“She was Harrison’s former assistant before Vanessa. She disappeared from the company last year with a severance package no one would discuss.”
“And the child?”
“I don’t know if there is a child. I don’t know if the pregnancy continued. I don’t know why Harrison paid her. But Margaret knows.”
Theodore followed her gaze.
Margaret’s hand was resting against her pearl necklace.
Not touching it.
Gripping it.
Theodore’s voice dropped.
“There is something else.”
Emma looked at him.
He did not take his eyes off Margaret.
“Your father called me before he died.”
Emma’s breath stopped for half a second.
The monitor picked it up.
The nurse glanced over.
Emma steadied herself.
“When?”
“Three days before.”
Emma gripped the blanket.
Harrison had told her Theodore never came to the funeral because he had been offended by James’s will.
Harrison had said Theodore demanded money from the estate.
Harrison had said Theodore was not family.
Harrison had said many things.
“What did Dad say?”
Theodore folded the papers carefully.
“He said he had made a mistake trusting the Vale family. He said if anything happened to you, I was to protect the baby.”
Emma’s fingers went cold.
“The baby?”
“He said those words.”
The monitor beeped steadily.
The baby’s heartbeat continued.
Fast.
Strong.
Unbothered by adult betrayal.
Emma looked at the ceiling crack again.
“He knew I was pregnant?”
Theodore’s brow tightened.
“You did not tell him?”
“He died before I found out.”
Theodore’s face lost something.
A little certainty.
A little ground.
Outside, Margaret lifted her phone and began typing.
Theodore said, “Then your father knew something else.”
The door opened suddenly.
Not wide.
Just enough for Harrison to push in before security reacted.
“I am done with this circus,” he said.
Two security guards moved behind him.
Margaret stood outside, one hand raised like she had given permission for the sun to rise.
Harrison looked at Theodore.
Then at Emma.
Then at the envelope.
His eyes changed.
There was no charm left in them.
Only calculation sharpened by fear.
“Those are private corporate documents.”
Emma’s voice was quiet.
“They were in your home office.”
“Our home.”
“My name is on the deed.”
His mouth tightened.
“There she is,” he said with a bitter smile. “The little heiress finally remembers paperwork exists.”
The nurse stiffened.
Theodore stepped between Harrison and the bed.
Harrison laughed once.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, Doctor? Playing hero to a woman who likes attention?”
Theodore said, “Leave.”
Harrison ignored him.
“Emma, listen to me. You are tired. You are pregnant. You are confused. You stole documents you don’t understand, and now you’re embarrassing yourself in front of hospital staff.”
Emma looked at the nurse.
“Please document that he called me confused.”
The nurse tapped the tablet.
Harrison’s eyes flashed.
Emma looked back at him.
“Also document that he accused me of theft while demanding access to documents with my forged medical consent.”
Harrison’s face hardened.
“The consent was handled by counsel.”
“Name the counsel.”
Silence.
Tiny.
Beautiful.
Another mini-payoff.
Emma tilted her head.
“Name the counsel, Harrison.”
His gaze flicked to Margaret.
There.
Everyone saw it.
Even the resident.
Especially Theodore.
Margaret stepped inside now.
Security moved, but Theodore raised a hand.
Not permission.
Strategy.
Margaret smiled gently at Emma.
The kind of smile she used when donors underbid at auctions.
“Darling, this has gone far enough. You are not well. No one is blaming you. Pregnancy does strange things to a woman’s judgment.”
Emma ran her thumb over her wedding band.
Once.
Twice.
Then she pulled it off.
Harrison stared.
Margaret stopped smiling.
Emma placed the ring on the side table beside the forged consent form.
The small gold circle clicked against the metal tray.
It sounded louder than it should have.
“I want both of them removed,” Emma said.