Chapter 3

"Alright." I smiled and nodded. "You take care of everything. Is there anything you want me to do?"

Samuel got up, walked behind me, and placed his hands on my shoulders. He leaned in close to my ear. "Do what you do best: look gorgeous as Mrs. Sherman, stand next to me at the party, and keep that smile on.

"That's all I need from you."

I lifted my head to meet his gaze. His face was striking. His smile was warm and gentle. "Alright," I replied.

He kissed my cheek, grabbed his car keys, and walked out.

After the door closed, I set my fork and knife down on the plate. The fried egg was all cut up, but I hadn't taken a single bite.

I pulled out my phone and texted Hannah: [Are you free this afternoon? Let's meet up.]

Three minutes later, she replied: [Yeah. The usual spot?]

I texted back: [Let's switch it up. The cafe on the top floor of Silvergate Center, at three.]

After sending the message, I made another call.

"Hale Legal Group," the voice on the other end answered.

I said, "It's Natalie. I need you to check something for me. Five years ago, between September 17th and 18th, was there an infant death record at the General Hospital? Baby girl, mother's name: Natalie Grant. Get it to me as soon as you can."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Ms. Grant, are you sure you want to look into this?"

"I'm sure. Also, pull up a detailed report of the Grant Group's asset: shareholding structure, real estate, and everything registered under Zack. Don't alert anyone."

"Got it."

After hanging up, I stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Down in the garden, Amy was watching Zack chase butterflies across the lawn.

Zack was laughing, totally clueless. He was only a five-year-old, caught up in a game he didn't know was happening. He was a prop in someone else's scheme.

But I couldn't see him the way I used to anymore.

Whenever I looked at Zack, another face haunted me, the one I never got to see. That baby girl, suffocated right after birth. My daughter. She never had the chance to be named.

*****

It was 3 PM at the cafe on the top floor of Silvergate Center.

Hannah had arrived before me and already ordered coffee. She wore a burgundy blazer, her hair slicked back in a neat ponytail.

As soon as she spotted me, she waved. "Hey, Ms. Grant, what got you out of the house today? Aren't you busy prepping your little guy for his trip abroad?"

I sat down and took a sip of coffee. It was perfectly brewed, at the right temperature. "Hannah, what would you do if you found out the child you've been raising for five years turns out not to be yours?"

Hannah's hand froze mid-air, her cup suspended.

She set the cup down, leaned in, and lowered her voice. "Are you kidding me?"

I said, "No. The blood test from yesterday confirmed it. My blood type is O, but Zack's is AB. Biologically, that's impossible."

Hannah's face drained of color. "Hold on, Natalie. Take a breath. Are you sure the blood test wasn't messed up? It's not like hospitals never screw up lab results."

I replied, "I went home and dug out an old phone in Samuel's study. All his chat logs with a woman named Yvonne Lynn from five years ago were still there. Zack is their son. My daughter was swapped in the delivery room."

Hannah leaned back in her chair, her lips parting and closing, searching for words. "You mean the babies were swapped? So what happened to your real child?"

"Samuel said it was handled," I replied.

The only sound in the cafe was the gentle rustle of linen curtains in the breeze. Hannah's fingers tightened around the armrest. "Handled? What exactly did he do?"

I said, "I've already asked my lawyer to look into it. If there's a record of a baby girl dying at the General Hospital five years ago, then that was my daughter."

Hannah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Natalie, listen to me. You can't let Samuel catch on. Right now, the most important thing isn't confronting him. It's getting your hands on all the evidence.

"Did you get any photos of the messages on that old phone?"

"I made sure to remember every message, but I didn't take the phone or any photos. If Samuel realizes the phone's been messed with, he'll be on guard."

"Just let it be for now. When do you think your lawyer will get back to you with the stuff you asked them to check?"

"Three days, tops."

Hannah stood up, walked over, and crouched down to take my hand. "Natalie, I know exactly how you feel right now. But you have to stay strong.

"You're a Grant. You've got way more cards in your hand than Samuel realizes. As long as you keep your composure, he can't stir up any real trouble."

I met her eyes. "I know. I'm not here to cry on your shoulder, only to give you a heads up that I might need your help soon."

"Go ahead."

"Samuel is throwing a fifth birthday party for Zack next Saturday. Three hundred guests, making it look like the Grant family heir is making his big debut. I need you to keep an eye on something for me."

"What is it?"

"Check if there's a woman named Yvonne Lynn on the guest list."

Hannah stood up and grabbed her phone. "Give me two days."