Chapter 12 - THE FATHER WHO CAME BACK
Grace stood at the bottom of the staircase.
Her father appeared slowly from the darkness.
Older.
Thinner.
But unmistakably Richard Morgan.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Grace's eyes filled with tears.
Not because she was happy.
Because she was furious.
"You died."
Richard stopped.
"I know."
"You let me bury you."
"I had no choice."
Grace laughed bitterly.
"No choice?"
She stepped toward him.
"I stood beside your coffin."
Richard's face tightened.
"That wasn't my coffin."
"What?"
"The body was never mine."
Grace stared.
"Then whose body did I bury?"
Richard didn't answer.
A second man stepped from the hallway.
Adrian Cross.
The scarred man from the photograph.
Grace raised the weapon.
"Stay where you are."
Adrian immediately stopped.
Richard looked at her.
"Put it down."
"You don't get to tell me what to do."
"I know."
"You've been alive for eleven years."
"Yes."
"You watched me grow up."
"Yes."
"You watched me marry Daniel."
Richard looked away.
"You watched my son being born."
Silence.
"You watched me nearly lose everything."
Richard's eyes hardened.
"I tried to protect you."
"By disappearing?"
"Yes."
"That isn't protection."
"No."
He took a breath.
"It was survival."
Grace's anger suddenly broke through.
"Who was Victor Hale?"
Richard's expression changed.
That was the answer.
Grace saw it.
"You knew him."
"Yes."
"You worked with him."
"Once."
"Then why did he destroy my marriage?"
"He didn't."
Grace froze.
"What?"
"Victor didn't create Daniel."
Richard looked toward the dark window.
"He inherited something."
"From whom?"
"From me."
Grace felt the room tilt.
"What are you talking about?"
Richard walked to the table.
He placed an old leather folder on it.
"I built a company twenty-five years ago."
Grace stared.
"I thought Grandfather built Morgan Holdings."
"He built the public company."
Richard opened the folder.
"I built the private network behind it."
Inside were photographs.
Bank accounts.
Corporate structures.
Names.
Political connections.
Private security operations.
Grace looked at one document.
The date was nineteen years ago.
Her own name appeared on it.
"Why is my name here?"
Richard closed his eyes.
"Because everything was eventually going to belong to you."
Grace looked up.
"And Daniel?"
"Daniel was never supposed to know."
"Victor knew."
"Yes."
"Celeste?"
"She was recruited."
"Rachel?"
Richard's jaw tightened.
"She was manipulated."
Grace suddenly understood.
Everyone had been connected.
But one question remained.
"Why did you fake your death?"
Richard looked directly at her.
"Because someone inside my organization tried to kill me."
"Who?"
Richard didn't answer.
Adrian did.
"The person who ordered the plane crash is still alive."
Grace's stomach dropped.
"Who?"
Richard looked toward the window.
"The person who ordered it..."
He paused.
"...was your grandfather."
Grace stared.
"That's impossible."
Richard's expression was filled with pain.
"I wish it were."
Grace shook her head.
"My grandfather loved me."
"He did."
"Then why?"
"Because he believed I was going to destroy everything he'd built."
Grace's phone suddenly rang.
Daniel.
She answered.
"Where are you?"
His voice was urgent.
"Grace, listen to me."
"What happened?"
"Noah is missing."
Everything stopped.
Grace's weapon slipped from her hand.
"What?"
"He's gone."
Her father immediately looked at her.
Grace's voice broke.
"Where is my son?"
Daniel's breathing was ragged.
"I don't know."
Then the call ended.
Grace looked at Richard.
May you like
Her father whispered:
"They found you."
