Chapter 5 - THE HEIR WHO WASN'T THERE
Back in Boston, Preston's life was unraveling.
Brielle had moved into the penthouse he'd rented for her, but she refused to discuss the ultrasound appointment. She insisted the doctor had made a clerical mistake and promised to schedule another examination.
Three appointments were canceled.
When Preston asked why, she accused him of humiliating her.
When he asked to see the medical records, she said he was treating her like a suspect.
And when his mother suggested that Brielle speak with an independent physician, Brielle threatened to leave.
Preston was beginning to suspect that the baby had become a shield behind which everyone was hiding something.
Then his father summoned him to the Hale family office.
Richard stood behind his desk, studying a document.
“Your ex-wife has disappeared,” he said.
“She's in Europe.”
“Do you know where?”
“No.”
“Find out.”
Preston stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because the trust documents have been compromised.”
“What does Lena have to do with the trust?”
Richard closed the folder.
“Her mother worked with the foundation decades ago. Lena may have inherited information that belongs to this family.”
“Information isn't property.”
Richard's eyes narrowed.
“You've become sentimental.”
“No. I've become tired of hearing you talk about people as if they're assets.”
His father rose.
“Everything you have was built on the Hale name.”
“Everything I have was built by people who worked for me.”
“And who do you think gave you the money to get started?”
Preston had no answer.
Richard had invested in his first development project. But Preston had expanded the company through years of difficult negotiations, long nights, and risks his father had never been willing to take.
He'd always believed their relationship was based on respect.
Now he wondered whether Richard had simply been keeping score.
His father slid the document across the desk.
It was a copy of a trust agreement.
At the bottom appeared a name Preston recognized.
Lena's mother, Eleanor Hartwell.
Beneath it was another name.
Daniel Mercer.
“Who is Daniel Mercer?” Preston asked.
Richard's expression changed almost imperceptibly.
“A former attorney.”
“Why was Lena's mother working with him?”
“That's irrelevant.”
“Then why are you trying so hard to find her?”
Richard slammed his hand against the desk.
“Because if the original trust provisions are enforced, the family could lose control of the company!”
The confession hung between them.
Preston looked down at the document again.
“What provisions?”
Richard snatched the paper away.
“That's enough.”
For the first time, Preston recognized genuine fear in his father's eyes.
Not fear of financial loss.
Fear of something being revealed.
***
That evening, Brielle finally agreed to meet Preston.
She arrived at the penthouse wearing sunglasses despite the fading light.
“I've made another appointment,” she announced.
“Good.”
“And I want you to stop questioning me.”
“Then show me the records.”
Her face hardened.
“You don't trust me.”
“I don't know what to trust anymore.”
She sat on the sofa.
For a long time, she said nothing.
Then she whispered, “I never expected you to leave Lena so quickly.”
Preston stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
“I thought you'd fight for me. I thought you'd make sure we had a future.”
“I did everything you asked.”
“No. You did everything your father wanted.”
The accusation struck close to home.
Brielle removed her sunglasses.
Her eyes were red.
“Do you remember the first time we met?”
“At the charity gala.”
“You told me your father had spent your entire life making you feel as though you were never enough.”
Preston remembered.
He'd told her things he'd never told Lena. At the time, her sympathy had felt like relief.
Now he wondered whether he'd mistaken understanding for love.
Brielle reached for his hand.
“I wanted a family, Preston. I wanted someone who chose me because he loved me, not because I could give him something.”
“Then why did you keep talking about the baby as though he would solve everything?”
She pulled away.
“Because you kept telling me he would.”
The room went silent.
Preston rose.
“I want the truth. All of it.”
Brielle's face crumpled.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
She looked at him with an expression he'd never seen before.
“Because if I tell you what happened before I met you, your father will destroy me.”
Before Preston could respond, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and went pale.
Richard Hale.
She declined the call.
A message arrived immediately.
Tomorrow. Nine o'clock. Come alone.
Brielle began to tremble.
Preston took the phone from her hand.
“What has my father done?”
May you like
She stared at him.
“No,” she whispered. “What have we done?”
