Chapter 9: The Child Margaret Tried to Hide
Nobody spoke.
I looked at Vanessa, waiting for her to explain.
Tyler was the first to react.
"My mother had a baby?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Six months ago.""
"That's impossible. She's sixty-one!""
"She used a surrogate.""
Michael slowly sat down.
Rachel looked stunned.
"Are you saying Margaret arranged a surrogacy privately?""
Vanessa nodded again.
"She didn't want anyone to know. She said the child would be raised by someone else until the inheritance situation was settled.""
Tyler stared at her.
"Why would she do that?""
Vanessa looked at him.
"Because she wanted an heir she could control.""
The words landed like a slap.
Michael leaned forward.
"Explain exactly what you know.""
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"Margaret told me that your father's trust could pass to biological grandchildren if Tyler died. But she was worried that Emily's twins would inherit everything.""
Rachel interrupted.
"That isn't entirely accurate. The trust has multiple provisions, and the children would have rights regardless of Margaret's personal preferences.""
Vanessa nodded.
"She didn't care about the legal details. She believed that if she had another biological grandchild, she could challenge the existing arrangement.""
Tyler shook his head.
"She had a baby to steal my inheritance?""
"She had a baby because she wanted a child who would belong to her," Vanessa replied.
"The money was part of it, but not all of it.""
Michael looked at his wife.
"And you agreed to help her?""
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"She paid me.""
"How much?""
"Three hundred thousand dollars.""
Michael leaned back.
For a moment, he looked more disappointed than angry.
"You used our marriage as cover for a criminal scheme.""
Vanessa lowered her head.
"I was desperate.""
"You had a husband who trusted you.""
She began crying harder.
Michael turned away.
Rachel asked another question.
"Where is the child now?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"With Margaret.""
"Where?""
"I don't know exactly.""
"Try again.""
Vanessa looked toward the floor.
"She has a house in Coral Gables. A private property she bought under a company name.""
Michael exchanged a glance with Rachel.
"Do you have the address?""
Vanessa nodded.
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out a small folded card.
I watched her hands tremble.
"She gave me this last week. She said that if anything happened, I should bring the twins there.""
I stared at her.
"You were supposed to bring my daughters to that house?""
Vanessa nodded.
I felt sick.
Rachel took the card.
"Don't touch anything else. We need to preserve this.""
Tyler suddenly stood.
"I'm going to find my mother.""
Michael blocked him.
"You're not going anywhere alone.""
"She's my mother!""
"And she may be involved in an attempted kidnapping and financial fraud.""
Tyler's face crumpled.
"How did this happen?""
I looked at him.
"Because you never asked questions.""
He turned toward me.
"Emily...""
"You let your mother control our marriage. You let her tell you I was a bad wife. You let her decide what was best for our family while I was home raising your daughters.""
"I know.""
"No, Tyler. You don't.""
I shifted Piper against my shoulder.
"Your mother didn't wake up one morning and suddenly decide to take our babies. She spent months arranging this. And you were so busy enjoying yourself aboard that ship that you never noticed.""
He covered his face.
For the first time, I didn't feel sorry for him.
I felt sorry for the little boy who had grown into a man so desperate for his mother's approval that he couldn't recognize what she was doing.
Rachel's phone rang.
She answered.
"Yes?""
Her expression changed.
"Are you certain?""
She listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
Michael stood.
"What happened?""
"The airport authorities confirmed that a travel agent attempted to check in two infant passengers under Margaret Mitchell's authorization.""
My heart stopped.
"Where are my daughters?""
Rachel shook her head.
"The children weren't with her.""
I exhaled.
Then she continued.
"But Margaret was at the airport.""
"Did they arrest her?""
"Not yet. She left before officers arrived.""
Michael rubbed his forehead.
"Where is she now?""
Rachel looked at her screen.
"Her vehicle was spotted heading toward Coral Gables.""
Vanessa suddenly grabbed the table.
"She's going to the house.""
Michael turned.
"What house?""
"The private property.""
Tyler's voice cracked.
"Why?""
Vanessa looked at him.
"Because that's where she keeps the original trust documents.""
Rachel frowned.
"Why would she need those tonight?""
Vanessa's answer was barely audible.
"Because tomorrow morning, Tyler turns thirty-five.""
Tyler went completely still.
I looked at him.
"What's tomorrow?""
He swallowed.
"The final distribution date.""
Rachel immediately opened the trust agreement.
Her eyes moved rapidly across the pages.
Then she stopped.
"Michael, we have a serious problem.""
"What?""
She turned the document around.
"Under the original trust agreement, Tyler becomes the sole controlling beneficiary at midnight on his thirty-fifth birthday, provided he is alive and legally competent.""
Tyler stared.
"So if I survive until tomorrow...""
Rachel nodded.
"Your mother loses control of the trust.""
Michael's expression darkened.
"And if Tyler dies before midnight?""
Rachel looked at the next paragraph.
"Margaret retains temporary authority over the children's inheritance until a court appoints their guardian.""
I looked down at Piper and Poppy.
Now everything made sense.
The fake medical records.
The forged signatures.
The passports.
The secret baby.
Margaret wasn't simply trying to steal money.
She was racing against a deadline.
And Tyler's thirty-fifth birthday was less than eleven hours away.
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered cautiously.
"Hello?""
A little girl's voice whispered.
"Mommy?""
My heart stopped.
"Who is this?""
The child began crying.
Then I heard an adult woman in the background.
Margaret.
"Put the phone down, sweetheart.""
The little girl whispered again.
"Mommy, Grandma says you're not coming to get us.""
I looked at Piper and Poppy in my arms.
Then I heard a door slam.
Margaret's voice came back.
"Emily, if you want to see what happens next, come to Coral Gables.""
She paused.
"And bring both of my grandchildren.""
The call disconnected.
Tyler stared at me.
"Who was that?""
I looked at Michael.
Then at the phone.
"Margaret.""
Rachel was already standing.
"Emily, you are not going anywhere alone.""
I nodded.
But there was one detail I couldn't stop thinking about.
The voice on the phone hadn't sounded like Vanessa's baby.
It had sounded like a little girl.
May you like
And Margaret had just called her one of her grandchildren.
*If Margaret already had another grandchild, then whose daughter had just called me Mommy?*
