Chapter 8 - THE SECOND VIDEO
Grace listened without interrupting.
When Nathan finished repeating Victoria’s accusation, she looked down.
That frightened him more than anger would have.
“Grace?”
She sat on the edge of the bed.
“There was another meeting.”
Nathan’s stomach tightened.
“With my father?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“The night before he died.”
Nathan stared.
“You never told me.”
“I was ashamed.”
“Of what?”
Grace’s eyes filled.
“Of almost believing him.”
Nathan sat across from her.
“Start at the beginning.”
Grace took a breath.
“Your father contacted me through a lawyer.”
“Daniel?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“Michael Trent.”
Nathan knew the name.
A former federal prosecutor.
Now dead.
“He said Charles wanted to confess.”
Nathan listened.
“He told me my father had been innocent.”
Grace’s voice cracked.
“He said he had proof.”
Nathan lowered his eyes.
“What did you do?”
“I told him I wanted the proof.”
“What did he want?”
“For me to sign something.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Another agreement?”
“A settlement.”
“How much?”
Grace hesitated.
“Twenty million.”
Nathan stared.
“You turned down twenty million dollars?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the document required me to give up Lily’s right to the Cole trust.”
Nathan leaned back.
“That’s what Victoria meant.”
Grace nodded.
“I almost signed.”
Nathan said nothing.
“I was tired.”
Grace wiped away a tear.
“I had spent years looking over my shoulder.”
“Lily was sick that winter.”
“I was working two jobs.”
“My mother needed surgery.”
Nathan’s face tightened.
“Grace…”
“I held the pen.”
She looked at him.
“I thought about taking the money and disappearing forever.”
Nathan didn’t judge her.
He couldn’t.
“Why didn’t you?”
Grace smiled through tears.
“Lily called me from my mother’s apartment.”
“What did she say?”
“She asked whether she had a daddy.”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
“I couldn’t sign.”
Grace looked at him.
“I told Charles I wanted the truth instead.”
“What did he do?”
“He cried.”
Nathan froze.
He could count on one hand the number of times he had seen his father show emotion.
Grace continued.
“He told me Richard Sterling was planning something.”
“What?”
“He didn’t know.”
“He only knew Richard had discovered Charles wanted to confess.”
Nathan leaned forward.
“Then?”
“Charles said if anything happened to him, I should contact Daniel.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I was scared.”
“Grace—”
“He died the next morning.”
Silence.
Nathan understood.
“You thought they killed him.”
“I still do.”
Nathan’s heart pounded.
Official cause of Charles Cole’s death had been cardiac arrest.
He had died in his home office.
No autopsy.
His personal physician signed the certificate.
Nathan suddenly felt sick.
“Who found him?”
Grace already knew the answer.
“Richard Sterling.”
Nathan stood.
Daniel arrived thirty minutes later with the copy of the flash drive.
They connected it to Nathan’s television.
The restaurant footage began.
Five years earlier.
Grace sat at a table.
Young.
Pregnant.
Terrified.
Eleanor Sterling faced her.
The audio was clear.
“You will leave Chicago.”
“No.”
“You misunderstand your position.”
“I love Nathan.”
Eleanor laughed.
“My dear, men like Nathan don’t marry women like you.”
Grace’s present-day face tightened.
Nathan stared at the screen.
Then Victoria entered.
Young.
Elegant.
Cold.
She looked at Grace’s stomach.
“So that’s her?”
Eleanor nodded.
Victoria sat.
“She’s already showing.”
Grace on the screen stood.
“I’m leaving.”
Victoria blocked her.
“If Nathan finds out, everything changes.”
“I don’t care about your money.”
“You will.”
Grace shoved past her.
Victoria looked at Eleanor.
Then came the sentence.
“Why didn’t you just make the baby disappear?”
Nathan stopped breathing.
But the recording continued.
Eleanor slapped Victoria.
Hard.
“Never say that again.”
Present-day Nathan stared.
Victoria looked shocked on screen.
Eleanor continued.
“We do not hurt the child.”
Victoria rubbed her cheek.
“Then what do we do?”
Charles Cole’s voice came from off camera.
“We protect Nathan from the truth.”
Nathan froze.
His father had been in the room.
The camera shifted.
Charles stepped into view.
Grace’s present-day face went pale.
Nathan stared.
His father sat across from Grace.
Then said something Nathan never expected.
“Because if Nathan learns who his biological father really is, Lily won’t be the only inheritance problem.”
Nathan stood so fast the chair fell backward.
Daniel paused the video.
No one spoke.
Nathan stared at Grace.
“What did he mean?”
Grace shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Nathan looked at Daniel.
Daniel’s face had gone white.
“You know something.”
Daniel said nothing.
Nathan grabbed him.
“Daniel.”
May you like
Daniel whispered.
“Charles Cole may not have been your biological father.”
