Chapter 6 - THE WHITMORE FAMILY ARRIVES
Arthur Whitmore arrived forty minutes later.
He was seventy-one.
Tall.
Silver-haired.
And furious.
Preston rushed toward him.
“Dad.”
Arthur walked past him.
“Where is Emily?”
Preston stopped.
“Dad, listen—”
“Where is my daughter-in-law?”
Raymond appeared from the obstetrics wing.
Arthur looked at his oldest friend.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Arthur asked,
“Is the baby okay?”
“For now.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
Relief.
Then anger.
He turned toward Preston.
“What happened?”
“It got out of control.”
Arthur walked toward him.
“What got out of control?”
“Vanessa and Emily argued.”
Raymond said,
“Vanessa attacked her.”
Arthur looked at Preston.
“And you?”
Preston said nothing.
Raymond answered.
“He watched.”
Arthur’s face changed.
Preston stepped forward.
“She’s exaggerating.”
Arthur struck his cane once against the floor.
“Enough.”
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Preston froze.
“I spent thirty years building what your grandfather left me.”
Arthur’s voice shook.
“You spent ten years pretending you built it.”
“Dad—”
“You wanted the office.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“I gave it to you.”
“You wanted the title.”
“I gave you that.”
“You wanted television interviews, galas, private cars, club memberships.”
Arthur’s voice hardened.
“I gave you everything except character.”
Preston stared at him.
Arthur looked toward Raymond.
“I’m sorry.”
Raymond did not accept the apology.
“This isn’t about me.”
“I know.”
Arthur walked toward Emily’s room.
He stopped outside.
“May I see her?”
Raymond entered first.
Emily was sitting upright now.
The monitor remained beside her.
When Arthur stepped inside, Emily looked surprised.
“Arthur.”
He had always asked her to call him Dad.
Today, she couldn’t.
Arthur noticed.
He slowly approached.
“I’m ashamed.”
Emily looked away.
“I didn’t come for an apology.”
“I know.”
“I came for my appointment.”
Arthur nodded.
“And your son turned it into this.”
“Yes.”
Arthur’s eyes filled.
“I should have seen what he was becoming.”
Emily finally looked at him.
“You saw.”
Arthur stopped.
“You just kept hoping it wasn’t your problem.”
That hurt.
Because it was true.
Arthur sat.
Emily continued.
“You heard how he talked about me.”
Arthur lowered his eyes.
“You heard Vanessa’s name months ago.”
He looked up.
Emily knew from his expression.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“And said nothing.”
“I wanted Preston to fix his marriage.”
Emily gave a tired laugh.
“You wanted me to survive it quietly.”
“No.”
“But that’s what happened.”
Arthur had no answer.
Emily looked toward the monitor.
“I’m done protecting people because their last name is Whitmore.”
Arthur nodded slowly.
“You should be.”
Then the door opened.
Margaret stood outside.
“Raymond.”
Something in her expression made everyone turn.
“What is it?”
“We reviewed Preston’s corporate expense account.”
Raymond stepped into the hallway.
Margaret handed him a folder.
There were hotel rooms.
Jewelry.
Flights.
Vanessa’s apartment.
All paid through Whitmore-Saint Claire development funds.
But one charge stood out.
A private investigator.
Hired four months earlier.
May you like
The target listed on the invoice was not Vanessa.
It was Emily.
