Chapter 4 - WHY ADRIAN REALLY LET ME GO
I slapped Adrian.
Not hard enough to injure him.
Hard enough to make Daniel look away.
Adrian did not stop me.
“You knew someone had been inside our home?”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing?”
“I moved security around you.”
“I thought you were controlling me.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe you left me for Vanessa.”
His face tightened.
“I did still have feelings for her.”
That stopped me.
At least he did not rewrite history to make himself innocent.
He continued.
“I was angry. Confused. Stupid enough to believe the past meant something because it was familiar.”
Vanessa looked away.
Adrian’s voice lowered.
“But the photographs changed everything.”
A note had arrived with them.
END THE MARRIAGE OR SHE DIES FIRST.
I stared.
“Why not tell me?”
“Because you would have refused to leave.”
“You didn’t know that.”
“I knew you.”
“No.”
My voice shook.
“You decided for me.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
Just yes.
That almost made it worse.
“What happened after I left Chicago?”
“The threats stopped.”
“Of course they did. I disappeared.”
“I watched Boston for six months.”
My blood went cold.
“You watched me?”
“From a distance.”
“Did you know I was pregnant?”
“No.”
I believed him.
Pain crossed his face.
“I saw you enter Harvard labs. I saw you move apartments. I saw you buying groceries once.”
My throat tightened.
“You never came to me.”
“I thought staying away kept you alive.”
“You were wrong.”
“Yes.”
Again.
No defense.
Vanessa sat quietly near the window.
I turned to her.
“When did you learn Malcolm arranged the threat?”
“Two months ago.”
“How?”
“My father died.”
Charles Hale had apparently kept records.
After his death, Vanessa discovered payments from Malcolm Mercer to a private surveillance firm.
Dates matching the photographs.
The divorce.
My departure.
“Why didn’t you tell Adrian immediately?”
“I tried.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You sent me an empty envelope.”
“It wasn’t empty when I mailed it.”
Daniel frowned.
“Intercepted?”
“Probably.”
Adrian’s organization had a leak.
That explained more than I wanted.
Then Daniel received a call.
He stepped away.
Came back thirty seconds later looking grim.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“The trust attorney was found dead.”
I froze.
“Dead?”
“Car crash.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“Accident?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Brake line.”
The old lawyer had been one of only three people who knew the exact terms of Patrick Mercer’s succession trust.
Now he was dead.
Julian knew about the twins.
Malcolm had engineered my divorce.
And someone inside Adrian’s operation was still passing information.
Then Daniel added:
“The attorney sent one email before the crash.”
“To whom?”
“You.”
Adrian took the phone.
The message contained only six words.
THE TWINS ARE NOT THE FIRST HEIRS.
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian looked genuinely confused.
“I don’t know.”
Vanessa suddenly stood.
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
May you like
She went pale.
“Adrian, your father had another child.”
