Chapter 10 - SHE HAD A PLAN FOR NOAH
Natalie went completely pale.
“My son’s passport?”
Marcus nodded.
“In Brooke’s car.”
“Why?”
Nobody answered.
Natalie turned toward the police cruiser.
“I’m going to kill her.”
Dominic caught her arm.
“No.”
“She had my child’s passport!”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to find out.”
Detectives separated Brooke and Martin.
Dominic insisted on being present when Brooke’s lawyer arrived.
She sat behind a glass partition.
No makeup now.
Wet hair.
Gray blanket around her shoulders.
For the first time since he had known her, she looked ordinary.
He sat across from her.
“Why did you have Noah’s passport?”
Her lawyer leaned forward.
“My client does not have to answer.”
Brooke looked at Dominic.
“I was protecting him.”
Natalie, watching from the observation room, shouted at the glass.
“From what?”
Brooke continued.
“You were supposed to leave for London again after the wedding.”
Dominic stared.
“And?”
“Martin arranged a school in Switzerland.”
Dominic’s blood turned cold.
“For Noah?”
Brooke nodded.
“Natalie would’ve agreed eventually.”
“No, she wouldn’t.”
“She’s overwhelmed.”
“That is not your decision.”
“It would’ve been temporary.”
“You stole his passport.”
Brooke looked away.
“Martin did.”
“Why?”
Brooke’s lawyer whispered, “Don’t answer.”
She answered anyway.
“Because Natalie was never supposed to stay here.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“What was supposed to happen?”
Brooke’s lower lip trembled.
“After she signed the cottage away, Martin planned to offer her money.”
“She wouldn’t take it.”
“I know.”
“So?”
“So he was going to make it look like she did.”
Dominic went still.
Brooke continued.
“He created accounts.”
“Whose name?”
“Natalie’s.”
“Fake accounts?”
She nodded.
“Deposits would appear. Transfers from Mercer companies.”
Dominic understood.
“You were going to make it look like she stole from me.”
Brooke closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
His hands tightened beneath the table.
“And Noah?”
“Once Natalie was charged, you would have taken custody.”
“Then?”
“You travel constantly.”
Dominic’s voice became very quiet.
“So you planned to send him away.”
She began crying.
“It wasn’t supposed to hurt him.”
He stood so fast the chair scraped backward.
“You built a plan around destroying my sister and shipping her child to another country.”
“Dominic—”
“You don’t get to say my name like that anymore.”
He walked out.
Natalie met him in the hallway.
She had heard everything.
Her face was wet with tears.
“What happens now?”
“They go to prison if the evidence holds.”
“And the wedding?”
Dominic gave a humorless laugh.
“I think the caterer already knows.”
Natalie almost smiled.
Then Marcus came around the corner.
“Problem.”
Dominic looked at him.
“What now?”
“Martin’s asking for a deal.”
“No.”
“He says Brooke wasn’t the one who forged the amendment.”
Dominic frowned.
“Then who?”
Marcus hesitated.
“He says someone inside your company helped them.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“One of my people?”
May you like
Marcus nodded.
“And he says that person still has access to your money.”
