Chapter 12 - THE REAL REASON VANESSA WANTED TO MARRY ME|
I took the recording to Dr. Reed.
He confirmed that the file had been edited.
Several sections were missing.
But the original metadata showed that it had been created inside St. Catherine's Hospital shortly before Claire died.
We needed the complete version.
Vanessa agreed to help.
Not because she trusted me, but because her father had threatened to destroy her if she revealed what she knew.
She had been raised to believe that family loyalty meant obedience.
Now she was beginning to understand that obedience had turned her into an accomplice.
"Why did you agree to marry me?" I asked.
She looked at the water beyond the hotel balcony.
"My father said your organization was becoming vulnerable."
"That's not an answer."
"He wanted access to your business."
"And you?"
She laughed bitterly.
"I wanted to be the woman who finally made him proud."
I stared at her.
"Did you ever care about me?"
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"I admired you. I wanted your name. I wanted the life that came with it."
"Not love."
"No."
For the first time, she sounded honest.
Then she gave me a second drive.
"This contains the remaining hospital files."
"Where did you get it?"
"My father's office."
I handed it to Marco.
Within an hour, Dr. Reed had found something significant.
The missing medical records showed that Claire's treatment had been changed twice.
The first change was approved by Margaret.
The second was authorized by a company connected to Vanessa's father.
But the most disturbing discovery concerned Noah.
A confidential note had been added to his hospital file after Claire died.
It instructed the hospital to release the infant to Margaret Cole without consulting me.
I stared at the document.
"Why would my mother need permission to take my son?"
Dr. Reed looked uncomfortable.
"Because somebody had requested an emergency guardianship review."
"On what grounds?"
He turned the page.
The allegation claimed that I was an unfit father due to my criminal activities.
My mother had signed the petition.
So had Vanessa's father.
They had intended to separate me from my newborn son.
I looked at Marco.
"Who stopped it?"
He searched the file.
A hospital social worker had intervened.
Her name was Grace Miller.
I turned toward her.
"You saved Noah?"
Grace nodded slowly.
"I couldn't let them take him."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She looked down.
"Because I thought you would hate me for being involved."
I took her hand.
For the first time, I understood that she hadn't entered our home to take anything.
May you like
She had spent three years protecting the one thing everybody else wanted to use.
And now somebody had discovered that she still possessed the original guardianship petition.
