Chapter 2
The ambulance arrived six minutes later.
To Emma, it felt like an hour.
She sat on the floor beside her unconscious mother, holding her hand while paramedics worked.
Elias stood near the wall.
He looked like a man who had just seen a ghost.
Because in many ways, he had.
Katherine Blackwood had disappeared eleven years earlier.
Police had searched three states.
Private investigators had searched the country.
Elias had spent millions trying to find her.
Eventually, everyone had accepted the same explanation.
Katherine had stolen company money.
She had run away.
And she wanted nothing to do with her family.
Everyone except Elias.
There had always been one part of the story he couldn't understand.
His daughter had disappeared without taking the antique silver locket that belonged to her mother.
Katherine had worn it every day since she was fourteen.
She had left it on her bedroom dresser.
Elias had kept it in his safe ever since.
The paramedic looked at him.
"Are you family?"
Elias couldn't answer.
Emma did.
"I'm her daughter."
The paramedic nodded.
"We're taking her to Mercy General."
"No," Elias said immediately. "St. Catherine's."
Emma looked at him.
The paramedic hesitated.
"Sir, Mercy is closer."
"St. Catherine's is seven minutes farther and has her medical history."
Katherine's eyes suddenly opened.
"No."
Everyone stopped.
She struggled to breathe.
"No Blackwood hospital."
"Katherine—"
"Don't call me that."
Emma's face crumpled.
"Mom?"
Katherine squeezed her hand.
"I'm okay, baby."
"No, you're not."
Katherine looked at Elias.
There was no love in her eyes.
Only fear.
"You cannot take us back there."
"Why?"
"You know why."
"I don't."
"That's what you always say."
The paramedic interrupted.
"We need to move her."
Elias stepped aside.
They carried Katherine down the stairs.
Emma climbed into the ambulance.
Elias followed.
"You can't come," Katherine whispered.
"I waited eleven years."
"I didn't ask you to."
"Then tell me why."
"Not now."
"When?"
"When I know my daughter is safe."
Elias looked at Emma.
"Safe from whom?"
Katherine shut her eyes.
"Your son."
Elias went still.
"Richard?"
Katherine didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
At Mercy General, doctors rushed her into the emergency department.
Emma was told to wait.
She sat in a plastic chair with her backpack pressed against her chest.
Elias sat across from her.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Finally Emma asked, "Are you really my mom's father?"
Elias looked at her.
"I believe I am."
"She told me her father was dead."
The words hurt more than he expected.
"I suppose, to her, I was."
Emma studied him.
"Did you hurt her?"
"I don't know."
"That's not an answer."
"No."
Elias leaned forward.
"I never hit her. I never abandoned her. But sometimes people can hurt someone without understanding what they're doing."
Emma looked away.
"My mom doesn't lie."
"I believe you."
"Her name is Sarah."
"She may have changed it."
"Why?"
"I hope she'll tell us."
A nurse came through the doors.
"Family of Sarah Reed?"
Emma jumped up.
"Me."
The nurse gave her a gentle smile.
"Your mother is stable."
Emma nearly collapsed with relief.
"Can I see her?"
"In a few minutes."
The nurse looked at Elias.
"She has severe anemia and signs of chronic kidney disease. We're admitting her."
Elias frowned.
"Kidney disease?"
The nurse nodded.
"She's been ill for some time."
Emma lowered her eyes.
Elias's jaw tightened.
Katherine had been sick while he lived in a penthouse six blocks away.
He could have paid for every doctor in the country.
Instead, his daughter had been hiding in an apartment where the heat barely worked.
A familiar voice came from behind him.
"Father."
Elias turned.
Richard Blackwood stood at the end of the hallway.
Tall.
Perfectly dressed.
Calm.
Vivienne stood beside him wearing a different dress now, dark blue, expensive, spotless.
Elias rose slowly.
"How did you know we were here?"
Richard smiled.
"Vivienne told me what happened at the restaurant."
His gaze moved to Emma.
For a fraction of a second, something dark crossed his face.
Then it disappeared.
"So this is the girl."
Emma moved closer to Elias without realizing it.
Richard noticed.
"Where is Katherine?"
"How do you know she's Katherine?"
Richard's smile faded.
"Vivienne said you thought the girl's mother might be her."
"I didn't tell Vivienne that."
Silence.
Vivienne stepped forward.
"You said the scar matched."
"I said nothing about Katherine."
Richard sighed.
"Father, this is not the time for games."
"You're right."
Elias stared at him.
"So answer the question."
Richard loosened his tie.
"I assumed. Who else would you connect to that scar?"
It was possible.
But something didn't feel right.
Elias had built an international business empire by noticing when people answered questions too quickly.
Richard had answered too quickly.
Emma suddenly whispered, "You're him."
Richard looked at her.
"What?"
She backed away.
"You're Uncle Richard."
His expression froze.
Elias stared at Emma.
"Your mother told you about him?"
"No."
"Then how do you know?"
Emma's hand disappeared into her backpack.
She pulled out an old photograph.
It was worn at the edges.
The picture showed Katherine when she was younger.
Beside her was Richard.
Emma pointed.
"Mom keeps this hidden in a box."
Richard stepped forward.
"Give me that."
Emma pulled back.
Elias moved between them.
"Why?"
Richard stopped.
"I simply want to see it."
"You've seen photographs of yourself before."
"Father, don't be ridiculous."
Elias took the photograph from Emma.
On the back was handwriting.
Katherine's handwriting.
If anything happens to me, Richard knows why.
Elias felt cold.
He looked up.
Richard had seen the message.
For the first time, his son lost control.
Only for a second.
But Elias saw it.
Vivienne saw it too.
"That proves nothing," Richard said.
"Did I say it did?"
"She's been missing for eleven years. We have no idea what mental state she's in."
Emma stared at him.
"She's not crazy."
Richard softened his voice.
"I didn't say she was."
"You were thinking it."
Vivienne scoffed.
"Children should stay out of adult conversations."
Emma immediately recognized her.
Her eyes filled with fear.
"You."
Vivienne folded her arms.
"It was an accident at the restaurant."
"You threw me."
"I reacted badly."
"You said I should be grateful you didn't have me arrested."
Elias turned.
Vivienne's face changed.
"She misunderstood."
Emma shook her head.
"You told the manager to call the police."
"Enough," Richard said.
Emma flinched.
Elias stepped closer to his son.
"Don't raise your voice at her."
Richard stared at his father.
"You met this child an hour ago."
"And I have already seen more courage from her than from most adults I know."
The doors opened.
A doctor approached.
"Emma?"
"Yes?"
"Your mother is asking for you."
Emma hurried forward.
The doctor glanced at Elias.
"She also asked for Mr. Elias Blackwood."
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Did she ask for me?"
"No."
The doctor turned away.
Elias followed Emma.
Behind him Richard called, "Father."
Elias stopped.
"Be careful."
"Of what?"
"Of believing everything she tells you."
Elias looked back.
"Interesting advice."
Then he walked through the doors.
Katherine was lying in a hospital bed.
An IV ran into her arm.
She looked small beneath the blanket.
Emma climbed beside her.
Katherine kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry."
"You scared me."
"I know."
Elias remained near the door.
Katherine looked at him.
"You brought Richard."
"I didn't."
Fear filled her eyes.
"He knows?"
"He knows you're here."
"Then we don't have much time."
Elias moved closer.
"What happened eleven years ago?"
Katherine looked at Emma.
"Baby, go ask the nurse for water."
"I'm not leaving."
"Emma."
"No."
Katherine almost smiled.
"Just like me."
Elias whispered, "Exactly like you."
The smile vanished.
Katherine looked at him.
"You want the truth?"
"More than anything."
"Then listen carefully."
She took a breath.
"I didn't steal eight million dollars."
Elias's eyes hardened.
"I never believed—"
"Yes, you did."
He fell silent.
"You believed enough to remove me from the company. You believed enough to freeze my accounts. You believed enough to tell me I had embarrassed this family."
Elias looked down.
"I was angry."
"You destroyed me."
Emma squeezed her mother's hand.
Katherine continued.
"Richard forged my signature."
Elias looked up.
"He created shell companies. He moved money through accounts in my name. When I found out, I copied everything."
"Where are the copies?"
"I hid them."
"Why didn't you give them to me?"
"I tried."
Her voice broke.
"The night I came to your house, Richard stopped me in the garage."
Elias's face went pale.
"He told me you already knew."
"What?"
"He said you had chosen him."
"Katherine, I never—"
"He showed me a document."
"What document?"
"A revised inheritance agreement."
Elias stared at her.
"It left everything to Richard."
"I never signed such a document."
"I know that now."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"But I didn't know then."
"What happened after the garage?"
Katherine closed her eyes.
"He told me to disappear."
"And you did?"
"No."
She looked at Emma.
"I was pregnant."
Elias's breath caught.
"Richard knew."
Emma looked confused.
Katherine stroked her daughter's hair.
"He said if I went to the police, my baby would never be safe."
Elias gripped the side of the bed.
"He threatened an unborn child?"
"He did more than threaten."
Katherine looked directly at him.
"Two nights later, someone forced my car off the road."
Emma went still.
Elias whispered, "The accident."
"You knew?"
"There was an abandoned car found near Albany. It was registered under a false name."
"Mine."
"Why didn't police connect it?"
"Because Richard made sure they didn't."
The door opened.
A nurse stepped inside.
"I'm sorry. We need to take her for imaging."
Katherine grabbed Elias's wrist.
Her grip was surprisingly strong.
"There is proof."
"Where?"
"In the Blackwood Grand."
Elias stared at her.
"The hotel?"
"In the old founder's suite."
"What am I looking for?"
She whispered, "Mother's music box."
Elias's face changed.
He remembered it.
An antique wooden music box that had belonged to his late wife.
Katherine had hidden things inside it as a child.
"The evidence is still there?"
"If Richard hasn't found it."
The nurse began moving the bed.
Katherine didn't release Elias.
"And Dad?"
It was the first time she had called him that.
His eyes filled.
"Yes?"
"If anything happens to me, take Emma somewhere Richard cannot find her."
Elias's voice hardened.
"Nothing is going to happen to you."
Katherine's fingers slipped from his wrist.
The bed rolled away.
Elias turned.
Richard stood behind the glass doors at the end of the hallway.
Watching.
Then Elias's phone rang.
His private attorney, Daniel Mercer, was calling.
Elias answered.
"Daniel?"
The lawyer sounded shaken.
"Mr. Blackwood, I need to speak with you immediately."
"What happened?"
"Someone accessed your estate documents this afternoon."
Elias looked at Richard.
"Who?"
There was a pause.
May you like
Then Daniel said,
"Your son."
