Chapter 8
Grant sat behind thick glass in the county detention center.
For the first time in sixteen years, Audrey looked at her husband and felt nothing familiar.
No warmth.
No safety.
No belief that whatever happened, Grant would stand beside her.
He wore a gray jail uniform.
His hair was messy.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes.
He picked up the phone.
Audrey did the same.
“You look tired,” he said.
She almost laughed.
“That’s what you have?”
“Audrey.”
“No.”
She leaned closer to the glass.
“You lied about Claire.”
Grant looked away.
“You lied about Boston.”
Silence.
“You knew Elena never willingly surrendered Poppy.”
His jaw tightened.
“Audrey—”
“You knew your mother committed fraud.”
“I didn’t know everything.”
“You knew enough.”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Audrey had expected the admission to hurt.
Instead, it settled something inside her.
A final door closed.
“Why?”
Grant whispered, “Because you loved her.”
Audrey stared at him.
“My father was dying. You barely slept. Then Poppy came and you…”
He swallowed.
“You came alive again.”
“So you stole another woman’s child for me?”
“No.”
“That’s exactly what happened.”
“I thought Elena had changed her mind after she signed.”
“You saw her court filings.”
Grant’s eyes filled.
“I saw them later.”
“How much later?”
“Six months.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I panicked.”
“You always panic in ways other people pay for.”
Grant flinched.
Good.
Audrey continued.
“Your mother stole Poppy from Elena. You kept her from me. Then six years later, when you realized Poppy’s inheritance could expose your financial fraud, you tried to use Elena to take her back.”
Grant stared down.
“Say something.”
“I never wanted Poppy hurt.”
Audrey’s laugh echoed through the small visitation booth.
“You let your mother tell her she wasn’t real.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“You planned to remove her from your household.”
“I was trying to fix the loans.”
“By destroying your daughter.”
“I would have reversed it after her birthday.”
Audrey stared.
Grant raised his eyes.
“I thought if Elena got temporary placement for a few weeks, the trust would shift. Claire’s baby would inherit. I could repay everything.”
“And then what?”
“I’d bring Poppy home.”
Audrey’s eyes burned.
“You thought you could throw her away temporarily.”
“That isn’t what I—”
“That is exactly what you planned.”
Grant began crying.
Audrey had seen him cry only twice.
At his father’s funeral.
At Poppy’s adoption hearing.
Now his tears did nothing.
“You signed those papers,” Audrey said. “You stood in that courtroom and promised to be her father forever.”
“I love her.”
“No.”
Grant recoiled.
“You love how she makes you feel about yourself.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Fair?”
Audrey gripped the phone.
“You want to discuss fair?”
Grant closed his eyes.
Audrey lowered her voice.
“Who is Claire’s baby’s father?”
Grant became completely still.
There it was.
Confirmation.
“You know.”
“I know you have a half brother.”
Grant’s face drained.
“Who told you?”
“Claire.”
“She talked to police?”
“Yes.”
He whispered a curse.
“Name.”
Grant rubbed his forehead.
“Ethan.”
“Ethan what?”
“Avery.”
Thomas Avery.
Grant’s biological father.
Audrey understood.
“Thomas had another son.”
“Yes.”
“Does Ethan know you’re brothers?”
“Yes.”
“How long have you known?”
“Three years.”
Another secret.
Audrey almost admired the scale of Grant’s deception.
It was architecture.
Whole rooms hidden behind walls.
“How did you find out?”
“My mother told me.”
Audrey froze.
“She told you?”
“She was drunk.”
“When?”
“Three years ago, after Poppy’s fourth birthday.”
Grant looked toward the ceiling.
“She’d been furious because Grandfather’s trustee sent another notice mentioning Poppy.”
“So she told you that you weren’t Richard’s son.”
Grant nodded.
“And you did what?”
“I got a DNA test.”
“With whom?”
“Ethan.”
“Why Ethan?”
“Thomas Avery died years ago. Ethan was easy to find.”
“And you discovered you were half brothers.”
“Yes.”
Audrey sat back.
“Then Claire slept with both of you?”
Grant winced.
“She met Ethan first.”
Audrey stared.
“Are you serious?”
“They dated.”
“For how long?”
“Almost a year.”
“And then she had an affair with you.”
Grant’s jaw tightened.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“It’s always exactly like that.”
Grant ignored the comment.
“Ethan and Claire broke up. Months later, she and I started seeing each other.”
“But the baby is Ethan’s.”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Prenatal paternity test.”
Audrey felt dizzy.
“Then why pretend it’s yours?”
Grant laughed bitterly.
“Because of the trust.”
Of course.
Everything came back to the trust.
“The secondary beneficiary is your first biological child.”
“Yes.”
“But the baby isn’t yours.”
“No.”
“So your entire plan was fraudulent twice over.”
Grant stared at her.
“Margaret thought nobody would find out.”
Audrey’s stomach turned.
“She knew.”
“Yes.”
“Claire?”
“She knew.”
Audrey felt a wave of disgust.
Three adults had constructed a fake heir.
All to strip Poppy of what Samuel intentionally left her.
“Why would Claire agree?”
“Money.”
“Ethan?”
Grant looked away.
Audrey’s instincts sharpened.
“What about Ethan?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“Doesn’t know what?”
“That Claire is pregnant.”
Audrey stared at him.
“How could he not know?”
“He moved to Singapore eight months ago.”
Audrey did the math.
Claire was seven months pregnant.
“He left before she knew.”
Grant nodded.
“And nobody told him.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if Ethan claimed paternity, the plan collapsed.”
Audrey closed her eyes.
Another person robbed of the truth.
It seemed to be the Bennett family tradition.
“Margaret is missing.”
“I know.”
“She kidnapped Claire.”
“She wouldn’t hurt her.”
“You sound very confident for someone whose mother broke into my house.”
Grant looked exhausted.
“She wants the trust.”
“No. She wants control.”
He said nothing.
Audrey studied him.
“Did Margaret send the threat about Poppy?”
Grant’s eyes snapped up.
“What threat?”
Audrey believed his surprise.
She told him.
His face changed completely.
“No.”
“Claire bought the phone.”
“Claire wouldn’t threaten Poppy.”
“You just told me Claire agreed to fake paternity for thirty-eight million dollars.”
“That’s different.”
Audrey laughed.
Grant leaned toward the glass.
“You need to listen to me.”
“No.”
“If someone threatened Poppy, it wasn’t my mother.”
“Why?”
“Because Margaret needs Poppy alive until the trust transfer is defeated legally.”
Audrey went cold.
Grant continued.
“She would never risk the trust reverting to the charitable remainder clause.”
“What charitable clause?”
Grant froze.
Audrey’s heart began pounding.
“What clause?”
He realized his mistake.
“Grant.”
He looked away.
“If neither beneficiary qualifies…”
“Yes?”
“The money goes to the Bennett Children’s Foundation.”
Audrey stared.
“So if something happened to Poppy and Claire’s baby was exposed as not yours, nobody in the family gets it.”
“Yes.”
“Then who benefits from threatening Poppy?”
Grant became quiet.
Audrey knew.
“There’s another person.”
He said nothing.
“Grant.”
“I need a deal.”
Audrey almost laughed.
“A deal?”
“I tell Harris everything. You help me with the prosecutor.”
“You are in no position to negotiate with me.”
“I can protect Poppy.”
“You had six years.”
“Audrey, please.”
She started to lower the phone.
“Victor Cole.”
Audrey stopped.
The marina worker.
The man Richard paid before his death.
“What about him?”
Grant swallowed.
“He’s involved.”
“With what?”
“My father’s accident.”
“Richard?”
“Yes.”
“Did Margaret hire him?”
Grant shook his head.
“Richard did.”
Audrey frowned.
“That makes no sense.”
“Richard paid Victor to sabotage the boat.”
Audrey stared.
“His own boat?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
The answer was so absurd Audrey almost missed the horror beneath it.
Grant continued.
“Richard planned to create a mechanical failure, abandon the boat near shore, and collect on a policy.”
“But he died.”
“The steering failed earlier than expected.”
“Victor caused it?”
Grant nodded.
“Accidentally?”
“I don’t know.”
Audrey thought of the old documents.
The canceled check.
Richard blaming Margaret.
Samuel never discovering the truth.
“What does Victor have to do with Poppy?”
“He found out about the trust.”
“How?”
“Margaret.”
Audrey felt sick.
“When?”
“Years ago.”
“And?”
“Victor has been blackmailing her.”
“For Richard’s death?”
“For everything.”
Grant leaned closer.
“He knows about my paternity. Elena. The adoption. The trust.”
“How?”
“My mother talks when she’s scared.”
“So Victor wants money.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Five million.”
“And if Poppy inherits?”
“Margaret has no control over the money.”
Audrey understood.
“If Claire’s baby inherits, Margaret planned to control it through you.”
“Yes.”
“So Victor needs Poppy disqualified.”
“Yes.”
“And if legal plans fail?”
Grant looked terrified.
“That message may be his warning.”
Audrey’s hands became cold.
“Where is Victor?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does he know where Poppy is?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does Margaret?”
“No.”
“Claire?”
“No.”
Audrey stood.
Grant pressed his palm to the glass.
“Audrey.”
She paused.
“Tell Poppy I love her.”
Audrey stared at him.
“No.”
Grant looked shattered.
“You don’t get to make me carry your words anymore.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“Then act like it.”
“How?”
Audrey looked at him for a long moment.
“Tell Harris everything.”
“Will you help me?”
“No.”
His face fell.
“But maybe telling the truth once in your life will help her.”
Audrey left.
Detective Harris was waiting outside.
She told him everything.
Within an hour, police were searching for Victor Cole.
Daniel called Ethan Avery in Singapore.
At first, Ethan thought it was a scam.
Then Daniel sent documents.
A DNA report Grant had hidden.
A photograph of Claire.
A copy of the prenatal test.
Twenty minutes later, Ethan called back.
Audrey joined by speaker.
His voice shook.
“Claire is pregnant with my child?”
“Yes,” Audrey said.
“And Grant knew?”
“Yes.”
“My brother.”
The word sounded poisoned.
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
There was silence.
Then Ethan asked the question Audrey feared.
“Is Claire safe?”
“She is with police.”
“I’m coming home.”
After the call, Audrey returned to the cabin.
Poppy ran to her.
“Mom!”
Audrey dropped to her knees and hugged her.
Nothing mattered like that embrace.
Elena stood nearby.
“Everything okay?”
“No.”
Audrey looked at her.
“But we know who may have sent the threat.”
She explained Victor.
Elena’s face went pale.
“I know that name.”
Audrey froze.
“What?”
“Victor Cole.”
“You know him?”
Elena nodded slowly.
“He was at the hospital when Poppy was born.”
Audrey’s skin prickled.
“What was he doing there?”
“I thought he worked for Margaret.”
“He was a marina mechanic.”
“He told me he was her driver.”
Audrey felt the nightmare expanding again.
“What did Victor do?”
Elena’s lips trembled.
“The night before Poppy disappeared, I woke up and saw him standing beside her hospital bassinet.”
Audrey’s blood ran cold.
“What was he doing?”
Elena looked at Poppy.
May you like
Then whispered.
“He was taking pictures.”
