Billionaire Pretends To Be A Janitor To Find True Love — But Discovers A Secret Hidden For 20 Years
Chapter 5
Alexander spent the next week searching.
Emma Miller had no public financial records after the age of twenty-three.
Her marriage wasn’t registered.
No property.
No passport records.
Nothing.
It was as if she had disappeared.
Then Daniel found one clue.
A bank account.
Opened under the name Emma Carter.
It had been active for seventeen years.
Alexander stared.
“Carter?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Colorado.”
“Balance?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Almost nothing.”
“Any transactions?”
“One.”
“When?”
Two years earlier.
Amount: $2,500.
Recipient:
St. Mary’s Children’s Hospice.
Alexander’s heart tightened.
“That was her?”
“Maybe.”
They contacted the hospice.
An old nurse remembered the name.
Emma had volunteered there.
She had cared for terminally ill children.
She had died eighteen months earlier.
Alexander felt numb.
“Cause?”
“Cancer.”
“What about her daughter?”
The nurse paused.
“She had one.”
“Grace?”
“Yes.”
Alexander closed his eyes.
His aunt had died without ever knowing he existed.
Or maybe she knew.
The nurse gave him a box.
Emma had left it for her daughter.
Inside was a letter.
Alexander read it with Grace’s name at the top.
My daughter,
There are things I wanted to tell you.
I didn’t because I was afraid.
Your family is not who you think they are.
Your grandmother was Eleanor Hayes.
I am her daughter.
And you have a family you have never met.
Alexander stared at the page.
Emma had known.
She had planned to tell Grace.
Then she had died.
The rest of the letter was missing.
A page had been removed.
Alexander knew who could have taken it.
Richard.
He returned to the hotel.
Grace was waiting.
“You look terrible.”
He smiled weakly.
“I have something to tell you.”
She stared.
“Is this about your family?”
“Yes.”
“Does it involve me?”
Alexander went quiet.
Grace stood.
“Alex.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
He couldn’t hide anymore.
“Your mother was Emma Miller.”
“I know.”
“She was part of my family.”
Grace frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“She was my sister.”
Grace froze.
Alexander continued.
“And that means…”
He couldn’t finish.
Grace stepped back.
“You’re my uncle?”
“Yes.”
She stared at him.
“No.”
“I have proof.”
She shook her head.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I only found out recently.”
“You’ve known for how long?”
“Less than two weeks.”
Grace’s eyes filled with tears.
“So every conversation…”
“No.”
“Every time you looked at me…”
“I didn’t know at first.”
She wiped her eyes.
“You’re part of the family that abandoned my mother.”
Alexander shook his head.
“She wasn’t abandoned.”
“She disappeared.”
“She was hidden.”
“By who?”
He took a breath.
“Richard Hayes.”
Grace looked confused.
“Who is that?”
“My uncle.”
She stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because he wanted control of the family fortune.”
Grace laughed bitterly.
“So your family destroyed my mother’s life for money.”
Alexander didn’t defend them.
“I don’t know everything yet.”
“But you know enough.”
“Yes.”
She walked away.
“Grace.”
She stopped.
“I need time.”
“I understand.”
She left.
Alexander stood alone.
He had wanted to tell her the truth.
He had wanted honesty.
Instead, he had broken the trust between them.
That night, Daniel asked,
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Alexander looked at him.
“Because I’m starting to realize I didn’t come here to find love.”
Daniel frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I came here to test whether someone could love me without money.”
“And?”
Alexander looked toward the hallway where Grace had disappeared.
“I found someone.”
Daniel waited.
“But now she has every reason to hate me.”
