Chapter 13 - The House Without Emma
Laura returned alone to her Aspen house.
Snow had stopped.
The silence was worse.
Emma’s cereal bowl was in the dishwasher.
Her red boots sat beside the mudroom door.
A half-finished paper snowflake rested on the kitchen island.
Laura stood in the dark and understood why Celeste had chosen Emma.
Not merely because of the trust.
Because Emma was where Laura was vulnerable.
A company could be rebuilt.
Money could return.
Her daughter could not be reduced to a balance sheet.
Rebecca arrived with Chinese takeout and bad news.
“The court denied our emergency motion to modify the temporary parenting arrangement tonight.”
“When can we try again?”
“Tomorrow after the evaluator’s preliminary interviews.”
Laura paced.
“This is insane.”
“It is temporary.”
“Stop saying temporary like it doesn’t count.”
Rebecca waited.
Laura stopped.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re scared.”
“Yes.”
“That is different from being unstable.”
Laura sat.
Rebecca opened a file.
“We found why Celeste needs the Blackridge closing.”
Peter Lau had traced Snowglass payments through related entities.
Celeste and Owen had not simply stolen $14.7 million.
They had pledged some Vale Peak assets as collateral for private borrowing.
“How much?” Laura asked.
“Thirty-one million.”
Laura stared.
“Against company assets?”
“Through forged board consents.”
“If Blackridge closes—”
“The debt can be buried or repaid from transaction proceeds before full internal investigation.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Lenders start asking questions.”
Celeste was not chasing wealth.
She was running from collapse.
Laura’s phone rang.
Nathan.
She answered immediately.
“Emma?”
“She’s okay.”
“Put her on.”
A pause.
“Laura, something happened.”
Laura stood.
“What?”
“Celeste came here.”
Laura’s blood turned cold.
Nathan had taken Emma to his rented lodge inside the Vale Peak residential complex.
“Why did you let her in?”
“I didn’t. She was already in the lobby.”
“Is Emma safe?”
“Yes. She’s upstairs with the parenting monitor.”
“What did Celeste want?”
Nathan hesitated.
“Snowy.”
Laura stopped.
“The rabbit?”
“She asked Emma whether she had put anything inside it.”
Rebecca looked up.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Laura remembered the hospital room.
Emma had clutched Snowy the entire time.
“What did Emma say?”
“She screamed when Celeste tried to touch it.”
Laura grabbed her coat.
Rebecca stood.
“No.”
“My sister went near my daughter.”
“The monitor removed Celeste?”
“Yes,” Nathan said.
“She’s gone?”
“Yes.”
“Then do not violate the order.”
Laura clenched her jaw.
Nathan continued.
“Emma wants you.”
Laura heard a small voice in the background.
“Mom?”
Nathan put her on.
“Baby.”
“Aunt Celeste tried to take Snowy.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t let her.”
“You did the right thing telling Dad.”
Emma whispered, “She thinks the little paper is still inside.”
Laura went still.
“What paper?”
Silence.
“Emma?”
“I forgot.”
“No. Sweetheart, this is important. What paper?”
“The one from the silver thing.”
Laura looked at Rebecca.
The recorder.
“What do you mean?”
“When I picked it up, the back popped.”
Laura’s pulse hammered.
“There was paper inside?”
“A tiny black square.”
Not paper.
A microSD card.
Rebecca mouthed, memory card.
Emma continued.
“I put it in Snowy because Aunt Celeste came.”
Laura sat slowly.
“Is it still there?”
“No.”
“Where is it?”
Emma became nervous.
“I moved it.”
“When?”
“When Aunt Celeste was yelling at the hospital.”
“Where did you put it?”
“I can’t tell.”
Laura closed her eyes.
“Why?”
“Because she said grown-ups steal secrets.”
Laura almost laughed and cried at once.
“Emma, I’m your mom.”
“I know.”
“Did you put it somewhere safe?”
“Yes.”
“Can Dad help you get it?”
Emma was silent.
Then:
“No.”
Nathan sounded hurt.
Laura understood.
Emma did not trust him.
Not yet.
“Okay,” Laura said. “You don’t have to tell anyone tonight.”
Rebecca grabbed a notepad and wrote:
DO NOT COACH HER ABOUT LOCATION. EVIDENCE ISSUE.
Laura nodded.
“Just keep Snowy with you.”
“I will.”
After the call, Rebecca stared at her.
“If that card came from the recorder, it may contain deleted audio files.”
“Celeste knows.”
“She suspects.”
“And she’ll go after Emma to get it.”
“We notify the monitor and sheriff.”
They did.
Celeste was formally warned not to approach Emma outside authorized contact.
At midnight Laura received an email.
From Celeste.
You have no idea what your daughter took. If you care about keeping her out of adult consequences, return it.
Laura forwarded it to Rebecca.
Then she replied with only five words.
Stay away from my child.
Celeste answered immediately.
Ask Dad why he protected me. Then ask yourself whether you really want the answer public.
A photograph followed.
Charles Vale.
Owen Mercer.
And Laura’s ex-husband Nathan.
Standing together six years earlier beside a Snowglass corporate filing.
Laura stared.
Nathan had told her his involvement began with his failing firm.
The photograph said otherwise.
He had been near Snowglass years before.
May you like
Nathan had confessed.
But not everything.
