Chapter 4: The Price of Silence
Victoria recovered before anyone else.
She straightened her shoulders and looked at Alexander as if he were an unwanted salesman.
“Leave my house,” she said.
Alexander tapped the deed.
“Emma’s house.”
“You have shown copies.
Copies prove nothing.”
“They prove enough to freeze the remaining accounts.”
Victoria turned to me.
“Send him away, and I will explain everything privately.”
“You had twenty years to explain.”
“And you had twenty years of comfort because I protected you.”
I looked at my damp shoes and plain apron on the counter.
“Is that what you call this?”
Charlotte stepped forward.
“Emma, Mother gave you a place here.
Don’t let a stranger turn you against your family.”
“A place?” I asked.
“You mean the room where you stored your winter coats?”
“At least you were not on the street.”
Olivia flinched.
“Charlotte, stop.”
Victoria took my hand and pressed it between hers.
Her diamonds dug into my fingers.
“Listen to me,” she said.
“Gabriel’s company is failing.
Alexander wants you to inherit the blame with the shares.”
“Vale Marine posted record profits last quarter,” Alexander said.
Victoria ignored him.
“Give me authority to handle the estate.
I will put two million dollars in your name and buy you a lovely apartment.”
“You just said the documents proved nothing.”
Her fingers tightened around mine.
“I am trying to save you.”
Alexander stepped nearer.
“Release her.”
I pulled my hand free myself.
“No,” I told him.
“Let her finish.”
Victoria’s eyes softened at once.
“That’s my sensible girl.”
“I want to hear how much my silence costs.”
Her mouth tightened.
Olivia suddenly crossed the kitchen and opened a drawer beneath the telephone.
She removed a small silver locket and placed it in my palm.
“I found this in Mother’s desk last year,” she said.
Victoria’s voice cracked through the room.
“Put that back.”
Olivia opened the locket.
Gabriel’s photograph was inside, beside a tiny picture of me.
“There was a note under it,” Olivia said.
“It said, ‘For Emma when Victoria finally tells her.’”
My knees weakened, and Alexander caught my elbow.
Victoria gave Olivia a furious look.
“After everything I have done for you?”
“You taught us to laugh at her,” Olivia said.
“You said if we made Emma feel small, she would never ask why she had less.”
Charlotte’s face reddened.
“Don’t include me in this.”
“You were there.”
“So were you.”
Olivia turned to me.
Tears gathered along her lashes.
“I laughed because Mother rewarded us when we did.
That does not excuse it.
I am sorry, Emma.”
I tried to answer, but Victoria spoke first.
“How touching.
Shall we all cry over the maid now?”
The word struck harder than I expected.
I folded over the counter, pressing the locket to my chest.
“Emma,” Alexander said softly.
“I spent years trying to make her love me,” I said.
“She was teaching them to despise me.”
Olivia came around the counter and held me while I cried.
She did not ask me to forgive her.
Alexander’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
“It’s the estate attorney.”
“Put it on speaker,” I said.
A woman’s voice filled the kitchen.
“Mr.
Hayes, I received the freeze request, but we have a serious problem.”
“What problem?” Alexander asked.
“Six years ago, Emma Vale signed a complete renunciation of her inheritance.”
“I never signed anything,” I said.
Victoria slowly removed her hand from the counter.
The attorney continued, “The document was witnessed, notarized, and filed with the court.”
May you like
Victoria looked at me and smiled.
“Perhaps,” she said, “you should have paid more attention to the papers I gave you.”
