Chapter 10 - THE WARNING ABOUT ETHAN
Maya left the hospital room with her mother’s warning echoing in her mind.
Do not trust Ethan.
Ethan waited in the hallway.
He stood when he saw her.
“How is she?”
“Alive.”
“Does she remember anything?”
“Enough.”
Maya studied his face.
“Why did you know the security code to the desert house?”
“My father took me there once.”
“You said he visited twice a year.”
“I saw the travel records.”
“When did he take you?”
“I was seventeen.”
“What did you see?”
Ethan hesitated.
“A woman.”
Maya’s chest tightened.
“You saw my mother.”
“I did not know who she was.”
“What did your father tell you?”
“That she was receiving private treatment.”
“And you never asked why she was locked inside a house in the desert?”
“I was a teenager.”
“You were old enough to remember.”
“I did remember.”
His voice broke.
“I spent years trying not to.”
Maya stepped away.
“You knew there was a prisoner.”
“I knew something was wrong.”
“You said nothing.”
“My father frightened me.”
“So did your mother.”
“You still let them control every room.”
Ethan looked down.
“I am not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
Agent Brooks entered.
“The DNA results are complete.”
Maya’s heart stopped.
Brooks handed her the report.
Probability of parent-child relationship exceeded 99.99 percent.
Maya Reed was Amelia Evelyn Cross.
Vance closed his eyes.
Relief and grief moved across his face at the same time.
Maya stared at her legal name.
For years, she had signed forms beneath a name assigned by strangers.
Now another name waited for her.
Not better.
Not more valuable.
Only true.
Agent Brooks continued.
“The trust recognizes you as controlling beneficiary.”
“Effective immediately, your attorneys can freeze Cross-related assets.”
“Including Vaughn Strategic?”
“Yes.”
“And Sterling Holdings?”
Ethan looked up.
Brooks placed another document on the table.
“The Cross trust owns twenty-six percent of Sterling Holdings through dormant shares.”
Victoria had spent years calling Maya worthless.
Maya now held the largest single voting block in the company.
But the money felt distant.
Her mother lay behind a locked hospital door.
Her grandfather’s remains had been carried in a trunk.
Her childhood had been stolen.
No percentage could repair that.
Maya looked at Ethan.
“Did your family know the trust owned Sterling shares?”
“My father did.”
“Did you?”
“Not until today.”
Agent Brooks’s phone rang.
She answered.
Then she looked at Maya.
“Senator Vaughn contacted our office.”
“He wants to negotiate.”
“What does he have?”
“The medal.”
“And a video showing who gave the order to kidnap you.”
“What does he want?”
May you like
Brooks’s expression hardened.
“He wants Ethan.”
