Chapter 12 - The Call Before the Stroke
My father sounded furious.
“You forged my signature.”
Charles answered, “We protected Alexandre.”
“You protected your merger.”
Robert tried to calm them.
My father refused.
“I changed the trust. The child is protected.”
Charles said, “Then change it back.”
“No.”
“If you don’t, Alexandre loses Hale.”
My father laughed.
“Then let him lose it.”
That sounded like him.
Charles’s voice sharpened.
“You think Olivia will survive a custody fight with us?”
Silence.
Then my father said, “Stay away from that woman and her child.”
Robert spoke next.
“Brother, be reasonable.”
“No.”
“Your heart can’t take this.”
A strange sentence.
Not proof of anything.
But ugly.
My father answered, “Don’t threaten me with my own health.”
The call ended.
Two hours later, he had the stroke.
That night, Emma visited Olivia.
I stood outside the room while mother and daughter held each other.
Ava slept between them.
Then Olivia called me in.
Olivia finally said, “Ava’s father is dead.”
I looked at her.
“His name was Ben.”
She smiled sadly.
“He was good to Emma.”
I felt something complicated.
Gratitude toward a man I would never meet.
Jealousy I didn’t deserve.
Grief for a family that had already lost someone.
Olivia said, “I’m not asking you to replace him.”
“I know.”
Emma looked between us.
“Can I have two dads if one is in heaven?”
My throat closed.
“Yes.”
She nodded like that solved it.
Then Lena called.
Camille’s phone had been unlocked.
Investigators found messages with her father.
One text from Camille stood out.
IF EMMA WALKS INTO THAT WEDDING, EVERYTHING IS OVER.
Charles replied:
THEN MAKE SURE SHE DOESN’T.
Camille responded:
I WON’T HURT A CHILD.
Charles answered:
I DIDN’T ASK YOU TO.
May you like
The next message came from Eric Sloan.
I HAVE A CAR READY.
