Chapter 5
Serena started crying.
Not pretty tears.
Terrified ones.
“That can’t be right,” she whispered. “Grant said the baby was his.”
Lydia held up the DNA report.
“According to this test, he knew it wasn’t.”
Margaret recovered.
“Grant was confused before he died.”
I turned.
“He died in a boating accident, Margaret. Not from memory loss.”
Her mouth shut.
Too quickly.
Miles noticed.
So did Lydia.
I looked at the yellow folder again.
Grant had changed the insurance and trust beneficiary nine days before his death.
Two days later, he ordered the DNA test.
Three days after that, he reopened Poppy’s adoption file.
Four days later, he died.
My skin went cold.
“Lydia.”
“I see it.”
Margaret lifted her chin.
“You are not turning my son’s death into a drama.”
“No,” I said. “You did that when you told my child to pack.”
Poppy hid her face against my hip.
Serena wiped her eyes.
“Who is my baby’s father?”
No one answered.
Then Miles pulled a small flash drive from the back of the drawer.
It had one word written on tape.
MOM.
Margaret whispered, “Don’t.”
I looked at her.
There it was again.
Fear.
Lydia plugged the drive into her laptop.
The first file was a video.
Grant sat at his desk.
His face looked tired.
Afraid.
“Audrey,” he said, “if you’re seeing this, I failed to come home.”
My knees weakened.
Poppy whispered, “Daddy.”
Grant continued.
“I made terrible mistakes. Serena. The lies. I can’t undo them. But Poppy is my daughter, and I found proof Mom is trying to erase her.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
Grant looked into the camera.
“Poppy’s adoption was legal. Mom forged questions to scare us. She used the agency’s closure to create doubt.”
I exhaled a sob.
May you like
Then Grant said the sentence that changed everything.
“And I believe Mom caused the boating accident that killed my father.”
