Chapter 6 - The Emergency Room

The wedding ended under fluorescent hospital lights.

Lily recovered quickly after treatment, but Jenna stayed beside the criblike hospital bed, one hand resting on her daughter’s leg.

Ethan stood at the foot of the bed in his tuxedo, his bow tie gone, his shirt collar open.

“I should have known,” he said.

Jenna did not look at him. “You should have answered one letter.”

“I never saw them.”

“You blocked my number.”

“I changed it after Claire said you were harassing her.”

Jenna finally looked up. “I never called Claire.”

That hurt more than anger would have.

A nurse entered and confirmed Lily could go home after another hour of observation.

Ethan nodded, then said, “I want the legal paternity test.”

Jenna’s shoulders tightened.

“Not because I doubt you,” he added. “Because if she’s mine, I want there to be no way anyone can erase her again.”

Jenna studied his face, then nodded once.

In the hallway, Margaret waited with Noah.

“The police took the cake base and the recorder,” Noah said. “Security pulled all kitchen footage.”

“And Claire?”

“She left with her mother.”

Ethan swore under his breath.

Margaret held up a phone. “Not before sending me this.”

It was a photo.

Daniel’s car, taken the night he died.

The hood was open.

A man in a dark suit stood beside it.

Victor Lang.

On the back of the image, photographed clearly enough to read, someone had written:

HE FOUND THE SECOND BOOK.

Ethan frowned. “What second book?”

Margaret’s fingers trembled.

For the first time that night, she looked old.

“Your grandfather kept two sets of records when he built the company,” she said. “One official. One private.”

“For taxes?”

“No.”

She swallowed.

“For people he paid to keep quiet.”

Ethan stared at her.

Margaret looked through the hospital glass at Lily.

“Daniel found that book three days before he died.”

Then Noah’s phone buzzed.

He read the message and went pale.

“Room 1714 is empty,” he said. “Victor checked out twenty minutes ago.”

“And the security camera?”

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Noah looked at Ethan.

“Deleted.”