Chapter 10 - LAUREN KNEW FIRST
Nathan opened an old file.
Inside was the police report from the day their mother died.
Victor Pierce was not listed as a passenger.
Then Nathan placed a marina receipt beside it.
Signed V. Pierce.
Forty-three minutes before the boat left.
Grace stared.
"Dad knew?"
"He suspected."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"He hired investigators."
"Nothing criminal was proven."
Caleb added another document.
Victor had once sued Holloway Infrastructure over a major public project.
He lost millions.
His company almost collapsed.
Grace finally understood.
"This is about Dad."
"Partly," Nathan said.
"Victor has wanted access to Holloway files for years."
"Walker Development gave him a way in."
"And Lauren gave him Ethan," Grace replied.
Marcus's phone rang.
He listened, then cursed.
"Martin's SUV was found behind Walker Development."
"Lauren?"
"Missing."
Caleb's laptop chimed.
A restricted archive had just been accessed from Ethan's CEO office.
Nathan grabbed his coat.
Grace reached for hers.
All three brothers objected.
She stared them down.
"I am done being the last person in the room to know what's happening."
They drove to Walker Development.
By the time they reached the executive floor, the safe was open.
Jenna's flash drive had survived.
The originals were gone.
Then Caleb found a second recording.
Lauren speaking to someone Grace recognized from business interviews.
Victor Pierce.
"Once Ethan signs the sale," Lauren said, "Wren is exposed."
Victor answered.
"And Grace?"
Lauren hesitated.
"She'll be out of the way."
Victor's voice turned cold.
"She had better be."
Grace looked at her brothers.
For the first time, none of them tried to soften the truth.
May you like
Lauren had known Grace's identity first.
And Victor's plan had always required Grace to lose more than a marriage.
