âDonât ruin your sisterâs big day. And please, leave now.â
Extremely hurt and confused, Daniel left the venue. He checked into a motel for his temporary stay.
The next day, Daniel visited the bank where the vault was. He approached the customer assistance desk and inquired if he could get the vaultâs access history.
The woman at the desk asked for his details and revealed the vault was accessed on the 15th of the last month by Mr. Goodwinâs son. Daniel was shocked because he was away at the time.
âCan you tell me who authorized it? Were any documents signed?â he asked.
âYes. The papers have a digital signature from D. Goodwin,â the woman said, looking at her screen. âAnd a bank associate witnessed the access.â
âSomeone mustâve impersonated me! I need to check the CCTVs.â
âSorry, sir. We canât allow you to access it.â
âLook, this isnât a typical situation,â Daniel said and discretely slid $1000 toward her. âOver half a million dollars have disappeared, maâam. Please.â
The woman paused for a while, then accepted the money. âFine. But prepare another $200 for the security guard outside the video room,â she said.
Ten minutes later, Daniel was in the recording room.
âWhat date and time are we looking for?â the guard sitting before the screens asked.
âThe 15th of last month. Around late afternoon,â Daniel replied.
The guard typed something on the keyboard and frowned. âStrange,â he said. âThe footage from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that day is gone.â
âWhat? Who can access and modify these recordings?â
âBasically, every security guard on duty and certain bank officials,â the guard replied.
There wasnât much he could do now, so Daniel exited the bank. He was standing on the sidewalk, thinking about his next step, when he happened to turn around and see a familiar face through the bankâs glass door. Gary?
Things started making sense to Daniel.
Gary worked at the bank. He couldâve easily accessed the vault, emptied it, and then deleted the footage.
âDidnât know you worked at this bank, Gary,â Daniel sarcastically remarked, approaching him.
âAh, Daniel!â Gary was composed, but Daniel could sense it was a facade. âWhat brings you here?â
âIsnât it strange that the bank you work at, which houses the vault that only my sister and I know about, was emptied? And now the footage from that day is gone too.â
âCome on, Daniel. Youâre connecting dots that donât exist.â
âYou expect me to believe itâs all a coincidence? Half a million dollars are gone, Gary! And I will get to the bottom of it! Wait for it!â\
Daniel left the bank and drove home to Margaret. When he arrived, he noticed the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. Margaretâs car was not in the driveway, which meant she wasnât home. He parked his car across the street, looked for the spare key where it was always kept, and found his way in. He hoped to find something that would prove Gary was lying.
Daniel started searching Gary and Margaretâs bedroom. He looked under the sofa and searched the bedside tables, but nothing.
He went through the dresser, and while he was going through the top drawer, his finger brushed against cold metal. He retrieved it to find his motherâs watch. Daniel now had proof that Gary had accessed the things inside the safe and immediately called Margaret.
Within 20 minutes, she was home.
âRecognize this?â he asked, holding up the watch as she entered. âThis was in the vault, Maggie! Proof that Gary is playing games with us! He probably left it lying around because he didnât know its value. It even has the engraving, so itâs clearly Momâs!â
âAre you serious, Daniel? First, you sneak into my house, and now you accuse my husband of theft?â she yelled.
âTechnically, itâs my house tooâŠBasically, itâs our house, Margaret! He only moved in here with you!â
âFine! Youâre right about that, Daniel, but you are so wrong about Gary!â she fumed. âGary bought that watch for me! I was extremely upset when things went missing. I told Gary about it, and he bought a copy of Momâs watch from a pawn shop!â
âWait, butââ
âHe bought that, Daniel. Stop dragging Gary into this mess. Get the hell out of here!â
Daniel was furious as he left the house. He knew Gary was lying. It was time to teach him a lesson, Daniel decided.
Daniel drove to a local gas station and purchased a disposable SIM. Then he called Gary, pretending to be a collector of rare artifacts. He disguised his voice to sound older and more refined.
ââŠWord has reached our circles that you possess a unique watch. Sir, that watch would complete my clientâs collection. He is offering $200,000 for it,â he said.
âWell, Iâm not sure what youâre talking about,â Gary said after a long pause. âAnd Iâm not interested in whatever it is.â
âThe price is negotiable if thatâs the concern, sir,â he said. âWhat do you think?â
But Gary didnât fall for it. âIâm not in the business of selling personal items,â he said sharply, âespecially not based on unsolicited calls. So goodbye!â
Gary hung up. But from his voice, Daniel could sense that the mention of $200,000 had shifted Garyâs perception of the watchâs worth. He knew the lure of such a sum would play on Garyâs mind. And indeed, a few days later, evidence that the seed had sprouted came in the form of a phone call.
Daniel received a call from his friend Tom, who worked at one of the major auction houses in the city. âYou remember that watch you were obsessing over? I guess your momâs? You found it at your brother-in-lawâs house or something?â he said. âWell, guess what popped up in our inventory?â
Danielâs pulse quickened. âThe watch? Momâs watch?â
âYeah! Someone anonymously brought it in. Wants it evaluated and possibly auctioned. Thought Iâd give you a heads-up.â
âPerfect, Tom! Thanks!â
Daniel now knew that Gary was caught in the trap. It was time for part two of the plan. Daniel drove to the bank and mortgaged his house. This was his only way to get the money he needed. Then he visited a store and bought himself the clothes he would need to blend in with the crowd at the upcoming auction.
At the auction, Daniel took a seat, careful enough to keep his identity hidden. He was there for the watchâs auction and to catch Gary in the act of selling it.
Daniel was nervous as the bidding for the watch began. The initial amounts were modest, but they climbed steadily. Daniel held his breath, waiting for the right moment to jump in. But just as he was about to raise his paddle, a voice called out a huge bid from his right.
â$75,000!â
Glancing sideways, he caught a glimpse of a well-dressed man whispering to a woman beside him. The womanâs eyes sparkled with desire for the watch, her fingers tapping her husbandâs arm as if urging him to go higher.
This was not a part of Danielâs plan. He had assumed heâd face competition, but not like this. His thoughts raced. He had mortgaged the family home, leveraging his entire legacy on this gamble. If he lost now, it would all be for naught. He took a deep breath, mustering courage from deep within, and said:
â$300,000! And thatâs my final offer.â
The man hesitated, looking at his wife, her eyes filled with a mix of longing and caution.
âGo higher,â she whispered, almost pleadingly.
Just as Daniel felt the weight of despair crushing him, he saw the man whisper to his wife. She looked disappointed but nodded. They didnât bid further.
The auctioneer repeated the last bid, glancing around to ensure there were no other challengers. âGoing once,â he started, and Danielâs grip tightened on his paddle.
âGoing twiceâŠAnd sold!â
Daniel heaved a sigh of relief.
âThis way, please. The seller is eager to complete the transaction,â an attendant informed him as the auction ended.
Daniel hesitated for just a second before pushing through the curtains. The room was softly lit by an ornate chandelier, throwing shadows on the baroque walls. It was the sight of the man seated behind the table that made Danielâs brows arch. Gary looked up, and their eyes locked.
âSurprised?â Danielâs voice was cold.
Garyâs face turned pale. âDaniel??â he croaked. âThis isnât what it seems.â
Gary suddenly lunged to his side, knocking over a vase. He sprinted toward a window, but it was jammed.
âThereâs nowhere to run, Gary!â Daniel approached him. âJust stop!â
But Gary wasnât listening. He turned, scanning the room, and spotted an ornate fireplace poker. Grabbing it, he brandished it towards Daniel, panting heavily.
âStay back!â he hissed.
Before the standoff could escalate, the sound of heavy boots reverberated in the hallway. The door burst open, revealing two police officers. Seeing them, Garyâs face contorted with despair, realizing he was trapped. âNo! This isnât how it was supposed to go!â
Detective Martin, whom Daniel had briefed earlier, strode in. âMr. Miller, drop the weapon. Youâre under arrest.â
âYou thought you were the smartest one, Gary. But the truth always catches up,â Daniel said.
As Gary was taken away, Daniel saw Margaret at the entrance.
âDanielâŠâ she began, approaching him. âI came here to confront you. I found out about the house. But nowâŠseeing thisâŠâ
Daniel pulled her into a hug as she sobbed and regretted doubting him. âItâs OK, Maggie,â he whispered. âItâs OK. He tricked you into it. It wasnât your fault.â
âHow could I have been so blind, Daniel?â she sobbed. âAll thisâŠunder my nose?â
âLook, the truth is out now, and weâll get through this together, OK?â he said, pulling away from her. âWeâll get everything back, so donât worry. And yeah, I forgive you. Family is all about forgiveness, Maggie. We falter, we make amends, and then we rebuild.â
âThank you, Daniel. And Iâm-Iâm sorry,â she cried.
âDonât thank me. Just promise me one thing: never doubt your family without knowing the whole story. OK?â
Margaret looked at Daniel in tears and nodded, knowing this incident had strengthened their bond and dissolved past misunderstandings.
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