Chapter 6 - NATALIE’S OFFICE
By sunrise, Adrian had three facts he could not fit together.
Vanessa had pushed Emma’s stroller.
Mason had hidden reports and removed medical evidence.
Graham had access to a dead woman’s digital identity.
He also had one fact he could barely face.
Clara had warned him.
And he had hit her.
Outside Emma’s hospital room, Adrian found Clara washing blood from the cut on her arm.
“I owe you an apology.”
“You owe me more than words.”
“I know.”
She shut off the water.
“No, you don’t. You’re used to solving mistakes with lawyers, money, or authority. You can’t fix what happened in that foyer by paying for something.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“You believed the person crying loudest.”
“I believed what I thought I saw.”
“You saw me holding your child alive.”
That ended the argument.
Adrian looked down.
“You’re right.”
Clara’s anger softened, but only slightly. “Emma needs you clearheaded. Olivia does too.”
“What do you need?”
“A reason not to walk out.”
Adrian had none he was entitled to ask for.
Before he could answer, Olivia appeared with a paper cup of coffee.
“I found something.”
She had gone through Natalie’s old cloud backup.
Three weeks before Natalie’s fatal car crash, she created a folder labeled ORPHEUS.
Inside were spreadsheets documenting transfers from the foundation to six shell vendors.
One vendor name appeared again and again.
Brightwell Pediatric Supply.
The same company that had purchased the discontinued sedative.
Adrian felt sick.
“Mom knew,” Olivia said.
“About the theft?”
“About something.”
Clara scrolled lower.
There was a draft email addressed to Adrian.
It had never been sent.
ADRIAN, IF GRAHAM TELLS YOU THIS IS AN ACCOUNTING ERROR, DO NOT BELIEVE HIM.
Adrian read it twice.
Then a third time.
Below the draft was a voice memo.
Natalie’s voice filled the quiet hospital room.
“I found the backdated authorizations. Mason says the nursery network can’t be accessed anymore, but somebody used it. Graham keeps asking what I know. Vanessa was at the foundation again today. She said she was helping with the gala, but I never gave her access.”
Adrian stopped the recording.
Vanessa had met Natalie before Adrian claimed they first met.
Olivia whispered, “Dad?”
Adrian’s mouth had gone dry.
May you like
Vanessa had always told him their first conversation happened at a charity dinner six months after Natalie died.
Natalie’s recording proved she had been lying from the beginning.
