Chapter 5 - THE SECRET OUR PARENTS BURIED
I spent the next three days reading my mother's letters.
There were seven.
She had written them over a period of fifteen years.
The story was complicated.
My father, Thomas Reed, had been an accountant for Harrison Freight.
He discovered money laundering through shell companies.
Daniel's father, Richard Harrison, had also discovered it.
The two men tried to expose the network.
Then Thomas disappeared.
Richard told my mother that Thomas had fled.
My mother never believed him.
Years later, she discovered Richard had secretly paid a private investigator to search for Thomas.
That meant Richard hadn't known where he was.
But someone else did.
The name appeared repeatedly.
Northstar Maritime.
The same company now stealing from Daniel.
The same company that supposedly disappeared twelve years ago.
I called Charles.
"Who owns Northstar?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"That's the problem."
"What does that mean?"
"The company has changed hands more times than anyone can trace."
"Who is behind it?"
"Your mother suspected a group of investors."
"Names."
"I don't have them."
"You're lying."
He sighed.
"One name."
"Who?"
"Richard Harrison."
I froze.
"Daniel's father?"
"Yes."
"But he's dead."
"That's what everyone believes."
My heart stopped.
"You're telling me Daniel's father is alive?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Charles lowered his voice.
"Someone has been using his identity."
That night, Daniel arrived in Newport.
I knew before he knocked.
I saw his car outside.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
When I opened the door, he looked exhausted.
He stared at me.
Then at my stomach.
His face changed.
"You are pregnant."
I didn't answer.
"Seventeen weeks?"
I nodded.
He swallowed.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I saw you with Vanessa."
"Vanessa wasn't my mistress."
"I know that now."
He looked hurt.
"You hired a detective."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you trust me?"
I laughed quietly.
"Because you stopped giving me reasons to."
He looked down.
"I deserve that."
Silence.
Then he said:
"I know who manipulated those messages."
"Who?"
"My brother."
I stared.
"Andrew?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Money."
I stepped back.
"There's more."
Daniel nodded.
"Your mother knew my father."
I went still.
"How?"
"They worked together."
"Against Northstar."
His expression changed.
"You know about Northstar."
"My mother left letters."
Daniel looked at me.
"What else did she say?"
"That your father didn't die when you were young."
He stared.
"My father?"
"She believed he disappeared."
Daniel sat down.
"My mother told me he died of a heart attack."
I looked at him.
"Apparently, both our families have been lied to."
He looked at my stomach again.
"Can I ask one thing?"
"What?"
"Is the baby mine?"
The question hurt.
But I understood why he asked.
"Yes."
His eyes filled.
He covered his face.
"I've already lost so much time."
I softened.
"You haven't lost everything."
He looked at me.
"Can I come back?"
I shook my head.
"Not yet."
He nodded.
"I understand."
He stood.
Before leaving, he placed something on the table.
My wedding ring.
"I brought this."
I stared.
"I thought you might want it."
"I gave it to your mother."
"She gave it back."
He walked toward the door.
Then turned.
"I don't expect forgiveness."
"What do you expect?"
"One chance to tell you the truth."
He left.
I looked at the ring.
For the first time, I didn't see it as a symbol of betrayal.
I saw it as a question.
Could something broken be rebuilt?
Before I could answer, Nora ran into the room.
"Amy."
"What?"
"There's a car outside."
I looked through the window.
A black SUV.
The same vehicle had been following me in Manhattan.
May you like
Nora whispered:
"They found you."
