Chapter 5 - THE CHILD IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
The woman introduced herself as Helen Carter.
She had been Bradley's former accountant.
And apparently, she had been afraid of him for years.
“I tried to warn you,” she said.
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
I frowned.
“I never received anything.”
“You weren't supposed to.”
She looked at Bradley.
“He intercepted my first letter.”
Bradley shook his head.
“That's a lie.”
Helen opened her purse.
Inside were copies of emails.
Bank records.
Photographs.
And one birth certificate.
I looked at it.
The child's name was Ethan Bennett.
Born eleven months earlier.
Mother:
Claire Bennett.
Father:
Bradley Reed.
My knees nearly gave out.
Eleven months.
Bradley had been living with me.
Sleeping beside me.
Telling me he loved me.
While secretly raising a child.
I looked at Claire.
She was crying.
“He told me you knew.”
My voice cracked.
“You believed that?”
“He showed me divorce papers.”
“What divorce papers?”
She pulled out her phone.
The document was clearly forged.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
But it wasn't my signature.
Someone had copied it.
Daniel took the phone immediately.
“This is evidence.”
Bradley stepped forward.
“I never forged anything.”
Helen laughed bitterly.
“You didn't have to.”
Everyone looked at her.
She turned toward Barbara.
“She did.”
Barbara's face went white.
Claire whispered:
“Mrs. Reed?”
Barbara looked at her.
“I was protecting my son.”
“By forging divorce papers?”
“You were never supposed to marry him.”
I stared.
“What?”
Barbara turned toward me.
“My son needed a wife with money.”
The words landed harder than any slap.
“What did you say?”
“You had the company. You had the investments. You had the connections.”
She shrugged.
“Bradley needed stability.”
I stared at her.
“So the marriage was planned?”
Barbara didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Helen stepped closer.
“There was a contract.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“What contract?”
“A prenuptial agreement.”
I almost laughed.
“I never signed one.”
Helen shook her head.
“You weren't supposed to.”
She handed Daniel another document.
It wasn't a prenup.
It was a private agreement between Bradley and Barbara.
The first line said:
MARRIAGE ACQUISITION STRATEGY.
My stomach twisted.
They had targeted me.
My career.
My money.
My reputation.
Everything.
But why?
I looked at Bradley.
“Why me?”
He stared at the floor.
Barbara answered.
“Because your father left you something.”
I froze.
“My father?”
“My father died when I was twelve.”
Barbara smiled.
“That is what you were told.”
I couldn't speak.
Daniel looked at her.
“What are you talking about?”
Barbara's voice dropped.
“Your father didn't die.”
The room became silent.
“He disappeared.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He left because he discovered where your family's money came from.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
Barbara looked at the birth certificate.
“Your father had another family.”
My heart stopped.
“Another family?”
Barbara nodded.
“And Bradley knew.”
I looked at my husband.
He finally raised his eyes.
There was something in them I had never seen before.
Fear.
Not guilt.
Fear.
Because whatever happened to my father was apparently connected to the fortune Bradley had spent years trying to steal.
Then Helen said:
“Your father is alive.”
May you like
And someone in the back of the room whispered:
“Not for much longer.”
