Chapter 15 - THE NIGHT HER MOTHER DIED|
Dominic was released the following afternoon.
The charges against him had weakened after investigators verified that the recording used to justify his arrest had been altered. Detective Reed promised to continue the investigation, but Dominic's attorneys warned that the case would take months.
Emma met Dominic outside the courthouse.
He looked exhausted. A bruise darkened one cheek, and his suit hung loosely on his shoulders.
“You came,” he said.
“I said I would.”
He glanced at her pendant.
“Your mother wore that.”
“She gave it to me when I was twelve.”
Dominic's expression shifted.
“Emma, there's something you need to know.”
She crossed her arms.
“Vincent said you were at the hospital the night my mother died.”
Dominic went still.
“I was.”
“Why?”
He looked away.
“Because she asked me to come.”
The city noise seemed to fade around them.
“You knew she was dying?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn't tell me?”
“She made me promise not to.”
Emma's voice rose.
“You let me sit beside her bed, believing she had no one else, while you knew she had a whole secret life!”
“Your mother believed that telling you the truth would put you in danger.”
“She was wrong.”
“I know.”
“No, you don't. You didn't have to watch her die while wondering whether she'd ever loved you enough to tell you the truth.”
Dominic accepted the blow without defending himself.
“She was afraid,” he said. “She'd spent years protecting you from people who would use you against her. When she became ill, she thought the safest thing she could do was keep you outside the secrets.”
“Did she say anything about me?”
His eyes softened.
“She talked about you the entire night.”
Emma's anger faltered.
“She said you wanted to become a nurse. She said you were stubborn, compassionate, and far too willing to take responsibility for people who hadn't earned it.”
A tear slipped down Emma's cheek.
“She knew I never finished the application?”
“She asked me to help you finish it.”
Emma covered her mouth.
Dominic continued carefully.
“She also asked me to give you something when you were ready.”
He reached into his coat and removed a small envelope.
Inside was a letter written in Margaret's handwriting.
My darling Emma,
If Dominic has given you this letter, then he has finally learned that keeping a promise is not always the same as doing the right thing.
Emma laughed through her tears.
I have made mistakes. I have hidden things from you because I believed fear could protect you. I was wrong to let fear make so many decisions for us.
Your father loved you. He was brave, but bravery did not save him. I hope you never confuse courage with the willingness to die for a cause. Sometimes courage means choosing to live.
Do not spend your life trying to repair what other people broke. You deserve a future that belongs to you.
I love you beyond every truth I failed to tell you.
Mom.
Emma pressed the letter against her chest.
Dominic stood beside her, saying nothing.
After a long time, she whispered, “Did she forgive you?”
“She did.”
“Did you forgive yourself?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“Maybe you should start.”
For the first time since the diner, Dominic's composure broke. He looked away, blinking hard.
Emma reached for his hand.
It was not forgiveness for everything. It was not trust restored overnight.
It was simply a beginning.
Then Dominic's phone rang.
Victor's voice came through, urgent and breathless.
“Boss, we have a problem. Vincent's transport never reached the detention center.”
Dominic's face hardened.
“What do you mean?”
“The vehicle was found abandoned. The officers are missing.”
Emma felt her blood turn cold.
May you like
Vincent Vale had disappeared.
And he had taken the evidence with him.
