Chapter 7: The Secret Behind the Second Baby
“She's carrying twins?””
Marcus stood in the middle of Evelyn Shaw's office, staring at the phone that had just played his wife's desperate confession.
Nobody answered immediately.
The recording had ended, but Vanessa's words seemed to remain suspended in the room.
Marcus doesn't know about the second baby.
Marcus shook his head.
“No. That can't be right.””
Robert gripped his cane.
“Son, we don't know what she meant.””
“She told me there was one baby.”” Marcus's voice cracked.
“One little girl. We picked out a name. We bought a crib. She showed me the ultrasound.””
He stopped, his eyes widening.
“The ultrasound.””
Evelyn stood.
“Marcus, sit down.””
“I need to see it.””
“See what?””
“The picture she showed me. The ultrasound photograph.””
He pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his messages with trembling fingers.
Robert watched him struggle.
A few minutes earlier, Marcus had been a man desperate to protect his wife from a possible threat. Now he looked like someone watching his entire life collapse in real time.
He finally found the image.
“There.””
He held the phone toward Evelyn.
The photograph showed a small, developing fetus against a dark background. A white measurement line crossed the image, and a date appeared in the corner.
Evelyn studied it.
“This doesn't establish whether there is one baby or more than one. We need the original medical record and a qualified professional to interpret it.””
Marcus barely seemed to hear her.
“She told me the doctor had confirmed everything.””
“Which doctor?”” Robert asked.
“Elaine Porter.””
“Dr. Porter told us she examined Vanessa yesterday and found no indication of an injury to the pregnancy. She didn't say anything about twins.””
Marcus pressed his fingers against his temples.
“She must have hidden the second baby from me.””
“Or the recording referred to something else,” Evelyn said firmly.
“We cannot assume what it means until we know more.””
Marcus looked at his father.
“Why are you still defending her?””
“I'm not defending her. I'm refusing to turn a frightening sentence into a fact.””
Marcus opened his mouth, then closed it.
For once, he had no argument.
Robert stepped closer.
“Listen to me. The police are on their way to the mansion. Grace may be in danger. Whatever Vanessa has done, we cannot allow another person to get hurt because we acted before we understood what was happening.””
Marcus swallowed.
“All right.””
Evelyn called the responding officer and relayed the new information. She explained that the recording suggested a confrontation in the east wing, that a threatening message had been received, and that a housekeeper was sheltering in a locked room.
The officer instructed them not to enter the property while police were responding.
Marcus paced near the window.
“I should have protected her.””
Robert watched him.
“From Daniel?””
“From everyone.””
“Marcus, you cannot protect someone by pretending you know what they're thinking.””
Marcus stopped.
His father continued.
“You thought Vanessa was telling the truth yesterday, so you attacked me. Today, you think she's in danger, so you want to run into the house without knowing what's happening. You keep allowing fear to make your decisions.””
Marcus's face tightened.
“What do you want me to do? Sit here while something happens to my wife?””
“I want you to stop making the situation more dangerous.””
Marcus looked away.
The silence stretched.
Then his phone rang.
The caller was Grace.
He answered immediately.
“Grace? Are you all right?””
Her voice was shaking.
“Yes, Mr. Marcus. The police are here.””
“Where's Vanessa?””
“I don't know. They took Mr. Cross outside.””
“Is she hurt?””
“I haven't seen her.””
Marcus turned toward the door.
Robert caught his sleeve.
“Wait.””
Marcus looked at him, breathing hard.
Then he lowered the phone.
“Please,” he whispered.
“Let me go.””
Robert saw something in his son's face that had not been there the previous day.
Not anger.
Not arrogance.
Fear.
Real fear.
“Call your attorney,” Robert said.
“Tell her you intend to cooperate with the police. Then we'll go when the officers say it's safe.””
Marcus nodded.
For the next fifteen minutes, he remained beside the window while Evelyn coordinated with the responding officers. When permission finally came for them to approach the property, they traveled in separate vehicles and waited outside the security perimeter.
The mansion looked different beneath the flashing red and blue lights.
Two police cruisers blocked the driveway. An ambulance stood near the front entrance. A uniformed officer spoke with Daniel Cross beside a patrol car.
Daniel's expensive charcoal suit was rumpled. His right hand was wrapped in a white bandage, and a small cut marked his forehead.
Marcus jumped out of his car.
“Where's my wife?””
An officer stepped in front of him.
“Sir, I need you to remain here until we've completed our initial assessment.””
“I'm her husband!””
“And we'll need your cooperation.””
Robert approached slowly.
“Officer, I'm Robert Reed. Our housekeeper called us during a confrontation involving Mr. Cross and Vanessa Reed. We received a recording suggesting she was being threatened.””
The officer nodded.
“We're aware. The housekeeper is safe. Mrs. Reed is being evaluated by paramedics.””
Marcus's face drained of color.
“Is she alive?””
“Yes, sir. She's conscious.””
Marcus sagged against his car.
Robert watched him struggle to breathe.
A paramedic appeared at the front entrance, guiding Vanessa toward the ambulance.
She wore a pale robe over her maternity dress. Her hair was tangled, and a bruise darkened one cheek. She clutched a blanket around herself with both hands.
When she saw Marcus, she began crying.
“Marcus!””
He rushed toward her, but stopped when the paramedic raised a hand.
“Give us a moment, please.””
Vanessa reached for him.
“Don't let them take me away.””
Marcus stared at her.
“What happened?””
She looked past him toward Daniel.
“He attacked me. He wanted the documents. He said if I didn't give them to him, he'd make sure I never saw you again.””
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“What documents?””
Vanessa blinked.
Then she looked at Robert.
For a fraction of a second, the terror in her face disappeared.
“You,” she whispered.
Robert didn't move.
Vanessa began crying harder.
“You did this. You sent him here.””
“Vanessa,” Robert said quietly, “I haven't spoken to Daniel today.””
“Liar!””
The paramedic stepped between them.
“Ma'am, you need to calm down. Your blood pressure is elevated.””
Vanessa clutched her stomach.
“My baby. Please, my baby.””
Marcus moved closer.
“Which baby, Vanessa?””
Her face went blank.
The paramedic looked up sharply.
Marcus's voice trembled.
“You said something about a second baby. What does that mean?””
Vanessa stared at him.
Then she looked toward the police officer standing beside Daniel.
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
Marcus pulled out his phone.
“I heard you. I heard you tell Daniel that I didn't know about the second baby.””
Vanessa's lips parted.
The paramedic glanced at the officer.
“Mrs. Reed, do you have a multiple pregnancy?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“I—”
“Are you carrying twins?”” Marcus demanded.
She closed her eyes.
Then she began sobbing.
“Yes.””
The word struck Marcus harder than any punch.
He stepped backward.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Vanessa reached for him.
“Marcus, please. I wanted to tell you.””
“When?””
“When I was sure everything was safe.””
“Safe from what?””
She looked toward Daniel.
He was watching them from beside the patrol car, his expression unreadable.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“From him.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Daniel?””
She nodded frantically.
“He threatened me. He said if I told you about the second baby, he'd ruin everything. He said the money, the company, the trust—he said he would take it all.””
Robert felt a chill move through him.
It was possible Daniel had threatened her.
It was also possible Vanessa was telling another carefully constructed story.
The evidence had already shown that she was willing to stage a fall and manipulate Marcus's emotions. Her current distress could be genuine, fabricated, or a mixture of both.
No one could know simply by looking at her.
Marcus took another step away.
“You lied to me.””
“I was protecting you.””
“You lied about my father. You lied about the company. And now you've been hiding one of our children from me?””
Vanessa reached for his hand.
“Please, Marcus. I can explain.””
He pulled away.
“No. You can explain to your attorney.””
Her face changed.
For the first time, she seemed to understand that she had lost control of the conversation.
“Marcus, don't do this.””
He looked at her with tears in his eyes.
“You told me my father attacked you. You watched me beat him. You let me throw him out of his own house.””
“I was scared!””
“You smiled after he left!””
Vanessa froze.
Robert stared at her.
Marcus's voice rose.
“I saw the footage. I saw you stand up and smile. You planned the entire thing!””
Vanessa glanced at the police officers.
Then she lowered her head.
“I made a mistake.””
“A mistake?””
“I was desperate.””
“For what?””
She didn't answer.
Marcus stepped back.
Robert had seen his son angry many times. He had seen him furious over failed deals, missed deadlines, and employees who disappointed him.
But this was different.
Marcus was grieving the person he thought he had married.
“Tell me the truth,” he said.
“Is the baby mine?””
Vanessa's eyes widened.
“Yes!””
“Both babies?””
She hesitated.
It lasted less than a second.
But Marcus saw it.
His face crumpled.
“Oh, God.””
Vanessa grabbed his sleeve.
“Marcus, listen to me. The twins are yours. I swear.””
“Then why did you hesitate?””
“I didn't!””
“You did!””
The paramedic intervened.
“Sir, we need to transport Mrs. Reed for medical evaluation. This conversation cannot continue here.””
Vanessa allowed herself to be guided toward the ambulance.
Before climbing inside, she turned to Robert.
Her expression was suddenly cold.
“You think you've won,” she whispered.
Robert held her gaze.
“I don't want to win, Vanessa. I want the truth.””
She gave a small, bitter smile.
“Then you'd better ask your daughter what happened eight years ago.””
Robert froze.
Claire, standing behind him, went pale.
“What does that mean?”” she demanded.
Vanessa looked at her.
“You know exactly what it means.””
A police officer closed the ambulance doors before Claire could respond.
The vehicle pulled away.
Marcus stood motionless beside the driveway.
Then he turned toward his sister.
“Claire?””
She didn't answer.
He took a step closer.
“What happened eight years ago?””
Claire stared at the road where the ambulance had disappeared.
For a long moment, she seemed unable to speak.
Then she looked at Robert.
“Dad,” she whispered, “there's something I never told you.””
And before she could continue, a uniformed officer approached carrying a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a small black notebook.
“Mr. Reed,” he said, “we found this in the east wing. Mrs. Reed asked us to make sure it was given to you if anything happened to her.””
Robert stared at the notebook.
May you like
The name written across the cover was his late wife's.
Eleanor Reed.
