Chapter 4 - Grace’s Brother
Ethan thought Celeste was lying.
He wanted her to be lying.
Richard had never mentioned being related to Grace.
Grace had never called Richard her brother.
Not once in fifteen years.
“That’s impossible.”
Celeste shook her head.
“No.”
“Grace was an only child.”
“That’s what her father told the world.”
Ethan stared at her.
Celeste continued.
“Richard’s mother was Evelyn Shaw.”
Ethan recognized the name.
She had worked for Grace’s father decades ago.
Celeste spoke quietly.
“Richard was born after an affair.”
“Grace found out when she was twenty-three.”
“Her father paid Evelyn to stay silent.”
“And Richard?”
“He learned the truth later.”
Ethan’s mind raced.
Richard had met Ethan during graduate school.
Richard had introduced Ethan to Grace at a charity event.
That memory now felt poisoned.
“You’re saying Richard deliberately brought me into Grace’s life?”
“I think so.”
“Why?”
“To get close to the family.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“He became my best friend.”
“Yes.”
“He was best man at our wedding.”
“Yes.”
“He held my daughter the day she was born.”
Celeste looked down.
“Yes.”
Ethan wanted to break something.
Instead, he forced himself to remain still.
“Why didn’t Grace tell me?”
“Because she was ashamed of how her father treated Richard.”
“That makes no sense.”
“She thought she could make peace with him.”
“By hiding him?”
“By giving him opportunities.”
Celeste looked at Ethan.
“Grace persuaded you to hire Richard.”
Ethan remembered.
She had.
At the time, she said Richard was brilliant.
Trustworthy.
Family in every way that mattered.
He had assumed she meant emotionally.
Now the phrase sounded different.
“What did Richard believe he was owed?”
“Half.”
“Half of what?”
“Everything.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“The Whitlock Trust?”
“The Whitlock estate.”
“The family holdings.”
“Your company shares that Grace purchased early in your marriage.”
“Every dollar he thought her father denied his mother.”
Ethan understood the rage.
He did not understand the method.
“So he forged documents.”
“Yes.”
“He stole from the trust.”
“Yes.”
“He planned to take Sophie to Switzerland.”
“Yes.”
“And you helped him.”
Celeste’s silence answered.
Ethan’s voice sharpened.
“You warned Grace that Richard might kill her.”
“I did.”
“Then after Grace died, you married me and went back to helping him.”
Celeste stood.
“You think I wanted any of this?”
“I watched my daughter crawl out of a suitcase.”
Celeste flinched.
“You don’t get to ask me what I think you wanted.”
She looked away.
“Richard had evidence against me.”
“What evidence?”
“I stole money.”
Ethan stared.
“From him?”
“From your company.”
That surprised him.
“How much?”
“Two hundred and eighty thousand.”
“For what?”
“My younger brother needed surgery.”
“You could have asked.”
“I barely knew you.”
“You knew Grace.”
“She offered to help.”
“Then why steal?”
“Because Richard told me no one would notice.”
Celeste’s face twisted with shame.
“That was how he owned people.”
“He created the emergency.”
“Then offered the solution.”
“When I tried to leave, he showed me the account records.”
“He said he could send me to prison.”
Ethan did not soften.
“You still had choices.”
“I know.”
“You married me.”
“I know.”
“You let Sophie call you family.”
“I know.”
“And tonight you were taking her away.”
Celeste wiped tears from her face.
“I thought once we reached Zurich, I could get Sophie away from Richard.”
Ethan stared at her.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“But Richard changed the plan this afternoon.”
“What plan?”
“He was supposed to travel separately.”
Ethan remembered Richard behind Celeste on the staircase.
“Instead he came here.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He said you had discovered something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
Celeste looked at the mansion.
“He was terrified of the photograph.”
Ethan glanced toward the house.
“Grace’s photograph?”
“Yes.”
“How did he know Sophie had it?”
“Because Sophie showed it to him last week.”
Ethan’s stomach tightened.
Sophie had trusted Richard.
Richard had hugged her.
Probably while wondering what Grace had written.
Celeste continued.
“He searched Sophie’s bedroom.”
“He searched the nursery.”
“He searched Grace’s old room.”
“He never found the message.”
“And you?”
“I found it yesterday.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“You saw the writing.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you destroy it?”
Celeste looked at him for a long moment.
“Because part of me wanted you to find it.”
Ethan almost laughed.
“Do not try to turn cowardice into courage.”
“I’m not.”
Celeste’s voice dropped.
“I’m telling you why Sophie was in the suitcase.”
Ethan’s face hardened.
Celeste continued quickly.
“Richard arrived early.”
“He said Sophie had to leave immediately.”
“She refused.”
“She screamed.”
“I panicked.”
“You locked her inside luggage.”
“For less than two minutes.”
“You have no idea how long she was in there.”
“I know.”
“You left her terrified in the foyer.”
“I know.”
Celeste covered her face.
“I heard your car outside.”
“I knew you were coming.”
“So you abandoned her?”
“I thought you would find her.”
Ethan’s disgust was immediate.
“That is not a defense.”
“I know.”
The greenhouse door opened.
A security officer entered.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We found something in Richard’s abandoned vehicle.”
He handed Ethan a phone.
Not Richard’s regular phone.
A burner.
There was one outgoing message.
Sent seventeen minutes earlier.
PACKAGE FAILED.
MOVE TO SECOND OPTION.
Ethan stared at the words.
“Who received it?”
“Unknown prepaid number.”
Celeste looked horrified.
“Second option?”
Ethan turned toward her.
“You tell me.”
“I don’t know.”
“You were working with him.”
“Not on this.”
Then Ethan’s own phone rang.
Nora.
He answered immediately.
“Nora?”
Her voice was shaking.
“Mr. Ethan.”
“What happened?”
“Sophie is gone.”
Ethan stopped breathing.
“What?”
“She was upstairs.”
“I turned away for less than a minute.”
“I found the side door open.”
Ethan ran.
“Nora, lock the house.”
“Where are the guards?”
“One of them is unconscious near the pantry.”
Ethan sprinted across the lawn.
Celeste shouted behind him.
“Ethan!”
He ignored her.
Then Nora said the words he would remember for the rest of his life.
“There’s a note on Sophie’s bed.”
Ethan entered the house.
“What does it say?”
Nora’s voice broke.
“Bring Locker 317.”
May you like
“No police.”
“Or next time you open a suitcase, she won’t be inside.”
