Chapter 5 - THE MAN AT MY DOOR
Ethan pounded on the door.
“Mara.”
I didn’t move.
“Mara, open the door.”
Luka stood ten feet away.
He didn’t tell me what to do.
That mattered.
For years, Ethan had made every decision sound like something I had chosen.
Luka simply waited.
I opened the door but kept the security chain attached.
Ethan looked exhausted.
Richard looked furious.
“You need to come home,” Ethan said.
“This is my home.”
His expression flickered.
“So Moretti has already started poisoning you.”
“No.”
I looked at Richard.
“You did that long before he arrived.”
Richard stepped closer.
“Mara, your father was unstable near the end.”
“Don’t talk about him.”
“He filled your head with fears.”
“My father never told me anything.”
Richard’s mouth tightened.
Exactly.
He had said too much.
Behind me, Amelia spoke.
“Mr. Cole, you’re trespassing on trust property.”
Richard’s face went pale when he recognized her.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“My job.”
Ethan looked between them.
“What trust?”
I stared at him.
That reaction seemed genuine.
He hadn’t known everything.
Richard had.
“You told me this house was sold.”
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
“My father handled Daniel’s estate.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
He glanced at Richard.
Then back at me.
“I was told it was sold.”
Luka finally approached.
Richard saw him and froze.
“Moretti.”
“Cole.”
The hatred between them felt older than my marriage.
Richard pointed toward me.
“She has nothing to do with your family.”
Luka’s expression barely changed.
“You sure?”
Richard’s eyes flicked toward Sophie.
That single glance terrified me.
Luka noticed too.
“What do you know about her?”
Richard recovered.
“Nothing.”
“You looked at the baby.”
“She’s standing there holding a baby.”
“No.”
Luka moved closer.
“You looked at Sophie the same way you looked at Mara twenty-five years ago.”
I stared at him.
“Twenty-five years ago?”
Richard’s face drained.
Ethan frowned.
“What is he talking about?”
Luka looked at Richard.
“Tell him.”
Richard said nothing.
“Tell your son why you were at St. Vincent the night Mara was born.”
My heart hammered.
Ethan turned toward his father.
“You knew Mara when she was born?”
Richard backed away.
“This conversation is over.”
Luka’s voice hardened.
“That night has a file number.”
Richard stopped.
“M-17.”
For the first time, Richard Cole lost control.
“You don’t know what’s in that file.”
“No.”
Luka stepped closer.
“But you just confirmed there is one.”
Richard’s face changed.
He realized his mistake.
Ethan whispered, “Dad?”
Richard turned toward his son.
“Get in the car.”
“No.”
Ethan looked at me.
“What is M-17?”
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Richard seized Ethan’s arm.
“Now.”
Ethan pulled free.
Then the front pocket of Richard’s coat buzzed.
A phone.
He looked at the screen.
His expression collapsed.
Luka saw it.
“What happened?”
Richard said nothing.
Amelia’s phone rang seconds later.
She answered.
Listened.
Then slowly smiled.
“What?” I asked.
She looked at Richard.
“Someone just tried to liquidate the Bennett trust.”
My eyes moved to Ethan.
Amelia continued.
“The authorization carried Mara’s electronic signature.”
I had never authorized anything.
May you like
Ethan’s face turned white.
And suddenly I knew exactly who had.
