Chapter 14 - The Night the Baby Came
The private clinic was forty minutes away.
They reached it in twenty-three.
Daniel broke several traffic laws.
Victoria called ahead.
Emily spent most of the drive gripping the door handle and threatening to divorce Daniel if he drove onto another sidewalk.
“You can’t divorce me while you’re in labor.”
“Watch me.”
Victoria, sitting in the back seat, laughed unexpectedly.
Emily turned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Did you just laugh?”
“No.”
“You did.”
Another contraction hit.
Emily groaned.
Daniel almost ran a red light.
“Don’t.”
“I’m stopping.”
“You’re not.”
“I am.”
“Daniel.”
“I stopped.”
“You’re halfway through the intersection.”
They reached the clinic.
Dr. Grant was waiting.
Seeing her made Emily cry.
The doctor hugged her quickly.
“You’re safe.”
“Is the baby safe?”
“We’re going to find out.”
Labor progressed faster than anyone expected.
Within two hours, Emily was fully dilated.
Daniel never left her side.
Victoria waited outside.
Near midnight, Daniel held Emily’s hand while she screamed that this was entirely his fault.
He agreed.
At 12:41 a.m., their daughter was born.
For one second, everything disappeared.
Halcyon.
Evelyn.
Thomas.
Victoria.
Money.
Secrets.
There was only a tiny crying child being placed against Emily’s chest.
Daniel cried openly.
Emily had never seen him do that.
“She’s perfect,” he whispered.
Their daughter had dark hair.
A furious little face.
And fingers that immediately wrapped around Emily’s thumb.
“What do we call her?” Daniel asked.
They had debated names for months.
Suddenly Emily knew.
“Grace.”
Daniel smiled.
“Grace Carter.”
Emily looked at him.
“Grace Harper Carter.”
His smile grew.
“Perfect.”
Outside the room, Victoria stood alone.
Daniel eventually stepped into the hallway.
She looked at him.
“Are they okay?”
“Yes.”
“The baby?”
“Healthy.”
Victoria covered her mouth.
Tears filled her eyes.
Daniel watched her.
She looked afraid to ask.
Finally he said, “Her name is Grace.”
Victoria nodded.
“That’s beautiful.”
Daniel leaned against the wall.
Neither spoke.
Then Victoria whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
“For everything.”
“I know.”
“Do you think Emily will ever forgive me?”
Daniel considered the question.
“She might.”
Victoria looked hopeful.
“But you should stop expecting forgiveness to feel like absolution.”
Her expression changed.
Daniel continued.
“You still have to live with what you did.”
Victoria nodded.
“So do I.”
Daniel looked at her.
“For what?”
“For letting you control too much of my life because it was easier than confronting you.”
Victoria gave a sad smile.
“That sounds like you.”
“It used to.”
He returned to Emily.
By morning, federal agents had the digital copies of the ledger.
Martin Kessler provided testimony.
Dr. Grant provided the altered medical orders.
Victoria provided everything else.
Bank accounts.
Names.
Passwords.
Hidden companies.
Twenty-seven hours after Grace was born, authorities froze more than two hundred million dollars connected to Halcyon.
Three people were arrested.
Owen Brooks disappeared before investigators reached him.
Evelyn Harper disappeared too.
But Halcyon’s financial network began collapsing.
News organizations reported the scandal.
Carter Group shares fell.
Then recovered.
Daniel resigned temporarily from several executive positions to cooperate with investigators.
Victoria publicly admitted her role.
She expected prison.
Her attorney expected a reduced sentence because of her cooperation.
Emily did not care about the legal strategy.
She cared about Grace.
Three days after the birth, Emily returned home.
Daniel carried the baby inside.
There were no photographers.
No family gathering.
No champagne.
Just the three of them.
Daniel placed Grace in the nursery.
Emily stood in the doorway.
“You know what’s strange?”
“What?”
“A week ago, I thought the worst thing happening in my life was your sister making me clear plates.”
Daniel looked guilty.
Emily smiled faintly.
“She was terrible.”
“She was.”
“You throwing pasta at her was dramatic.”
“I regret nothing.”
“You should regret wasting perfectly good pasta.”
Daniel laughed.
Emily leaned against him.
For the first time in days, peace felt possible.
Then the doorbell rang.
Daniel stiffened.
Security checked.
It was Carol.
Emily’s mother entered carrying a small wooden box.
May you like
Her face looked worried.
“I need to show you something.”
