Chapter 13: The Secret Meredith Kept Buried
I stared at the message until the screen went dark.
*Ask Grant about the baby.*
Four words.
That was all.
But they carried the weight of a thousand questions.
I looked at Grant.
His face had lost all color.
Not confusion.
Not anger.
Fear.
“What does she mean?””
He didn’t answer.
“Grant.””
His eyes dropped.
And that was when I knew.
There was another secret.
A bigger one.
I stood slowly.
“Tell me.””
“Emily…”
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
But firm.
“I am done discovering pieces of my own life from other people.””
Grant closed his eyes.
“It was years ago.””
My heart tightened.
“Years ago?””
He looked at me.
“Before you.””
The words should have made it easier.
They didn’t.
“What happened?””
He looked at the table.
“When I was with Natalie…”
I froze.
“Natalie?””
She was sitting across the restaurant with Claire.
She noticed my expression immediately.
Grant continued.
“We thought we were starting a family.””
My chest tightened.
“What does that mean?””
His voice became barely audible.
“Natalie was pregnant.””
The room seemed to disappear.
I looked at Natalie.
She was watching us.
And when she saw my face, she understood.
Her expression broke.
I turned back to Grant.
“What happened?””
He swallowed.
“She lost the baby.””
I waited.
For the rest.
Because there had to be more.
“There was an accident.””
“What kind of accident?””
Grant looked away.
“My father arranged a meeting with her.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“He wanted her to stop the investigation.””
“And?””
“And she refused.””
I stared.
“What happened at the meeting?””
Grant’s hands tightened.
“She was driving home afterward.””
He stopped.
I understood before he finished.
“No.””
His eyes filled with guilt.
“My father said it was an accident.””
I stood.
“No.””
People in the restaurant started looking.
I didn’t care.
“You knew?””
Grant looked destroyed.
“I suspected.””
“You suspected?””
My voice shook.
“You suspected your family hurt her and you still married me?””
“I was afraid.””
The answer was honest.
And somehow that made it worse.
“You were afraid.””
“Yes.””
“Everyone was afraid.””
I looked toward Natalie.
“Everyone except the people they destroyed.””
Grant lowered his head.
“I wanted to protect you.””
I laughed.
A bitter, empty sound.
“You keep saying that.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
I picked up my bag.
“Because protection doesn’t look like this.””
I walked toward Natalie.
She stood.
“Emily…”
I looked at her.
“Did you know?””
Her eyes filled with pain.
“No.””
I believed her.
And that somehow hurt more.
Because she had been another victim.
Another person Grant failed.
Claire approached us.
“What happened?””
I handed her the phone.
She read the message.
Her face changed.
Then she looked at Grant.
“You knew.””
Grant didn’t answer.
Claire’s expression hardened.
“You knew about the baby?””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing?””
“I was trying to fix it.””
Claire stepped closer.
“You don’t fix damage by hiding it.””
No one spoke.
Then a sound came from the restaurant entrance.
A man standing near the door.
Older.
Gray hair.
Holding a folder.
Grant saw him.
And froze.
“Daniel.””
The man looked at him.
“Hello, Grant.””
Everyone turned.
Daniel Reeves was alive.
And he looked nothing like a ghost.
May you like
He looked like a man who had waited years for this moment.
“I think,” Daniel said quietly, “it’s time Emily knows the entire truth.””
