Chapter 11 - The Night Someone Came for My Daughter
"No."
I said it before anyone else could.
"We're not bringing Sophie anywhere."
Dad stared at the photograph of my mother.
"I'll go."
Roman shook his head.
"That's what Charles expects."
Grant stood.
"I'll go."
We all looked at him.
"He's my father."
"No," Dad said. "He's the man who raised you."
Grant's face hardened.
"That still counts for something."
It did.
Unfortunately.
Roman developed a plan.
Police couldn't be trusted blindly because the flash drive showed Charles had paid officers before.
Instead, Mara contacted federal prosecutors through a former colleague.
Copies of the evidence were uploaded to multiple secure servers.
If anything happened to us, everything would become public.
We went to the address.
Without Sophie.
Roman had arranged a realistic hospital carrier with a monitoring device inside.
The warehouse belonged to an old Kingsley shipping company.
Charles waited upstairs.
My mother sat beside him.
Alive.
Thank God.
"Elena," Charles said.
He looked exactly as I remembered.
Silver hair.
Perfect suit.
No visible panic.
"Where's the child?"
"Safe."
His smile vanished.
"Then this conversation will be short."
Grant stepped forward.
"Let Mom go."
Charles looked at him.
"You've embarrassed me enough today."
Grant flinched.
That one sentence revealed their entire relationship.
"I know everything," Grant said.
"No. You know what frightened people want you to believe."
"I know you're not my biological father."
Charles smiled.
"And yet I'm the only father you've ever had."
Grant said nothing.
Charles looked at me.
"Your father stole from my family."
"My father protected your family from you."
"Michael always did enjoy moral superiority."
Dad emerged from the shadows.
Charles's face changed.
Eleven years collapsed between them.
"Hello, Charles."
My mother began crying.
Charles grabbed her shoulder.
Roman raised his gun.
"Release her."
Charles laughed.
"Roman Vale. Still cleaning up Hart's messes."
"Last warning."
Charles held up the trust.
"You shoot me, this burns."
A lighter appeared in his hand.
I stepped forward.
"Then burn it."
Everyone looked at me.
Charles frowned.
"You heard me."
"Do you know what this is worth?"
"Yes."
"Billions."
"Then burn it."
His hand trembled slightly.
That was when I understood.
The paper wasn't his leverage.
My desire for it was.
"I don't want your company."
Grant stared at me.
Charles did too.
"I want my mother."
"You think money doesn't matter because you've always had enough."
"No. I think it doesn't matter enough to trade my family for it."
Charles's composure cracked.
"Bring me the child."
"No."
"She is a Kingsley."
"She's Sophie Hart."
"Grant's daughter."
"Maybe."
Grant looked at me.
I hadn't confirmed it.
Not even now.
Charles took one step closer.
"The DNA test will prove it."
Dad moved.
Charles pulled a gun.
Everything happened at once.
My mother screamed.
Roman fired.
Grant tackled Charles.
The lighter fell.
The trust caught at one corner.
Dad grabbed my mother.
I kicked the burning paper away.
Roman pinned Charles to the floor.
Sirens approached.
Real federal agents this time.
Charles laughed against the concrete.
"You think this ends anything?"
Roman pulled him upright.
"It ends your evening."
Charles looked directly at me.
Then smiled.
"You still don't know who ordered Harlan to disappear."
I froze.
"It wasn't me."
Agents entered.
Charles was handcuffed.
As they took him away, he looked over his shoulder.
"Ask your ex-husband."
I turned toward Grant.
His face had gone pale.
Then Roman's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression darkened.
"What?"
I whispered.
Roman looked at Grant.
"Dr. Harlan was found."
"Alive?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
May you like
Roman's gaze never left my ex-husband.
"In Grant's penthouse."
