Chapter 2 - The Stolen Letters
Ethan stared at the manila envelope in his father’s hand.
His heart pounded against his ribs like a trapped animal.
"What is that?" Ethan asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"The truth," Richard replied, tossing the envelope onto the white linen tablecloth.
The heavy paper slid and stopped right in front of Victoria.
She didn't reach for it.
Instead, all the color drained from her perfectly contoured face.
"Ethan, don't look at that," Victoria pleaded, her voice trembling. "It's a forgery."
Ethan ignored her and ripped the envelope open.
Inside was a stack of worn, tear-stained letters.
He recognized the delicate handwriting instantly.
It was Hannah’s.
His hands shook as he unfolded the top page.
It was dated three weeks after she had vanished from his life.
The letter begged him to call her back.
It detailed her absolute terror of facing a high-risk pregnancy alone.
Attached to the second letter was a faded, crinkled ultrasound photo of a tiny heartbeat.
Ethan felt a physical pain in his chest, as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs.
He looked up at Hannah.
She stood perfectly still, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"You wrote to me," Ethan choked out. "You didn't take the money."
"I never saw a single cent," Hannah replied quietly. "I signed a document because a lawyer told me you would take my baby away if I fought you."
Ethan turned slowly toward Victoria.
His eyes were completely black with rage.
"You intercepted her letters," he said, his voice dangerously low.
"Ethan, I did it for us!" Victoria cried out, backing away. "She wasn't right for you, she was poor, she didn't belong in our world!"
"You forged her signature on the payoff agreement," Ethan continued, stepping toward her.
Victoria hit the edge of a nearby table, sending silverware crashing to the floor.
"It wasn't just me!" Victoria screamed in a panic.
The entire room went dead silent.
Ethan stopped in his tracks.
"What did you just say?" he demanded.
Victoria covered her mouth, realizing her fatal mistake.
"Who else helped you destroy my family?" Ethan roared, terrifying the remaining guests.
May you like
Victoria looked wildly around the room before her eyes locked onto the front entrance.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she whispered. "Because he's the one who stands to gain everything if you fall."
