Chapter 10 - THE DEAD MAN
Margaret walked quickly toward the stairwell.
Her hands trembled as she called the number.
Someone answered.
No greeting.
Margaret whispered, “Thomas?”
A man laughed.
Older.
Rougher.
But unmistakable.
“You remember my voice.”
“You’re dead.”
“That was convenient for you.”
Margaret gripped the railing.
“Where are you?”
“Close.”
“You left your daughter alone.”
“No. I gave my daughter a reason to survive.”
“You let Vivian believe you killed yourself.”
“I needed the Carters to believe it too.”
“You’re insane.”
“You helped destroy me.”
“Richard destroyed you.”
“You stayed married to him.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“What do you want?”
“What was stolen.”
“The land is worth hundreds of millions now.”
“I don’t want the land.”
“What then?”
“The family.”
Margaret opened her eyes.
Thomas continued.
“Richard took mine apart piece by piece.”
His voice became colder.
“Now I’m taking his.”
The line died.
At the same time, Vivian sat inside her car in the hospital parking garage.
Her phone rang.
She answered without looking.
“Hello?”
“Viv.”
She froze.
Her lips parted.
“Dad?”
Silence.
Then the same voice.
“Come home.”
Vivian stopped breathing.
“My father is dead.”
“No, sweetheart.”
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re dead.”
“I had to disappear.”
“For twenty-two years?”
“I was protecting you.”
Vivian started laughing.
The sound turned into a sob.
“You let me identify your body.”
“It wasn’t me.”
“You let me bury you!”
“I had enemies.”
“You made me hate them!”
“They deserved it.”
Vivian’s expression changed.
“You knew about Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Emily.”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Marcus to kill her?”
Thomas paused.
That pause was enough.
Vivian’s voice broke.
“What did you do?”
“I gave Marcus options.”
“She’s pregnant!”
“That child is a Carter.”
“She is a baby!”
Thomas’s voice hardened.
“You’re getting emotional.”
Vivian’s face went still.
“No.”
“Vivian—”
“No. You don’t get to come back from the dead and tell me what I’m allowed to feel.”
“I did everything for you.”
“You did everything for revenge.”
She hung up.
Then she screamed.
She hit the steering wheel until her hands hurt.
Upstairs, Emily woke from anesthesia.
Daniel sat beside her.
“How is she?”
“NICU. Breathing with some help.”
Emily cried with relief.
“And Noah?”
“Safe.”
“With who?”
“A hospital social worker and security.”
“Good.”
Daniel hesitated.
“My mother disappeared.”
Emily looked at him.
“What?”
“She left the maternity floor.”
“Of course she did.”
“Emily, I need to tell you something.”
Her face hardened.
“What now?”
“Marcus admitted forging your signature.”
She closed her eyes.
“He says he didn’t order the attack.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I don’t know.”
Emily looked at Daniel.
“This is your problem.”
“What?”
“You keep saying you don’t know.”
“That’s because I’m trying not to accuse people without proof.”
“No. You avoid choosing until someone chooses for you.”
Daniel went silent.
Emily continued.
“You didn’t choose your marriage when Vivian came along.”
He lowered his eyes.
“You didn’t choose honesty when the company was failing.”
His jaw tightened.
“You didn’t choose me when your mother treated me like an outsider.”
“I know.”
“And now our daughter is in the NICU.”
Tears ran down her face.
“So choose something, Daniel.”
He looked at her.
“Choose right now.”
Daniel stood.
He removed his wedding ring.
Emily stared.
He placed it on the table.
Then he said, “I choose to stop asking you to forgive me.”
Her expression shifted.
“I don’t deserve it.”
He took a breath.
“I’m going to find out who did this. I’m going to protect the kids. And if the price is my company, my money, this house, my name—”
His voice cracked.
“Let it burn.”
Emily stared at him.
Before she could answer, the hospital alarm sounded.
Daniel turned toward the door.
A nurse ran past shouting.
“NICU lockdown! Someone removed an infant!”
Emily sat straight up.
“My baby?”
May you like
Daniel ran.
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