Chapter 3: The Woman Who Knew Everything
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The sunlight still shone across the rooftop.
The wedding flowers still stood in their crystal vases.
Nathan's expensive black tuxedo was still perfectly pressed.
But his wedding day was no longer a wedding.
It was an interrogation.
"Repeat that," Nathan said.
Victoria swallowed.
"I said Amara made her choices.""
"No. You said she should have stayed gone.""
Victoria looked toward the glass doors.
"Nathan, you're emotional. You're letting a little girl and a disgruntled employee destroy everything we've built.""
Jada let out a bitter laugh.
"Everything you've built?""
Victoria turned on her.
"Nobody asked you to speak.""
Jada pointed toward Lily.
"That little girl almost went over the side of this building. You don't get to tell me to be quiet.""
Nathan lifted one hand.
"Jada, please. I need to hear this.""
Jada stepped back.
But she didn't leave.
Nathan held the folded letter.
"Victoria, how did you know Amara?""
Victoria pressed her lips together.
"I met her once.""
"When?""
"Before you and I became serious.""
"Where?""
Victoria hesitated.
"At your apartment.""
Nathan stared.
"My apartment?""
"She came looking for you.""
"When?""
"Years ago.""
Nathan shook his head.
"That doesn't make sense. I was calling her every day. I was looking for her everywhere.""
Victoria's voice became defensive.
"Well, she came to see me instead.""
Nathan felt the air leave his lungs.
"What did she want?""
"To talk.""
"About what?""
Victoria looked at Lily.
Then back at Nathan.
"She told me she was pregnant.""
The words landed like a physical blow.
Nathan slowly lowered the letter.
"She was pregnant when she disappeared?""
Victoria nodded.
"Yes.""
"And you knew I was the father?""
Victoria didn't answer.
Nathan stepped closer.
"Did you know?""
"Yes!""
The word exploded from her.
Jada stared.
Lily grabbed the side of Nathan's jacket.
Nathan looked at Victoria as if he no longer recognized her.
"You knew I had a daughter?""
Victoria's eyes filled, but her tears looked more like anger than sorrow.
"I knew she was claiming you were the father.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because she was going to ruin your life!""
Nathan's face hardened.
"She's my child.""
"And what was I supposed to do?"" Victoria shouted.
"Stand aside while you ran back to her?""
Nathan stared.
Victoria continued.
"You were finally becoming the man you were supposed to be. You had the company. You had the money.
You had a future. Then she appeared with a pregnancy and expected you to throw everything away.""
"She was the woman I loved.""
"Exactly!""
Victoria's voice cracked.
"You loved her more than anything. Do you know what it feels like to be second to a woman who isn't even there?""
Nathan looked at her.
"Did you tell her I didn't want the baby?""
Victoria's silence answered him.
He stepped forward.
"Did you?""
Victoria looked down.
"She was upset.""
"Did you tell her?""
"Yes.""
Nathan's hands clenched.
"Why?""
Victoria finally looked up.
"Because you were going to marry me.""
Nathan let out a disbelieving breath.
"We weren't even together then.""
"You were going to be.""
"That doesn't give you the right to speak for me!""
Victoria's composure cracked.
"She was going to take you away from me!""
Nathan stared at her.
"By having my child?""
Victoria shook her head.
"You don't understand.""
"Then explain it.""
She looked toward Lily.
"That girl was supposed to be gone from our lives.""
Jada moved instantly.
She stepped between Victoria and the child.
"Don't you come near her.""
Victoria looked disgusted.
"Get out of my way.""
"No.""
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
"What did you just say?""
Victoria looked at him.
"I didn't mean it like that.""
"You said she was supposed to be gone.""
"I meant Amara!""
"Then why did you push Lily?""
Victoria's mouth opened.
No answer came.
Jada looked at Nathan.
"I watched her do it. She put both hands against Lily's chest and shoved her backward.""
Victoria snapped.
"You're lying!""
Jada pointed to her own cheek.
"You want me to lie about this too? You watched him hit me. You stood there and let him believe I hurt that child.""
Nathan lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry.""
Jada shook her head.
"Your apology doesn't change what happened.""
"I know.""
"Then start by believing what you see.""
Nathan turned toward Victoria.
"Did you push her?""
Victoria laughed nervously.
"Of course not.""
"Lily said you did.""
"She's a child!""
"Jada saw it.""
"Jada wants revenge because you slapped her!""
Nathan's face tightened.
He looked at Jada.
"Did you know Lily before today?""
"No.""
"Did you know Amara?""
Jada hesitated.
Then she looked down at the child's silver necklace.
"Not personally.""
Nathan frowned.
"What does that mean?""
Jada swallowed.
"My mother worked with Amara years ago. She used to tell me about a woman who was trying to get away from someone dangerous.""
Victoria's face went rigid.
Nathan turned.
"Who?""
Jada looked directly at the bride.
"She never told me the person's name.""
Victoria scoffed.
"Convenient.""
Jada ignored her.
"But I remember something else. My mother said Amara had been looking for a safe place to raise her daughter.""
Nathan's expression changed.
"Did she ever find one?""
Jada shook her head.
"Not for long.""
Lily tugged at Jada's dress.
Jada crouched.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?""
Lily whispered something.
Jada leaned closer.
"What did you say?""
Lily glanced at Victoria.
Then at Nathan.
"My mommy told me not to let the lady with the diamonds take my necklace.""
Jada went still.
Nathan looked down.
Victoria's hand instinctively moved toward her own diamond necklace.
"What lady?"" he asked.
Lily pointed.
"Her.""
Victoria's breathing became shallow.
Nathan looked at the diamond necklace around his bride's neck.
It was expensive.
A large central stone surrounded by smaller diamonds.
He had given it to her as an engagement gift.
But now he noticed something he had never paid attention to.
The pendant was shaped like a tiny silver heart surrounded by diamonds.
It looked strangely familiar.
He glanced at Lily's necklace.
The same heart.
The same small engraving on the back.
Nathan reached toward the silver pendant.
"May I see this, sweetheart?""
Lily nodded.
He turned it gently.
Two letters had been engraved into the back.
A and N.
Nathan's eyes widened.
His own engagement gift had been designed around the same symbol.
He looked at Victoria.
"Where did you get the idea for this necklace?""
Victoria touched the diamonds.
"You chose it.""
"No. I chose the necklace. I didn't choose this design.""
Victoria said nothing.
Nathan looked at Lily's pendant again.
"Amara had one like this?""
Lily nodded.
"Mommy said Daddy gave it to her.""
Nathan felt his knees weaken.
He remembered the necklace.
He had purchased a matching pair when he and Amara were younger.
One for her.
One for their future daughter.
He had kept the second necklace in a small velvet box.
Or at least, he thought he had.
He looked at Victoria.
"How did you get my old jewelry?""
Victoria's eyes darted toward the glass doors.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
Nathan stepped closer.
"The matching necklace. The one I bought for Amara.""
Victoria's voice dropped.
"You gave it to me.""
"I never gave it to you.""
"You did.""
"No, Victoria. I didn't.""
She suddenly raised her voice.
"Why does everything have to be about Amara?""
Nathan didn't move.
"Because she disappeared while carrying my child. And now that child is standing in front of me, telling me you pushed her off a rooftop.""
Victoria's eyes filled.
"You were supposed to be happy today.""
Nathan looked at his wedding ring.
He had not even finished saying his vows.
He slowly removed the ring.
Victoria stared.
"What are you doing?""
Nathan placed it on the nearest table.
"This wedding is over.""
Victoria's face went white.
"You can't do that.""
"I just did.""
"You'll regret this!""
Nathan turned toward Lily.
"Come here, princess.""
Lily ran into his arms.
He held her tightly, careful not to hurt her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there.""
Lily began crying against his jacket.
"I missed you.""
Nathan closed his eyes.
"I missed you too.""
Jada watched them.
Her cheek still burned.
Her hands were shaking.
But seeing the child finally held safely in her father's arms made something inside her loosen.
Then Nathan noticed the folded letter still in his hand.
He turned it over.
There was a small paragraph at the bottom that he hadn't read.
He opened it carefully.
The handwriting was unmistakably Amara's.
Nathan, if you are reading this, then Lily has finally found you. But please understand something. I didn't leave because I stopped loving you. I left because someone threatened to take our daughter away.
Nathan read the sentence twice.
Then he looked at Victoria.
She was standing perfectly still.
He continued reading.
I have proof of who did it. I kept it somewhere only you would recognize.
Nathan's eyebrows drew together.
Below the paragraph was an address.
His old apartment.
The place where he and Amara had lived together.
Then came one final sentence.
Look behind the loose brick in the fireplace. You'll find the truth about the night I disappeared.
Nathan lowered the letter.
"Victoria, what happened that night?""
Victoria shook her head.
"Don't.""
"Who threatened Amara?""
"Stop asking questions.""
"Who took her away from me?""
Victoria's voice broke.
"I did what I had to do!""
Nathan went completely still.
Jada's eyes widened.
Lily buried her face in Nathan's chest.
Victoria realized what she had just admitted.
She covered her mouth.
But it was too late.
Nathan stared at the woman he had almost married.
"You did what?""
Victoria looked at him.
And then she said the words that changed everything.
"Amara wasn't supposed to survive the night she disappeared.""
*Nathan's face went cold.*
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Because suddenly, the question wasn't whether Victoria had tried to kill Lily.
It was whether she had already succeeded in killing Lily's mother.
