The Billionaire Vanished With Forty-Seven Dollars to Find a Woman Who Would Love Him Poor, but the Woman He Found Was Hiding a Secret of Her Own
Chapter 7
They spent the night in a motel outside Pittsburgh.
Nathan didn’t sleep.
Emma was asleep in the adjoining room with Elena.
At 2:15 a.m., Nathan sat beside the window staring at the parking lot.
His uncle was alive.
Victor was hunting them.
His father had warned him about Elena.
And now there was a question about Emma’s father.
At 3:00, Elena entered the room.
“You’re awake.”
“So are you.”
She sat beside him.
“You heard what Thomas said.”
“Yes.”
“You want the truth.”
“Yes.”
She looked exhausted.
“Emma’s father was David.”
Nathan nodded.
“I know.”
“But that’s not the whole truth.”
Nathan waited.
Elena’s hands trembled.
“David wasn’t Emma’s biological father.”
Nathan stared.
“What?”
“I met David when I was twenty-seven.”
“What happened?”
“He raised Emma as his own.”
“Then who was her father?”
Elena looked toward the door.
“I don’t know.”
Nathan frowned.
“You don’t know?”
“I was attacked when I was younger.”
She stopped.
“You don’t have to explain.”
“I do.”
She looked at him.
“Emma was born after that.”
Nathan understood enough not to ask further.
“So David adopted her.”
“Yes.”
“And Thomas knows?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I think he found the records.”
Nathan looked away.
“Why does it matter?”
“Because Emma’s biological father was connected to the Cole family.”
Nathan turned.
“What?”
Elena whispered:
“Your uncle.”
Silence.
Nathan couldn’t speak.
“Thomas?”
“I don’t know how.”
“Then why would he say it?”
“Because he wants you to believe Emma is his.”
Nathan shook his head.
“This is insane.”
Elena cried.
“I know.”
Nathan stood.
“Did my father know?”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
“He helped protect us.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Edward believed Emma was in danger.”
“From Thomas?”
“Yes.”
Nathan sat.
Everything was becoming more complicated.
Elena opened her bag.
She removed the old USB drive.
“David left this.”
“You said it was evidence.”
“It is.”
“Why didn’t you show me?”
“Because I was afraid.”
Nathan took it.
“What does it contain?”
“I don’t know.”
He opened his laptop.
The drive had one file.
47B
Nathan clicked.
A video appeared.
His father sat at a desk.
Edward looked older than Nathan remembered.
“If you’re watching this, Nathan, then you found Elena.”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
Edward continued.
“I owe you the truth.”
He looked directly into the camera.
“Thomas betrayed me.”
Nathan stared.
“He wanted control of the company. He created shell corporations and used Victor to intimidate anyone who got close.”
Edward paused.
“David discovered everything.”
Nathan glanced at Elena.
Edward continued.
“David also discovered something else.”
He leaned closer.
“Thomas had been using my name to hide another operation.”
The screen flickered.
“He was moving children through false adoption networks.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Nathan froze.
Edward continued.
“Emma may be one of the children affected.”
Elena began crying.
“No…”
Edward looked devastated.
“I tried to investigate quietly.”
The video ended.
Nathan stared at the black screen.
Elena whispered:
“That’s impossible.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Is it?”
She shook her head.
“David adopted Emma legally.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Nathan stood.
“We need the records.”
The motel door suddenly rattled.
Someone tried the handle.
Elena grabbed Emma.
Nathan turned off the lights.
A voice came from outside.
“Mr. Cole.”
Victor.
Nathan moved toward the bathroom.
The door burst open.
Victor entered.
But he wasn’t alone.
Thomas followed.
Nathan expected violence.
Instead, Thomas raised his hands.
“I’m not here to hurt you.”
Nathan laughed.
“You’ve been chasing us.”
Thomas looked at Elena.
“Because she has something that belongs to me.”
“What?”
Thomas pointed at Emma.
“The truth.”
Elena stepped in front of her.
Thomas sighed.
“You’ve been protecting a lie for six years.”
Nathan moved beside Elena.
“Then tell us the truth.”
Thomas looked at Nathan.
“Your father wasn’t protecting Emma.”
He paused.
“He was protecting you.”
Nathan’s face hardened.
“From what?”
Thomas smiled sadly.
“From discovering who your mother really was.”
