Chapter 6 - WHERE THEIR FAMILY BEGAN
Grant did not wait until morning.
He took Owen, Rachel, Thomas, and a private security team to the abandoned lakeside cottage.
Sophie and Luke remained with Marian under federal protection.
Rain began falling as they reached the property.
Grant had not stood there in seven years.
The cottage looked smaller now.
Broken windows.
Rotting porch.
Overgrown grass.
But he could still see Claire running barefoot toward the lake after he proposed.
She had laughed.
Then cried.
Then told him she wanted a noisy house full of children.
Grant had promised her everything.
Someone else had stolen the chance to keep that promise.
Owen entered first.
“Where did your family begin?”
Grant looked around.
“Claire would not mean the house.”
He walked outside.
Toward the enormous oak tree near the water.
He remembered carving their initials there.
G + C.
Owen brought shovels.
Twenty minutes later, metal struck metal.
They uncovered a waterproof container.
Inside were documents.
Flash drives.
Bank statements.
Photographs.
And a handwritten letter addressed to Grant.
His hands shook as he unfolded it.
Grant.
If you are reading this, Victor failed to keep us apart forever.
I never cheated on you.
I never stole from you.
I left because Victor threatened our unborn child.
Grant stopped reading.
Rachel stared at him.
“Unborn child?”
He continued.
Claire explained that while working as an accountant for a nonprofit client, she discovered millions moving from Haven House donations into shell companies.
Those companies were linked to Victor Hale.
Calvin Rourke.
Evelyn Shaw.
And several Bennett Urban projects.
Grant’s stomach turned.
She had believed Grant might be involved.
Victor deliberately reinforced that fear.
Then Victor showed Claire forged signatures carrying Grant’s name.
Grant whispered.
“He used my company.”
Rachel scanned the documents.
“This is money laundering.”
Owen inserted one flash drive into his laptop.
Video appeared.
Claire sat in front of the camera.
Pregnant.
Terrified.
“Grant, if you ever see this, I need you to understand something.”
“I wanted to tell you about the babies.”
Grant stopped the video.
“Babies?”
He looked at Rachel.
She said nothing.
Grant pressed play.
Claire continued.
“There are two.”
“A girl and a boy.”
“I was going to surprise you.”
“But Victor knows.”
“He says if I go to police, he will make sure you are blamed.”
“And he says our children will disappear into a system where no one will ever connect them to us.”
Grant covered his mouth.
The prophecy had come true.
The video ended with Claire crying.
Then Owen opened another folder.
Inside was surveillance footage dated three years earlier.
Claire was walking into the Saint Augustine facility.
Not as a patient.
As an investigator.
Owen frowned.
“She went there voluntarily.”
The next clip showed her leaving.
Calvin Rourke followed.
Ten minutes later, the road accident occurred.
Grant’s phone rang.
Marian.
He answered immediately.
Her voice was frantic.
“Grant.”
“Someone triggered a fire alarm in your building.”
“The children are safe.”
“But Victor was here.”
Grant went cold.
“What did he want?”
“He left something.”
Grant asked what.
Marian’s answer silenced everyone.
“A custody agreement.”
May you like
“It says you surrendered Sophie and Luke before they were born.”
“And it has your signature.”
