Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Brought Flowers
Sarah remembered the flowers.
White roses.
Victoria had placed them beside the hospital bed.
Sarah had been exhausted, frightened, and alone.
Leo had slept against her chest.
Victoria had stood at the window and spoken gently.
“You should start somewhere new.”
At the time, Sarah believed it was pity.
Now she understood.
Victoria had not come to apologize.
She had come to confirm Leo existed.
Sarah stood from Margaret’s kitchen table.
“I want to confront her.”
Julian blocked the doorway.
“No.”
“Get out of my way.”
“Sarah, if Victoria falsified a death notification, she may have committed multiple felonies.”
“Exactly.”
“And she already threatened you at the gala.”
Sarah’s voice cracked.
“She erased my son.”
Julian’s anger matched hers.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
The room went quiet.
Sarah pointed toward him.
“You were wealthy.”
“You had investigators.”
“You had assistants.”
“You had private planes.”
“I had a baby who cried every night because he had reflux and no father.”
Julian took the words without defending himself.
Sarah continued.
“I worked in a laundromat during the day and cleaned offices at night.”
“When Leo got pneumonia, I slept in a hospital chair for four nights.”
“When he asked why every other child had a daddy at school events, I told him his father lived far away.”
Her eyes filled.
“You do not get to say you know.”
Julian’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“You’re right.”
Sarah stopped.
“I don’t know what those years cost you.”
He looked toward the hallway where Leo was coloring with Margaret.
“But I want to spend the rest of my life making sure you never carry everything alone again.”
Sarah looked away.
She was not ready to forgive him.
But for the first time, she believed he might deserve the chance to try.
Margaret’s phone buzzed.
She answered.
Her face drained.
“What happened?”
Julian asked.
Margaret slowly lowered the phone.
“My office was broken into.”
Sarah stared at her.
“The trust files?”
“Gone.”
Julian immediately called security.
Margaret shook her head.
“That is not the worst part.”
She reached for her purse.
“I never keep originals in my office.”
From inside, she removed a small brass key.
“The originals are in a private vault.”
Julian exhaled.
“Good.”
Margaret did not look relieved.
“Someone else knows.”
“How?”
“Because ten minutes ago the bank called.”
May you like
She looked directly at Sarah.
“Someone using my identification is already inside the vault.”
