Chapter 6 - The HeirWe didn't go to the warehouse.
Instead, we went underground.
Michael contacted a federal task force.
For the first time, I was told the full scale of the investigation.
Daniel Cross had been operating under at least seven identities.
He controlled shell corporations.
Private security firms.
Politicians.
Bankers.
And possibly law enforcement.
Richard had been one of his assets.
Vanessa had been sent undercover by another faction inside the company.
My father had played both sides.
Then I learned what frightened me most.
Grace wasn't just the heir to a fortune.
She was proof of a biological arrangement Daniel believed gave him legal control over the final account.
My father had created a trust.
The account couldn't be transferred to anyone except his direct descendants.
Grace was the only undisputed heir.
Daniel wanted her eliminated.
Not kidnapped.
Eliminated.
Because as long as she existed, he could never own the money.
My stomach turned.
“I won't let him touch her.”
Michael nodded.
“We won't.”
Then Richard appeared on television.
Alive.
Standing beside federal agents.
He gave a statement.
“I regret everything I did to Abigail.”
My blood ran cold.
He looked directly into the camera.
“Abigail, I'm sorry.”
I knew it wasn't real.
But then he said:
“Grace deserves to know the truth about her birth.”
I froze.
The statement ended.
I turned toward my mother.
“What does that mean?”
She cried.
“I lied.”
“About what?”
“Your father wasn't Grace's biological grandfather.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I don't know who Grace's father is.”
Silence.
Richard had always known?
Michael looked stunned.
“Then why did Richard marry Abigail?”
My mother whispered:
“Because he believed Grace belonged to Daniel.”
My blood ran cold.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“Richard believed Daniel had arranged your pregnancy.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“You were inseminated using frozen genetic material.”
My entire body went numb.
“Whose?”
My mother couldn't answer.
Then someone else did.
A voice came from the doorway.
Richard.
Everyone reached for their weapons.
He raised his hands.
“I came alone.”
Two agents surrounded him.
I stared at him.
“Tell me.”
He looked at Grace.
Then at me.
“She is not Daniel's daughter.”
Relief hit me for half a second.
Then he continued.
“She is mine.”
The room went silent.
I felt the ground disappear beneath me.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
“You said you never wanted children.”
“I lied.”
“You've lied about everything.”
“Yes.”
I hated myself for believing the next thing he said.
“I loved you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You tried to kill me.”
“I was ordered to.”
“And Grace?”
His eyes filled with tears.
“That's where everything went wrong.”
He explained.
Daniel had ordered him to make me disappear because the trust required my consent until Grace reached adulthood.
Richard had initially planned to fake our deaths and hide us.
Then Daniel changed the order.
Kill them.
Richard panicked.
“He wanted both of you dead.”
“Then why did you leave us in the snow?”
Richard looked at me.
“Because I knew someone was watching.”
I froze.
“What?”
“There was another vehicle behind us.”
“The one you mentioned?”
He nodded.
“I pushed you out because I needed them to think you were dead.”
My voice trembled.
“You knew the trucker was there?”
“Yes.”
My stomach twisted.
“You almost killed us.”
“I knew the trucker would find you.”
“That isn't protection.”
“I know.”
I stepped toward him.
“You left me in a blizzard with our newborn.”
“I know.”
I wanted to hit him.
I wanted him to suffer.
But then he whispered:
“I also left something in the snow.”
“What?”
“A tracking device.”
My breath caught.
“You knew someone would rescue us.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Richard looked toward my mother.
Her face went pale.
“Elizabeth.”
My mother stared at him.
“You knew?”
He nodded.
“She was the one who found you.”
I turned toward my mother.
She began crying.
“I couldn't let you know. Daniel had people watching.”
The truth rearranged everything.
My mother had saved us.
Richard had betrayed me.
But he had also tried, in the only way he knew, to keep us alive.
And Daniel was still hunting Grace.
Then Richard said:
“There is one more thing.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
He removed a small key from his pocket.
“Daniel isn't coming for the money.”
I frowned.
“What does he want?”
Richard swallowed.
“The person who designed the account.”
“Who?”
He looked at my mother.
“No.”
She stepped backward.
May you like
Richard whispered:
“Your mother.”
