Chapter 8 - THE CHILD
Harrison reached the NICU to find three police officers outside.
His niece was safe.
That was all he cared about for the first thirty seconds.
Then he wanted answers.
“Who got in?”
Hospital security showed him footage.
The man wore scrubs.
Mask.
Hospital badge.
He entered through the staff corridor.
Walked directly toward the premature infant wing.
Never hesitated.
He knew exactly where Khloe’s daughter was.
A nurse challenged him.
He turned around.
Left.
Gone within ninety seconds.
Mercer arrived.
“This isn’t random.”
“No.”
“Richard?”
“Maybe.”
Mercer looked at Harrison.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“Richard likes control.”
Harrison pointed at the footage.
“This feels desperate.”
“Vanessa?”
“In custody.”
“Martin?”
“Missing.”
“Ward?”
“Missing.”
Mercer sighed.
“You collect complicated people.”
Harrison didn’t smile.
He ordered private security around Khloe and the baby.
Then he entered Khloe’s room.
She was awake.
“You moved her.”
It wasn’t a question.
Harrison nodded.
“Private NICU suite.”
“Why?”
He hesitated.
Khloe knew immediately.
“Someone came for her.”
“Someone tried.”
Her face went white.
“Richard?”
“We don’t know.”
Khloe gripped the blanket.
“He wants her.”
“Why?”
Khloe looked away.
Harrison noticed.
“Khloe.”
Silence.
“Why would Richard want the baby?”
“He doesn’t.”
“Then what are you hiding?”
Khloe began crying.
Harrison sat beside her.
“Tell me.”
She looked at him.
“The baby changes everything.”
“How?”
“Richard thinks she’s his.”
Harrison went still.
Seconds passed.
He spoke carefully.
“Thinks?”
Khloe nodded.
Harrison stared at his sister.
“Khloe.”
“I didn’t cheat.”
“Then explain.”
“Before Richard and I married, I froze embryos.”
Harrison frowned.
“I knew.”
“Not all of them were created with Richard.”
Silence.
Khloe wiped her tears.
“After my second miscarriage, Richard stopped wanting children.”
“He never told me.”
“He told me.”
Her voice broke.
“He said watching me fail was exhausting.”
Harrison’s face hardened.
Khloe continued.
“I wanted one final attempt.”
“So?”
“I used an embryo created before I met Richard.”
“With whose sperm?”
“An anonymous donor.”
Harrison slowly sat back.
“Richard isn’t the biological father.”
“No.”
“Does he know?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then why would it matter?”
Khloe looked terrified.
“Because the embryo wasn’t supposed to exist.”
Harrison frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“The fertility clinic told me it had been destroyed.”
“When?”
“Eight years ago.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“No.”
“How did you get it?”
Khloe swallowed.
“Someone contacted me anonymously.”
Harrison’s legal instincts immediately activated.
“When?”
“Last year.”
“What did they say?”
“That my embryo had been transferred to another storage facility without authorization.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“And you used it?”
“I verified the genetic material was mine.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Harrison stood.
“Khloe, an anonymous person tells you a supposedly destroyed embryo still exists and you don’t investigate?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“The clinic had been purchased.”
“By whom?”
Khloe looked at him.
“Harrington Medical Ventures.”
Silence.
Richard’s company.
Again.
Harrison felt a chill.
“When did Richard’s company buy the clinic?”
“Three months after my embryos were supposedly destroyed.”
Harrison stared toward the window.
The baby wasn’t simply Richard’s daughter.
She might be evidence.
Evidence of something that began years before the affair.
Before Bellweather.
Maybe before the marriage.
His phone rang.
Daniel.
“We found Martin.”
Harrison’s attention snapped back.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“JFK.”
“Leaving?”
“No.”
Daniel paused.
“He just walked into an FBI field office.”
Harrison’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“He’s asking for witness protection.”
“And what is he offering?”
May you like
Daniel took a breath.
“Everything.”
