Chapter 9 - MY MOTHER’S PRICE
I laughed.
I couldn’t help it.
It was either laugh or scream.
“My mother works at a pharmacy.”
Mercer shook his head.
“She used to work here.”
“No.”
“She was a maternity nurse.”
“No.”
“She changed her last name after the hospital investigation eleven years ago.”
I stared at the photograph.
My mother.
Diane Carter.
Younger.
Standing beside Vincent.
I remembered her holding my hand after I woke from surgery.
I remembered her crying.
I remembered her telling me not to ask questions.
I remembered the exact sentence.
Emma, honey, you need to accept what happened.
My stomach turned.
“She knew.”
Mercer looked away.
“She signed the transfer.”
Everything inside me broke.
I called her.
Damian tried to stop me.
I pulled away.
She answered on the fourth ring.
“Emma?”
“Were you a nurse at St. Catherine’s?”
Silence.
That was enough.
“Mom?”
“Where are you?”
“Answer me.”
“Emma, listen to me—”
“DID YOU SIGN AWAY MY BABY?”
She started crying.
I went cold.
“Oh my God.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“By telling me my daughter was dead?”
“You had nothing.”
My throat closed.
“What?”
“You were twenty-four. No money. The father was gone. You were barely making rent.”
“So you sold my child?”
“No!”
“How much?”
Silence.
“How much did they pay you?”
“Emma—”
“HOW MUCH?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
I nearly dropped the phone.
Damian looked like he might break the wall.
My own mother had sold my daughter.
“You buried an empty coffin with me.”
“I thought it would be easier if you believed she was gone.”
“Easier for who?”
“I made a terrible mistake.”
“A mistake is forgetting a birthday.”
I was shaking so badly I could barely stand.
“You sold my baby.”
“I didn’t know Vincent was hurting people.”
“You knew enough.”
She began sobbing.
“Elena came to me.”
Damian moved closer.
“When?”
“Last year. Before she died.”
“What did she want?”
“She knew Leah wasn’t hers biologically. She found Emma’s records.”
“Did you tell Vincent?”
My mother sobbed harder.
“I was scared.”
My heart stopped.
“You told him.”
“I thought he would scare Elena. That’s all.”
“You got her killed.”
“No.”
“You got her killed!”
My mother suddenly whispered, “Emma, I have something.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Elena gave me another copy.”
“Of what?”
“The full ledger.”
Mercer inhaled sharply.
Damian held out his hand.
“Where?”
My mother heard him.
“Damian?”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then she said, “Vincent knows I have it.”
“Where are you right now?”
“At home.”
Damian turned to his security team.
“Move.”
My mother began crying harder.
“Hurry.”
A sound came through the phone.
Glass breaking.
“Mom?”
She screamed.
The line dropped.
We reached her house twelve minutes later.
Front door open.
Living room destroyed.
Blood on the kitchen floor.
But no body.
May you like
On the wall, written in red lipstick, were three words.
BRING ME LEAH.
