Chapter 10 - THE MAN WHO COULDN'T BUY FORGIVENESS
Vincent arrived at my new townhouse carrying flowers.
White lilies.
My favorite.
Seven years ago, I would have opened the door immediately.
Now I watched him through the security camera and felt something I hadn't expected.
Nothing.
No excitement.
No relief.
Only exhaustion.
He rang once.
Then waited.
He didn't pound on the door.
He didn't demand that I come outside.
Eventually, he stepped backward and called Rachel.
She answered.
"Mr. Moretti, Claire has requested no unannounced visits."
Vincent looked toward the door.
"I understand."
"Then please leave."
He nodded.
"Tell her I'm sorry."
Rachel paused.
"She already knows you're sorry."
Vincent's face tightened.
"Then what does she need?"
"Space."
He looked down at the flowers.
Then quietly walked away.
I watched until his car disappeared.
Then I sat on the floor and cried.
Because part of me had wanted him to fight.
The old version of me wanted him to pound on the door.
To demand forgiveness.
To prove I still mattered.
But the woman I was becoming understood something different.
Real love didn't force its way back into your life.
It respected the door you chose to close.
Three days later, Rachel informed me that Vincent had signed the temporary financial separation agreement.
My accounts were no longer monitored.
My ownership rights were protected.
And the corporate investigation continued without requiring me to negotiate directly with him.
He'd also agreed to cooperate fully with authorities regarding Vanessa and Anthony.
But there was another development.
Vanessa had disappeared.
Her apartment was empty.
Her company laptop wiped.
And several offshore accounts had been drained.
Investigators believed she was preparing to leave the country.
Then Daniel Reed contacted the police again.
He claimed his sister had called him from a private number.
She was frightened.
And she wanted to negotiate.
According to Daniel, Vanessa had discovered Anthony intended to blame her for the entire scheme.
She had copies of messages proving his involvement.
But she refused to surrender without protection.
The investigators arranged a controlled interview.
Vanessa arrived wearing sunglasses and a beige coat.
She looked tired.
For once, there was no expensive jewelry.
No smug smile.
No perfectly styled hair.
She sat across from the investigators and handed over a flash drive.
"Everything is here."
The lead investigator examined it.
"Does this include the instructions concerning Mrs. Moretti's vehicle?"
Vanessa nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
"I never wanted anyone to die."
The investigator didn't respond.
Vanessa swallowed.
"Anthony said Claire would only be frightened."
"And you believed him?"
She looked away.
"I wanted the merger."
The admission hung in the room.
Then she whispered:
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Vincent's uncle wasn't the person who started this."
The investigator leaned forward.
"Who did?"
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"Someone inside the medical company."
My stomach tightened when Rachel later relayed the information.
Because the medical company was Meridian Health Solutions.
The company that had accessed my pregnancy results.
And its chief executive was a woman I'd known since childhood.
May you like
My father's second wife.
Eleanor Bennett.
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