Chapter 1 - The Four Words
The kitchen was suffocatingly silent after the attorney leaned in and whispered into Nathan's ear.
"Victoria killed your father."
Nathan felt the air vanish from his lungs as he stared at the sealed envelope in his trembling hands.
He looked up at his fiancé, who was now backing away from the dropped hockey stick with wide, panicked eyes.
Victoria had always claimed his father died in a tragic car accident on an icy mountain road.
Now, the horrifying truth was staring Nathan right in the face.
He carefully opened the heavy parchment envelope and pulled out a single, blood-stained flash drive.
Grace was still shivering on the cold tile floor, clutching little Lily tightly against her chest.
The little girl buried her face in her mother's uniform, terrified by the tension in the room.
Nathan took a slow, deliberate step toward Victoria, his gray eyes burning with absolute rage.
"Get out of my house," Nathan ordered, his voice dangerously low.
Victoria scoffed, her fear quickly morphing back into arrogant defiance.
"You can't do this to me," she sneered, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Grace.
"I am the only reason your pathetic company hasn't gone bankrupt."
Nathan did not blink.
"I said, get out."
Victoria grabbed her expensive designer purse from the marble counter.
"You will severely regret choosing a filthy maid over me, Nathan."
She stormed out of the kitchen, her high heels clicking aggressively against the hardwood floor.
Nathan immediately dropped to his knees beside Grace and his daughter.
He gently reached out to touch Lily's hair, tears finally welling in his eyes.
"I am so sorry I wasn't here to protect you," he whispered.
Suddenly, the deafening sound of a police siren shattered the emotional moment.
Three heavily armed police officers burst through the front door with their weapons drawn.
But they did not run after Victoria.
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Instead, they aimed their guns directly at Grace.
"Grace Evans, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of a minor," the lead officer shouted.
