Chapter 19 - The Mother Behind the Curtain
"No," Damon said. "My mother tried to expose them."
Hannah traced the baby’s cheek with the back of her finger. Damon could see how carefully she moved, as though she feared any sudden gesture might wake her from a dream. He wanted to tell her she was home, but he knew home was no longer just a building. It was work they would do together.
"She did," Hannah replied. "After helping create the system."
The room tilted around him. Hannah took his hand before he could pull away.
"She thought she was funding treatments for sick children. When she discovered how consent was being faked, she collected proof and tried to shut it down. Warren forced her out, but some of the original funding documents still carry her name. Cross used that to make her look responsible for everything."
"Then where is she?"
"I don't know. Warren claimed she was dead. I found evidence she was moved under an assumed name, but not where."
Tessa joined them with the hard facts. Search warrants had uncovered enough records to support arrests and expanded investigations. Grant had agreed to provide testimony after speaking with his lawyer. Celeste's recordings linked Warren to the attempted transfer of Noah. Cross had fled the church before the raid but was being sought.
"And Warren?" Damon asked.
"Taken into custody this morning."
Damon should have felt relieved. Instead he remembered Warren teaching him to swim, bandaging a skinned knee, pretending not to notice when Damon stole cookies from the kitchen. Betrayal didn't erase those moments. It poisoned them.
Hannah looked at him. "You didn't know what they were doing. None of this is yours to carry."
"I brought Celeste into our house. I let Grant guard our son."
"They worked to fool you. Now we have to decide what we do with the truth."
A soft knock came at the door. Maya entered with a nurse and a small rolling bassinet. Noah lay inside, wide-eyed and awake.
Hannah reached for him with trembling hands. Damon helped settle him against her chest. The baby stared at her, then made a small indignant squeak.
"Hi, sweetheart," she whispered. "I'm your mom."
For the first time in weeks, Noah quieted without a struggle.
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Damon was still watching them when Tessa's phone rang. She answered, listened, then looked at him.
"Cross has been found," she said. "He wants to trade your mother's location for immunity."
