Chapter 13 - THE PRICE OF STERLING MEDICAL
The merger documents were scheduled to be signed during the engagement celebration.
William had believed the European investment group intended to fund new neurological treatments through Sterling Medical Technologies.
The lead investor was Ashcroft Global.
Detective Quinn discovered that the company had no public owners.
Its funds moved through twelve countries before reaching an offshore trust created on the day Eleanor Sterling was declared dead.
William called an emergency meeting of the Sterling board.
Emma attended because her capsule contained the evidence linking several board members to Project Mnemosyne.
The meeting took place in the mansion’s east dining room under police supervision.
Eight directors sat around the table.
Three resigned before questioning began.
Two claimed ignorance.
One attempted to leave the country and was arrested at a private airfield.
The remaining directors were William, an elderly surgeon named Dr. Samuel Greer, and William’s aunt, Margaret Sterling.
Margaret had spent most of her life abroad and had arrived for the engagement celebration only hours before Ethan was found.
She sat in a wheelchair wearing a dark green gown.
“William,” she said, “your desire to repair the family name is admirable, but releasing these files without preparation will cause irreparable damage.”
“People were tortured beneath my house.”
“And those responsible must face justice.”
“Then why did your trust fund Ashcroft Global?”
Margaret’s expression remained calm.
“My advisers manage the trust.”
“Your signature appears on every transfer.”
“My signature appears on thousands of documents.”
Emma placed Rose’s cassette transcript on the table.
“Did you know Eleanor had a daughter before Ethan?”
Margaret looked at her for the first time.
“Yes.”
William stood.
“You knew?”
“The child did not survive.”
“Her name was Emma.”
Margaret’s gaze sharpened.
“You are not that child.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Because I held the body.”
Silence filled the room.
Emma felt the old scar beneath her shoulder.
“What happened to her?”
“She was born with a heart defect. Eleanor refused to accept it. Rose encouraged her delusion that the baby had been taken.”
William leaned across the table.
“Why was I never told?”
“Your father believed grief would destabilize Eleanor further.”
Detective Quinn entered with a file.
“The hospital listed no infant death that month.”
Margaret’s hands tightened on the wheelchair.
“Records from that period are incomplete.”
Quinn placed a DNA report before Emma.
“We received the results.”
Emma could barely look at the page.
Rose Hale was her biological mother.
Dr. Julian Cross was her grandfather.
Eleanor Sterling was not related to her.
William exhaled, though Emma could not tell whether he felt relief or disappointment.
Margaret studied her.
“Then Rose lied.”
“About what?” Emma asked.
“The newborn.”
Ethan entered the room with his nurse.
He held something in his hand.
A silver locket.
“I found this inside the wall,” he said.
William moved toward him.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I remembered where she hid it.”
“Who?”
“My mother.”
Ethan gave the locket to Emma.
Inside was a tiny photograph of two newborn babies.
Twins.
On the opposite side were engraved initials.
E.S.
And M.S.
William stared at Margaret.
“What was the name of Eleanor’s first child?”
Margaret said nothing.
Quinn turned the DNA report over.
“There is an additional match.”
Emma read the final line.
She was not Eleanor’s daughter.
But she shared enough DNA with William to be his first cousin.
Everyone looked at Margaret.
The elderly woman’s calm expression disappeared.
William whispered, “You are her mother.”
Emma stepped backward.
Margaret Sterling had given birth to Rose Hale.
Which meant Rose was not Dr. Cross’s biological daughter.
She was a Sterling.
Margaret’s voice became cold.
“You have no idea what Rose did.”
“She exposed your experiments.”
“She stole my child.”
Emma looked toward Ethan.
“What child?”
May you like
Margaret pointed at William.
“Him.”
