Chapter 4 - The Emergency Order
At the hospital, a doctor confirmed Grace had a severe bruise but no fracture.
Nathan waited outside while Lily sat beside her mother and asked, "Is Mommy broken?"
"No, sweetheart," the doctor said.
Nathan closed his eyes.
He wanted to promise Lily she would never be afraid again.
But he had learned in one night how little his promises were worth when he did not know the truth.
Sergeant Ruiz approached with the emergency petition.
"It alleges neglect, unstable housing, multiple aliases, and deliberate concealment of a child from the biological father."
"Who filed it?"
"An attorney for an unnamed interested party."
"Victoria."
"We need proof."
Grace stepped into the hall wearing a sling.
"I have proof."
She held a battered envelope.
Five years earlier, when Edward forced her into the town car, Grace had switched on a cheap voice recorder she used for school lectures.
Twenty-three minutes of threats survived on a microSD card hidden inside her suitcase lining.
Nathan stared. "You recorded him?"
"I thought he was going to offer me money. I didn't know how bad it was."
Ruiz asked, "Any copies?"
"One. I sent it to a lawyer named Daniel Cross."
"Where is he?"
"Dead."
Nathan went still.
"Car accident," Grace said. "Three years ago. Police said he fell asleep."
"You don't believe that," Ruiz said.
"No."
Nathan immediately called Elias Ward, his head of security.
"Lock down my house. Pull ninety days of camera access. Nobody deletes anything."
Elias was silent.
"What?" Nathan asked.
"The kitchen cameras were disabled at 3:42 this afternoon."
Grace looked at him.
"By whom?"
"Executive override."
"Whose credentials?"
Another pause.
"Yours."
Nathan stared at the wall.
"I was in Midtown."
"I know."
That meant the attack, the petition, and the missing footage all pointed in the same direction.
Someone was not merely targeting Grace.
May you like
Someone was wearing Nathan's identity while doing it.
And the only people with that kind of access were inside his world.
