Chapter 12 - THE FATHER
Ethan moved between them.
“Don’t come near her.”
Richard stopped.
He looked twenty years older than he had that morning.
His eyes moved to Nora.
“Nora.”
She stared at him.
“I dreamed about killing you.”
Claire went still.
Nora continued.
“For years.”
Richard nodded once.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You’re right.”
Ethan wanted to punch him.
Instead he asked the question he had been avoiding.
“Why?”
Richard looked at his son.
“I was drunk.”
“Why did you lie?”
“I panicked.”
“For twenty-five years?”
Richard swallowed.
“The first lie happened in a hospital room. You were bleeding. Nora was unconscious. Police were asking questions.”
“So you blamed her.”
“Yes.”
The word hit harder than any excuse.
Richard continued.
“I thought I could fix it later.”
Nora laughed bitterly.
“You fixed it.”
“I told them you were driving. Pierce changed the blood sample report. Vane handled the legal part.”
“And me?” Ethan asked.
Richard looked at him.
“You kept asking for her.”
“So you told me she died.”
“Yes.”
“Why show me a grave?”
“Because you wouldn’t stop looking.”
Ethan’s eyes burned.
“I was five.”
Richard’s voice broke.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t get to cry.”
Richard looked away.
“I loved you.”
Nora erupted.
“You loved owning him!”
Richard’s face twisted.
“I was terrified of losing him!”
“So you destroyed me?”
“Yes!”
The word echoed through the ruined hospital.
Everyone went silent.
Richard looked at Nora.
“Yes. I destroyed you.”
His shoulders dropped.
“I told myself you were unstable. I told myself you would hurt him. I told myself he needed one parent who could give him a normal life.”
Nora whispered, “You made me unstable.”
Richard had no answer.
Ethan shook his head.
“You let me mourn a living woman.”
“I did.”
“You watched me cry at an empty grave.”
“Yes.”
“You let me think every memory I had of her was some childhood fantasy.”
Richard began crying.
“Yes.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“I named my company’s foundation after you.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“I gave speeches about integrity because you taught me that a man is only as good as his word.”
“I know.”
Ethan laughed once.
Broken.
“You don’t know anything.”
Police entered the building.
Richard didn’t resist.
An officer approached.
“Richard Hale?”
“Yes.”
“You need to come with us.”
Richard turned to Ethan.
“There’s one more thing.”
Ethan said nothing.
“Vane didn’t take Nora tonight to protect me.”
“Then why?”
“To protect the merger.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“What?”
Richard looked at Claire’s father.
“Someone at Monroe Capital knew Nora was alive before Claire did.”
Thomas stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
Richard nodded toward Claire.
“Ask your brother.”
Claire went pale.
“My brother?”
Ethan knew Daniel Monroe.
Claire’s older brother.
Chief financial officer of Monroe Capital.
Best man at the wedding.
Richard said:
May you like
“Daniel paid Vane yesterday.”
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