Chapter 7
My father had died of a heart attack.
That was what I had believed for nine years.
He had collapsed outside the maintenance office of a luxury apartment building in Manhattan, still wearing his gray uniform, still holding his lunch bag.
At least, that was the story.
Victoria’s words cracked that story open in the Sterling foyer.
Ask Elena what happened to her father.
I felt Noah’s cheek against mine.
Warm.
Alive.
The only thing keeping me upright.
Arthur turned on Victoria.
“What does her father have to do with this?”
Victoria’s smile shook.
She was scared, but she wanted to wound Margaret more than she wanted to save herself.
“Your mother didn’t just threaten Grace into disappearing,” she said. “She had help.”
Margaret twisted against the officers.
“She’s lying.”
Victoria laughed.
“Am I?”
Detective Monroe stepped closer.
“Keep talking.”
Victoria looked at me.
“Grace was supposed to marry into another family first. Not Arthur. A man named Charles Whitmore. Margaret’s stepson.”
Arthur stared at his mother.
“Charles died before I met Grace.”
“Yes,” Victoria said. “Because Grace ran.”
Margaret’s face turned gray.
Victoria kept going.
“Grace loved Arthur instead. But before that, Margaret found her through her family. Your father worked in one of Whitmore’s buildings.”
I remembered Dad coming home quiet.
I remembered my parents whispering in the kitchen.
I remembered Isabel hugging me so hard I couldn’t breathe.
Then she vanished.
Two months later, Dad was dead.
My voice barely came out.
“What did she do?”
Victoria looked at Margaret.
“Tell her.”
Margaret lifted her chin.
“I did not touch your father.”
“No,” Victoria said. “You had him fired. Blacklisted. Followed. Threatened. He went to confront your lawyer, and two hours later he was dead.”
My body went cold.
Detective Monroe looked at Margaret.
“Name of the lawyer?”
Margaret said nothing.
Arthur answered.
“Leonard Voss.”
The detective turned to him.
“Your family attorney?”
Arthur nodded slowly.
“My mother’s attorney.”
Daniel Pierce entered with two guards.
“Detective, Voss is outside. He says he represents Mrs. Whitmore.”
Detective Monroe’s eyes sharpened.
“Perfect timing.”
Voss came in wearing an expensive overcoat and a calm face.
That calm lasted three seconds.
Then he saw Victoria in cuffs.
Then Margaret.
Then me holding Noah.
His eyes moved to the folder in Arthur’s hand.
He turned to leave.
Daniel blocked him.
Detective Monroe said, “Mr. Voss, we have questions.”
“I will not answer without counsel.”
Arthur stepped forward.
“You are counsel.”
Voss looked at him.
“Arthur, be careful. Your mother’s actions were taken to protect the Sterling name.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“My son is not a name.”
Voss said quietly, “Your son is an asset.”
The foyer went silent.
I saw Arthur change in that moment.
Not with rage.
With clarity.
He crossed the room and punched Voss so hard the lawyer hit the wall.
The officers grabbed Arthur.
Noah screamed.
I stepped back, shaking.
Arthur didn’t fight them.
He just pointed at Voss.
“That man knows everything.”
Detective Monroe ordered Voss detained for questioning.
Margaret finally broke.
“Arthur, stop this now.”
He turned.
“No.”
“You will destroy the family.”
He looked at Noah.
“Then it should have been destroyed a long time ago.”
That night, I was moved with Noah to a secure guesthouse on the estate.
Not by Margaret’s staff.
By police.
Arthur slept in a chair outside the door.
I saw him through the crack when Noah woke at 3 a.m.
His head was bowed.
Grace’s letter in his hand.
I opened the door.
He looked up.
“I won’t come in.”
“I know.”
His voice cracked.
“Did your father sing?”
The question hurt because it was so gentle.
“Yes.”
“What song?”
I swallowed.
“Moon River.”
Arthur covered his face.
“Grace sang that to Noah.”
I sat down on the floor inside the doorway.
He sat outside it.
A locked door between us.
A baby sleeping in my arms.
May you like
Two families shattered by the same woman.
And for the first time, I told Arthur Sterling about the sister I lost before he ever knew she existed.
