Chapter 5 - Someone Was Wearing Nathan's Name

Nathan did not sleep.

By midnight, Grace and Lily were under police protection, and Elias had torn apart the estate security logs.

At 1:17 a.m., he called.

"The override used a legacy administrator backdoor."

"Created by whom?"

"Your father."

Grace stood beside Nathan in the hospital corridor and heard every word.

"That backdoor should have died with Edward," Elias continued. "It didn't."

"Who still has access?"

"I found three names."

Nathan waited.

"Edward Cole."

"Dead."

"Martin Vance."

Victoria's father.

"And the third?"

"Charles Mercer."

Nathan felt something cold settle in his chest.

Charles had served as Cole Meridian's general counsel for twenty-seven years. He had been Edward's closest adviser.

He had also drafted Nathan and Victoria's prenup.

Their wedding was nine days away.

After the call, Grace leaned against the wall.

"This is why I stayed gone."

"I know."

"No. You don't."

Her voice sharpened.

"I tried to contact you after Lily was born."

Nathan stared at her.

"I mailed three letters to your office. I called once from a prepaid phone."

"What happened?"

"Your assistant transferred me to your father."

Nathan's face hardened.

"He knew where I was calling from. He said Lily's pediatrician would lose her license if I contacted you again."

Nathan looked through the glass at Lily sleeping under a hospital blanket.

"So you stopped."

"I was twenty-five, alone, and terrified. Yes."

"Why come back now?"

"I didn't come back for you. I needed work. The agency placed me under my middle name. I didn't know the house was yours until my first day."

"And you stayed."

"Because rent was late. Because Lily's school deposit was due. Because disappearing is expensive."

Nathan flinched.

Grace folded her arms around herself.

"You never recognized me."

"I thought I did. I kept telling myself I was imagining it."

"Exactly."

His phone buzzed again.

Elias sent the access report.

Three active legacy users.

Edward Cole.

Martin Vance.

Charles Mercer.

Nathan looked at the date on the log.

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One login had occurred two days before Grace started work at the house.

Which meant her placement there might not have been an accident either.