“Can You Be The Father Of My Baby For One Day?” She Asked… And I Said, “Only If You Tell Me Why”
Chapter 4
Dinner was tense.
Richard sat at the head of the table.
Nathan sat on his right.
Ethan sat across from Olivia.
Daniel remained beside her.
Sophie’s absence was noticeable.
She was staying with a trusted neighbor for the night.
Daniel had wanted her nowhere near the estate.
Richard raised his glass.
“To family.”
Nobody touched theirs.
He looked at Olivia.
“Tomorrow, you sign the transfer.”
She stared.
“No.”
“You promised.”
“I promised nothing.”
Richard’s voice hardened.
“You’re carrying an heir to this family.”
“I’m carrying my child.”
“Your child is part of this company.”
“Not a piece of property.”
Nathan laughed.
“Listen to her.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You find something funny?”
Nathan stopped.
Richard glared.
“You should be grateful my daughter has a man willing to stand beside her.”
Daniel said nothing.
Richard continued.
“Because your situation is about to change.”
Olivia stiffened.
“What does that mean?”
Richard placed a folder on the table.
“Guardianship.”
Daniel opened it.
A legal filing.
It claimed Olivia was emotionally unstable and financially reckless.
It requested temporary custody of the baby.
Daniel looked at Richard.
“This is your plan?”
“This is protection.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Looks more like control.”
Richard’s face hardened.
“You don’t know this family.”
“No.”
“But I know enough.”
The room fell silent.
Olivia looked at him.
“Daniel.”
He placed the document down.
“Tell me the rest.”
She stared at him.
“Now.”
Olivia swallowed.
“My baby’s father is Noah Grant.”
Daniel waited.
“He was the chief legal counsel for Bennett Medical Systems.”
“And?”
“He found something in the company.”
“What?”
“Payments.”
“To whom?”
“Private security firms.”
Daniel thought of the note.
The black triangle.
Olivia continued.
“He discovered my father was secretly paying a security company to monitor employees who threatened the company.”
Richard interrupted.
“That is not what happened.”
Olivia looked at him.
“You told Noah to stop.”
“He was an employee.”
“You threatened him.”
Richard slammed his hand on the table.
“That is enough.”
Daniel stood.
Richard looked at him.
“You should be careful.”
Daniel stayed calm.
“You’re the one who should be careful.”
Nathan laughed.
“You have no idea where you are.”
Daniel looked at him.
“I know exactly where I am.”
Then Olivia whispered,
“Noah disappeared two weeks later.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Did you see him last?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Outside the company archive.”
“What happened?”
“He gave me his phone.”
“Why?”
“He said he found something.”
“What?”
“I didn’t have time to ask.”
“Then what?”
“He got into a black SUV.”
“Whose?”
“I couldn’t see.”
Daniel looked at Richard.
Richard’s expression was unreadable.
Then Olivia said,
“The next morning, my father told everyone Noah had resigned.”
Daniel stared.
“And you didn’t believe him.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Noah left me a voicemail.”
Daniel waited.
“What did it say?”
Olivia’s voice broke.
“He said, ‘If they tell you I left, don’t believe them.’”
Silence.
Daniel sat again.
He understood now.
The baby wasn’t the only thing at stake.
Noah had discovered something.
Something big enough to get him disappeared.
And Olivia believed her family was involved.
Daniel looked at her.
“Where’s the phone?”
She shook her head.
“I lost it.”
“Where?”
“At the company.”
Richard stood suddenly.
“This conversation is over.”
Daniel looked at him.
“No.”
Richard stopped.
Daniel’s voice was calm.
“You invited us into your house.”
He pointed toward Olivia.
“She deserves answers.”
Richard glared.
“She deserves obedience.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That is exactly the problem.”
Olivia looked at him.
For the first time that evening, she smiled.
Then a crash came from upstairs.
Everyone turned.
Security rushed into the hallway.
Richard shouted,
“Check the west wing!”
Daniel moved automatically.
He put himself between Olivia and the stairs.
A guard came running.
“Sir!”
“What?”
“The archive room was broken into.”
Daniel looked at Olivia.
“Someone is looking for Noah’s evidence.”
She whispered,
“Then he’s still alive.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because nobody destroys evidence from a dead man’s disappearance.”
