Chapter 5 - THE BISHOP DAUGHTER
Catherine Bishop arrived at Hayes Global at noon under armed escort.
Declan had expected arrogance.
Instead, she walked into his office, removed her coat, and placed a pistol on his desk.
“I want protection.”
Thomas laughed.
“From whom?”
“My father.”
Declan remained standing.
“Give me one reason.”
Catherine looked at Sarah.
“Because I know who poisoned her.”
Sarah’s pulse jumped.
“Who?”
“Not Michael.”
Declan’s gaze hardened.
“Then who?”
“My father ordered it.”
The room went silent.
Catherine explained that Arthur Bishop had learned about Sarah’s pregnancy from Michael.
The pregnancy threatened the proposed alliance.
Arthur wanted Sarah removed quietly.
Michael objected.
That surprised everyone.
“Why?” Declan asked.
“Because Michael doesn’t want Sarah dead.”
“That supposed to make me grateful?”
“No.”
Catherine looked at Sarah.
“He wants the baby.”
Sarah’s hand instinctively covered her stomach.
Declan stepped between them.
Catherine continued.
“Michael believes a Hayes heir gives him legitimacy. If something happened to you, Declan, he could raise your child as the continuation of the family.”
Declan’s expression became lethal.
Thomas muttered, “Jesus.”
“And the poison?”
“My father wanted both gone.”
Sarah swallowed.
“Both?”
“Mother and child.”
Declan moved so quickly Catherine stepped backward.
Sarah caught his arm.
“Declan.”
His breathing was controlled.
Barely.
Catherine looked directly at Sarah.
“I replaced the poisoned vitamins.”
Sarah blinked.
“What?”
“The bottle Eleanor gave you originally contained contaminated capsules. I learned what my father had ordered and switched most of them.”
“Most?”
“You had already taken nine.”
Sarah remembered.
Nine mornings.
Then she had stopped because nausea made swallowing pills difficult.
“The thermos?”
“Michael’s work. He wanted you to discover the poisoning before Arthur finished the job. He framed Thomas because he knew suspicion would force Declan to isolate you.”
Thomas stared.
“He used me as bait.”
“Yes.”
Declan finally understood the architecture of the trap.
Arthur wanted Sarah dead.
Michael wanted her alive but controlled.
Each man was sabotaging the other.
Sarah had been caught between them.
“What about Dr. Weaver?” Sarah asked.
Catherine looked away.
“My father has him.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Declan studied her.
“Why betray Arthur?”
Catherine’s answer came quietly.
“Because I’m tired of being traded too.”
For the first time, Sarah saw something familiar in her.
Not a rival.
A woman whose future had been negotiated by powerful men.
Catherine reached into her purse.
Declan tensed.
She removed a flash drive.
“My father keeps duplicate ledgers. Payments. Judges. Customs officials. Shipping routes. Everything.”
“Why give this to me?”
“I want out.”
Declan took it.
“And Michael?”
“He wants you to meet him tonight.”
“No.”
Sarah spoke before Declan could.
Everyone turned.
“No meeting.”
Declan looked at her.
“He has Weaver.”
“And he wants you angry enough to walk into whatever trap he built.”
“I’m not leaving Weaver.”
“I didn’t say leave him.”
Sarah opened her laptop.
For three years, she had managed every executive schedule, vehicle request, aircraft manifest, security invoice, and warehouse lease connected to Hayes Global.
She searched the metadata Catherine had brought.
Then stopped.
“There.”
A payment to a refrigerated storage company in South Boston.
The company did not exist in the Hayes database.
But Sarah recognized the billing address.
“Why?” Declan asked.
“Because someone accidentally invoiced us from this address eight months ago.”
“You remember an invoice from eight months ago?”
Thomas looked at Declan.
“You seriously considered firing this woman?”
“I considered murdering you for suggesting it.”
They moved at sunset.
Sarah was ordered to remain behind.
She refused.
Declan compromised by placing her in an armored vehicle with two guards three blocks away.
The warehouse raid lasted eleven minutes.
No Michael.
No Arthur.
But Dr. Weaver was there.
Alive.
When Declan brought him to the vehicle, Sarah cried.
Weaver immediately examined her.
“You need chelation treatment under close supervision.”
“The baby?”
“Heartbeat was strong yesterday. That is encouraging.”
Declan crouched beside Sarah.
“We’re going to a hospital.”
This time she nodded.
But before they could leave, Weaver caught Declan’s sleeve.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“The poisoning isn’t the only reason Sarah’s pregnancy is high risk.”
Sarah stared.
“What are you talking about?”
Weaver looked uncomfortable.
“The genetic screen.”
Sarah frowned.
“I never authorized one.”
“I know.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed.
“Who did?”
“Someone submitted a paternal sample anonymously.”
Sarah slowly turned toward Declan.
“It wasn’t me,” he said.
Weaver continued.
“The test showed a rare inherited cardiac mutation.”
Declan went pale.
His father had suffered heart problems.
So had Michael.
“What does that mean for the baby?” Sarah whispered.
“It means we monitor carefully. It does not mean the baby is sick.”
Declan nodded.
But Sarah was watching Weaver.
“How did whoever ordered the test get Declan’s DNA?”
Weaver hesitated.
“They didn’t use Declan’s.”
Silence.
“They used a close male relative.”
Declan’s face hardened.
“Michael.”
Weaver nodded.
Then he handed Declan a folded laboratory report.
“There’s one more problem.”
Declan read it.
Once.
Twice.
His expression changed completely.
Sarah’s heart began pounding.
“What?”
Declan looked at Weaver.
“Is this accurate?”
“We repeated it.”
“Declan?”
He finally looked at Sarah.
“The sample Michael submitted…”
May you like
His voice dropped.
“…is not genetically related to me.”
