Chapter 8 - The Night Grace Vanished
Grace had never told the full story.
Not even to Lily.
Five years earlier, she had gone to Charles Cole’s office after receiving his threats.
She planned to record him.
Instead, Richard Vale was waiting inside.
Victoria was there too.
Nathan felt sick listening to her describe it.
Victoria had been twenty-six.
Already being introduced publicly as Nathan’s likely future wife.
Grace had confronted her.
Victoria told her Nathan had chosen the merger.
Grace refused to believe it.
Then Richard placed a folder on the desk.
Inside were photographs of Grace’s mother.
Her younger brother.
Her apartment.
Her doctor’s office.
Her bank account.
“They knew everything.”
Grace’s voice trembled.
“They said if I stayed, my brother would be charged with a crime he didn’t commit.”
Nathan clenched his fists.
Grace continued.
“They said my mother’s medical insurance would disappear.”
Richard then showed Grace a forged police report accusing her of stealing three million dollars.
The same fraud now being resurrected.
Nathan asked the question he feared.
“What did my father do?”
“He stood there.”
Grace’s eyes filled.
“He didn’t stop them.”
Nathan looked away.
Grace continued.
“At the end, Victoria walked me to the elevator.”
Victoria said nothing.
Grace looked directly at her.
“You remember.”
Victoria folded her arms.
Grace’s voice hardened.
“You told me that children born in the wrong place at the wrong time were accidents history corrected.”
Nathan stared at Victoria.
“Did you say that?”
Victoria’s composure cracked.
“I was twenty-six.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I was protecting my family.”
Grace laughed bitterly.
“You threatened my unborn baby.”
“I never touched Lily.”
“You tried today.”
Victoria looked away.
Nathan took out his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling the police back.”
Richard’s attorneys had prevented immediate questioning earlier by claiming Victoria had acted in self-defense.
Now Nathan had a witness to a pattern of threats.
Victoria moved toward him.
“Nathan.”
He stepped away.
Then the lights went out.
The entire estate fell into darkness.
Grace grabbed Lily.
Daniel swore.
Mrs. Alvarez screamed from the hallway.
Nathan pulled out his phone flashlight.
The backup generator should have activated instantly.
It didn’t.
A crash came from the library.
Nathan ran.
The hidden bookshelf was open.
The steel archive door stood ajar.
Someone had entered.
Daniel lifted the brass key.
“I still have the key.”
Nathan stared.
That meant there was another way in.
Footsteps sounded below.
Nathan moved toward the opening.
Grace caught his sleeve.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her.
“If the proof disappears, Richard wins.”
Nathan descended into the darkness.
At the bottom of the stairs, he found an open room.
Metal cabinets lined the walls.
May you like
Files covered the floor.
Someone had already started a fire.
