Chapter 10 - WHY GRACE CAME BACK
“You knew Victoria hired you?”
“No.”
“The agency said the Cole house needed temporary domestic staff. I needed work.”
“Why here?”
“Because my mother died. The money your father forced me to live on was almost gone.”
“You took his money?”
Grace’s face hardened.
“I took the apartment lease he arranged because I was twenty-four, pregnant, and terrified he would hurt my mother.”
“I spent years trying to stay invisible. Then I saw your engagement announcement.”
“To Victoria.”
“Yes.”
“I thought she had forgotten me.”
“She didn’t.”
“The first week I worked here, she stared at Lily’s photo in my locker.”
“You brought Lily here?”
“Only once. Daycare closed. Rosa watched her in staff quarters.”
“Victoria saw her.”
“And recognized her.”
The attack had not been spontaneous.
Then Grace found the trust paper.
Grace said, “Yesterday I overheard her on the phone.”
“With Conrad?”
“I think so.”
“What did she say?”
“She said, ‘If the child is recognized, I lose the voting block.’”
“She wasn’t protecting an engagement.”
“She was protecting ownership.”
Agent Ruiz entered again.
“Mr. Cole, your board has called an emergency meeting.”
“Of course they have.”
“News of the child-abduction allegation leaked.”
“I was cleared.”
“Not publicly.”
Nathan’s phone exploded with alerts.
COLE HEIR SCANDAL.
SECRET CHILD.
MAID ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING.
STOCK DOWN 18%.
“Nathan, we need you here.”
“I’m with Grace.”
“You need to separate yourself from her.”
“No.”
“This is bigger than personal feelings.”
Nathan remembered Conrad’s words.
He said, “I’ll be there in an hour.”
“But I’m bringing you.”
“And Lily.”
The chairman shouted through the phone.
“Absolutely not.”
Nathan ended the call.
Then Hale called.
His voice was urgent.
“Nathan, don’t go to the boardroom.”
“Why?”
May you like
“Because Victoria is already there.”
“And she has documents claiming she owns your shares.”
