Chapter 14 - THE LONGEST NIGHT
Kiora never remembered leaving the boardroom.
She remembered Elias driving.
She remembered rain.
She remembered holding her stomach.
Then hospital lights.
Doctors moved quickly.
The stress had triggered early labor.
Kiora was thirty-one weeks pregnant.
Too early.
Elias stood outside the delivery room.
For the first time in decades, his hands shook.
Grace arrived with Mia.
"How is she?"
"We don't know."
Hours passed.
Then Daniel arrived under federal supervision.
Elias stood immediately.
"No."
Daniel stopped.
"I heard."
"Leave."
"I just want to know if they're okay."
"You lost that privilege."
Daniel accepted the words.
But he didn't leave.
He sat at the far end of the hallway.
Handcuffed.
Guarded.
Silent.
Mia noticed him.
She didn't approach.
At 3:17 a.m., a doctor emerged.
Elias stood.
Daniel stood.
Grace stood.
"She's stable."
Everyone exhaled.
"And the baby?"
The doctor smiled.
"Still where the baby belongs."
Labor had been stopped.
Kiora would remain hospitalized.
Daniel closed his eyes.
A tear moved down his face.
Elias watched him.
For years, he had wanted to believe Daniel felt nothing.
That would have made hatred easier.
But Daniel did feel.
That was what made his choices worse.
He had loved Kiora.
He had loved the unborn child.
He had probably loved Mia.
And he had still repeatedly chosen cowardice.
Kiora requested to see him the next afternoon.
Elias objected.
She insisted.
Daniel entered under guard.
He looked exhausted.
Kiora sat against the pillows.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Finally Daniel whispered.
"I'm sorry."
Kiora shook her head.
"Don't."
He stopped.
"Sorry doesn't cover six years."
"I know."
"You knew Vanessa helped kill my father."
"Yes."
"You knew about Mia."
"Yes."
"You forged my signature."
Daniel looked down.
"Yes."
"You planned to take control of my trust."
"Yes."
Kiora swallowed.
"Did you ever love me?"
Daniel looked at her.
That question hurt more than the criminal charges.
"Yes."
Kiora's eyes filled with tears.
"That's the saddest answer you could have given me."
Daniel looked confused.
She continued.
"Because if you never loved me, then you were simply a liar."
"But if you loved me and still did all of this..."
Her voice broke.
"...then every day you woke up and chose yourself over someone you claimed to love."
Daniel cried silently.
Kiora didn't comfort him.
"I filed for divorce."
He nodded.
"I expected that."
"You will not challenge it."
"I won't."
"You will tell investigators everything."
"I already am."
"You will tell Mia the truth when she wants it."
Daniel nodded again.
"And you will never use your shame as an excuse to disappear from her life twice."
That broke him.
He covered his face.
Kiora looked away.
The conversation was over.
Daniel stood.
At the door, he stopped.
"Kiora?"
She looked at him.
"Our baby."
He struggled to speak.
"Is the baby mine?"
Kiora stared at him.
"You already know the answer."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Then he left.
Three weeks later, Vanessa's trial began.
The courthouse was packed.
Kiora attended.
She walked through the same entrance where Vanessa had attacked her.
Reporters shouted questions.
Cameras flashed.
Elias walked beside her.
But this time, he wasn't holding her up.
Kiora walked on her own.
Vanessa saw her enter.
Their eyes met.
Vanessa smiled.
Kiora wondered why.
Then Vanessa's attorney stood.
"Your Honor, the defense has new evidence."
Elias's expression changed.
"What evidence?"
The attorney held up a file.
"Evidence concerning the paternity of Mrs. Harrington's unborn child."
The courtroom erupted.
Kiora stared at Vanessa.
Vanessa smiled wider.
May you like
Even now, she had one final weapon.
And she intended to use it publicly.
