Chapter 12 - WHAT RICHARD FINALLY CONFESSED
Richard had a cut above his eyebrow.
His left wrist was fractured.
Emily stood at the foot of his hospital bed.
Cole remained beside her.
Richard looked older than he had twenty-four hours earlier.
For several seconds, father and daughter simply stared at each other.
Then Emily spoke.
“Tell me everything.”
Richard nodded.
No excuses this time.
No speeches about family.
No demands for understanding.
“I had an affair with Carol.”
Carol closed her eyes.
“Diane found out.”
Richard continued.
“She was devastated.”
“She had suffered three miscarriages.”
“She believed she would never have children.”
“When Carol became pregnant, Diane asked me for something unforgivable.”
Emily already knew.
“She wanted me.”
Richard nodded.
“I agreed.”
Emily's eyes filled.
Richard looked away.
“Patricia handled the hospital records.”
“And Carol?”
“I told her you died.”
Carol began crying.
Richard continued.
“I thought I could bury it.”
“For twenty-eight years?”
“Yes.”
Emily shook her head.
“You watched Carol.”
“I was afraid she'd find you.”
“You blocked her emails.”
“Yes.”
“Forged a letter from me.”
“Yes.”
Each answer destroyed another piece of the father Emily thought she knew.
Then Cole spoke.
“The guardianship petition.”
Richard looked at him.
“Victor's idea.”
“You signed it.”
“Yes.”
Emily flinched.
Richard looked at her.
“I signed it because Victor threatened to expose everything.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“So you protected yourself.”
“Yes.”
Richard didn't soften the answer.
“I was a coward.”
The honesty hurt more than another excuse would have.
Richard continued.
“But when Victor started talking about your baby, I changed my mind.”
Cole stared at him.
“What did he want?”
“Control of the trust.”
Richard explained.
Victor had secretly moved money from several client accounts over the years.
Patricia helped conceal the transactions.
Emily's trust was supposed to cover the missing money before an audit exposed them.
“If Emily controlled the trust, Victor couldn't touch it.”
Cole understood.
“So he needed Richard controlling it.”
“Yes.”
“And the guardianship gave him that.”
Richard nodded.
Emily whispered.
“What was supposed to happen to me?”
Richard's face crumpled.
“I don't know.”
Cole stepped forward.
“That's a lie.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Then he answered.
“Victor wanted you declared incompetent after the baby was born.”
“How?”
“He had a doctor.”
Emily instinctively grabbed Cole's arm.
Richard looked at her.
“I refused.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Before or after I found Carol?”
“Before.”
Emily stared at him.
Richard continued.
“I called Officer Ruiz because I wanted police nearby without Victor realizing why.”
Ruiz looked stunned.
“You reported Emily.”
Richard nodded.
“I needed a reason to get an officer inside the house.”
Cole's jaw tightened.
“You could have told the truth.”
Richard looked at him.
“I've spent twenty-eight years avoiding the truth.”
Then he looked at Emily.
“And yesterday I almost lost my daughter because of it.”
Emily didn't answer.
Richard reached beneath his blanket.
He pulled out a key.
“Victor is going to St. Catherine's.”
Emily recognized the name immediately.
Her hospital.
“Why?”
Richard held out the key.
“Because Patricia kept one final file there.”
Cole took it.
“What file?”
Richard looked at Emily.
“The list of every person who paid them.”
Brooks stepped closer.
“And Victor thinks Emily has it?”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
“He thinks it's hidden inside the maternity wing.”
May you like
Then Richard looked toward Emily's stomach.
“And he'll burn down everything around him before he lets anyone find it.”
