Chapter 10 - The Child Nobody Mentioned
Penelope had been pregnant once before.
Fifteen years earlier.
Garrett’s child.
Rosalind stared at the surveillance screen.
Penelope whispered:
“You said you’d never tell anyone.”
Garrett answered:
“There’s no one left to tell.”
Rosalind felt dizzy.
Tobias pulled a chair behind her.
She sat.
On screen, Penelope touched her current belly.
“The first pregnancy had nothing to do with Thomas.”
“Everything had to do with Thomas.”
“What does that mean?”
Garrett looked at her.
“Your father found the clinic receipt.”
Penelope froze.
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
Penelope’s first pregnancy occurred months before the Mercer crash.
She and Garrett had been having an affair.
Everett Vale learned about it.
Instead of objecting, he saw opportunity.
Penelope was the eldest Mercer daughter.
If she married Garrett, Vale might eventually gain influence over Mercer Shipworks.
But Thomas discovered Garrett was also obtaining confidential corporate information through Penelope.
He ordered her to end the relationship.
Then changed the trust.
Penelope became furious.
Garrett continued:
“Thomas told my father he would report the Harbor payments and have me disbarred if I used you again.”
Penelope whispered:
“And the crash?”
Garrett went silent.
“Did your father tell you what he was going to do?”
“No.”
“Garrett.”
“I knew he wanted Thomas frightened.”
Rosalind leaned toward the screen.
There it was.
Garrett had known something before the fatal crash.
Not necessarily the sabotage method.
But enough.
Penelope asked:
“Did you know Finch was touching the car?”
“No.”
“You swear?”
“Yes.”
Penelope believed him.
Rosalind did not know whether she did.
Garrett continued.
“After the crash, you disappeared.”
“I lost the baby.”
Rosalind’s anger faltered for a moment.
Penelope miscarried during the months she claimed to be in Europe.
She had grieved alone.
Garrett’s father convinced Garrett to end the relationship.
“Everett said you were unstable.”
Penelope laughed bitterly.
“He always hated me.”
“He thought you were no longer useful.”
Penelope’s eyes filled.
Rosalind saw the terrible cycle.
Penelope had been used by Everett.
Then abandoned by Garrett.
Then watched Garrett return years later and marry Rosalind—the sister who inherited the control Penelope lost.
Resentment fermented for over a decade.
That did not excuse attempted murder.
But it explained why Garrett could manipulate Penelope again.
“You came back to me,” she said.
Garrett looked at her belly.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Because I loved you.”
She searched his face.
Rosalind did too.
Garrett added nothing.
Penelope understood.
“Because Rosalind ordered the audit.”
He did not answer.
The renewed affair had been strategic too.
Garrett needed Penelope’s trust shares.
Yet somewhere inside that manipulation, they conceived another child.
Penelope began crying.
“You never choose me unless you need something.”
Garrett’s expression hardened.
“This is not the time.”
“It’s always the time for you.”
She walked away.
For the first time, Rosalind saw a possible fracture wide enough to use.
Morales disagreed.
“We arrest now.”
Grace nodded.
“Agreed.”
Rosalind surprised them.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
She continued:
“Penelope is scared of him.”
“She helped try to kill you,” Tobias said.
“I know.”
“You’re feeling sorry for her.”
“No.”
Rosalind’s voice hardened.
“I’m seeing leverage.”
Grace studied her.
“What do you want?”
“Let Penelope find out Garrett is planning to cut her out.”
“Do we know that?”
Rosalind thought of Garrett refusing to promise marriage.
“He will.”
Tobias understood.
“You want them to turn on each other.”
“I want Penelope talking before Garrett’s lawyers teach her silence.”
Morales refused to manufacture evidence.
But they did not need to.
Garrett created the betrayal himself.
The next morning, investigators monitoring financial activity saw him transfer $3.8 million from a Vale Strategic Marine account into an offshore trust.
Beneficiary:
Not Penelope.
Garrett’s unborn son.
Trustee:
Garrett Vale.
Penelope had no control.
Then Grace discovered a draft prenuptial agreement on Garrett’s computer.
It contemplated a future marriage to Penelope.
Penelope would waive all claims to Garrett’s personal assets and Vale Maritime voting stock.
The baby would be protected.
Penelope would not.
Rosalind stared.
“He’s doing to her what he did to me.”
Tobias corrected:
“No.”
Rosalind looked at him.
“He needs her alive.”
For now.
That afternoon, Penelope received an anonymous copy of the trust document.
Not from investigators.
From Garrett’s own assistant, Lucy Tran, who had become horrified after the river incident.
Penelope confronted Garrett.
“You created a trust for the baby without me.”
Garrett remained calm.
“For his protection.”
“From me?”
“From everyone.”
“You listed yourself as sole trustee.”
“I’m his father.”
“And I’m his mother.”
Garrett’s eyes changed.
“Then act like one and stop panicking.”
Penelope slapped him.
Rosalind watched without satisfaction.
Garrett grabbed Penelope’s wrist.
Hard.
“You do that again, you’ll regret it.”
Penelope stared at him.
The illusion finally shattered.
Garrett had not chosen her on the riverbank.
May you like
He had chosen the plan.
And Penelope was beginning to realize she might eventually become another obstacle.
