Chapter 4 - Natalie Was Never the Other Woman
I expected Natalie to be cruel.
I expected her to gloat.
Instead, she looked exhausted.
Her mascara was slightly smudged.
Her expensive coat was soaked from the rain.
She descended the stairs slowly.
Then she handed me the envelope.
I didn't take it.
“What is this?”
“Insurance.”
“For what?”
“For surviving Grant.”
Grant's eyes narrowed.
“Natalie.”
She ignored him.
“I was never his mistress.”
The words landed like a blow.
I stared.
“You kissed him.”
“Yes.”
“You slept with him.”
“No.”
I looked at Grant.
He didn't deny it.
Natalie whispered, “He made sure you believed we were sleeping together.”
“Why?”
“To make you leave.”
My throat tightened.
Grant closed his eyes briefly.
Natalie continued.
“Three months ago, someone inside Grant's organization started leaking information. They knew about the hidden archive. They knew about your pregnancy. They knew your father was alive.”
I felt dizzy.
“Why would Grant want me gone?”
“Because they were planning to kill you.”
Silence.
I turned toward Grant.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because telling you would have made you a target.”
“You made me believe you were cheating.”
“I thought hatred was safer than knowledge.”
My eyes burned.
“That isn't love.”
“No,” Grant said quietly. “It's fear.”
Natalie opened the envelope.
Inside were photographs.
I recognized one person immediately.
Marcus Reed.
Talking to a man I didn't know.
Then another photograph.
My mother.
Meeting the same man.
Then another.
The man standing beside my father.
I stared.
“Who is he?”
Natalie answered.
“Adrian Cross.”
The name made Grant go still.
Natalie noticed.
“He's back.”
Grant's jaw tightened.
“He was supposed to be dead.”
“He isn't.”
“Who is Adrian?”
Natalie looked at me.
“Your father's former partner.”
I felt a new wave of confusion.
“What happened?”
Natalie's voice became quieter.
“Adrian wanted control of the network. Your father refused.”
“Then?”
“Adrian ordered Daniel killed.”
“But my father survived.”
“Yes.”
“Who saved him?”
Grant answered.
“I did.”
I stared at him.
“You?”
He nodded.
“Your father had information that could destroy Adrian. But Daniel couldn't expose him without exposing innocent people. So he disappeared.”
“And you helped him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
Grant's eyes met mine.
“Because your father asked me to.”
My heart stopped.
“He asked you to marry his daughter?”
“No.”
Grant took a breath.
“He asked me to keep you safe.”
The hidden archive suddenly felt smaller.
The entire room seemed to tilt.
“You knew me before we met.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Six months.”
I closed my eyes.
All those little coincidences.
The bookstore.
The restaurant.
The flower delivery.
The first time Grant had offered me a ride home.
Had he orchestrated them?
“Did you ever love me?”
He took one step toward me.
“Yes.”
“From the beginning?”
“No.”
I looked at him.
He swallowed.
“From the first time you laughed at me.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“That wasn't part of the plan.”
He looked almost ashamed.
“Loving you ruined the plan.”
I wanted to hate him.
Part of me still did.
But another part remembered the man who had cried when we heard our baby's heartbeat.
Then I remembered the bracelet.
The lies.
The years.
“You still betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“And I can't forgive you because you're scared.”
“I know.”
Natalie suddenly turned toward the stairs.
“Someone is coming.”
Marcus moved first.
He drew his weapon.
Grant stepped in front of me.
The sound of footsteps echoed above.
Then glass shattered.
Gunfire exploded through the office.
Grant pushed me to the floor.
“Stay down!”
Marcus fired back.
Natalie screamed.
Daniel Price dragged her behind a shelf.
More shots.
Then silence.
Grant looked toward the stairway.
“They found us.”
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
A phone on the desk began to ring.
Grant's face changed.
He knew the number.
He picked it up.
“Who is this?”
A man's voice came through the speaker.
I heard only three words.
“Your father is dead.”
Grant froze.
The voice continued.
“And now she knows.”
The call ended.
I looked at Grant.
“My father?”
Grant shook his head.
“No.”
“You said he was alive.”
“He was.”
“Was?”
He turned toward the archive wall.
One of the names had changed.
DANIEL BENNETT — STATUS: DECEASED.
I stopped breathing.
Then another message appeared on the hidden computer.
ACCESS CONFIRMED.
FIVE MINUTES TO WIPE.
Grant looked at Marcus.
“Someone breached the archive.”
Marcus swore.
Grant grabbed my hand.
“We have five minutes.”
“To do what?”
“Get out.”
“And leave all this?”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“We save your father.”
I stared at him.
“You just said he's dead.”
Grant's eyes hardened.
“That message is exactly what Adrian wants us to believe.”
May you like
Then the archive doors slammed shut.
And the lights went out.
