Chapter 13 - The Husband’s Other Life
Natalie Greer asked for immunity before she asked for a lawyer.
That told Sophia almost everything.
Natalie had been Laurent Development Group’s head of compliance for seven years.
Polished.
Precise.
Trusted.
She also had been sleeping with Julian.
Tessa broke the news carefully.
Sophia felt almost nothing.
The marriage had been dead too long.
The betrayal mattered for another reason.
“How long?”
“Six years.”
Sophia looked up.
Before Leo vanished.
Natalie met prosecutors with counsel and began negotiating cooperation.
She admitted approving Northline vendor reports she knew were false.
Julian told her the money financed “off-book strategic operations.”
She suspected bribery and executive perks.
She claimed she did not know about the kidnapping until afterward.
Then she heard Julian and Victor arguing.
“What did they say?” Sophia asked Quinn.
Quinn read from her notes.
“Natalie says Julian told Victor: ‘The boy is the only thing Sophia loves more than control.’”
Sophia closed her eyes.
Quinn continued.
“Victor allegedly replied, ‘You said forty-eight hours.’”
“And Julian?”
“‘Plans change.’”
Sophia’s fingers went cold.
That same afternoon family court held an emergency conference.
Julian’s lawyers presented the sidewalk video.
Again.
Sophia watched herself slap Leo twice.
Again.
This time the judge watched too.
Julian sat ten feet away looking devastated.
His attorney said, “Mr. Hart is deeply concerned that the child, after five years of trauma, has been placed with a parent who physically assaulted him during their first contact.”
Sophia wanted to scream.
Tessa squeezed her wrist beneath the table.
The judge asked Sophia directly:
“Mrs. Hart, did you strike Leo before you knew his identity?”
“Yes.”
“Twice?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He bumped into me while collecting recycling. I became angry.”
Julian’s attorney seemed surprised by the bluntness.
The judge said, “Do you believe your response was reasonable?”
“No.”
“Do you believe discovering he was your son changes the wrongfulness of the act?”
“No.”
“Have you struck him since?”
“No.”
“Any other child?”
“No.”
The judge looked at the child’s attorney.
Leo had been interviewed privately.
The attorney reported:
“Leo wants continued contact with Sophia and Miriam. He does not presently want unsupervised contact with Mr. Hart.”
Julian’s face tightened.
The court kept Leo with Sophia under monitoring for now, but ordered continued therapeutic oversight.
Julian received supervised visitation pending the criminal investigation.
Not victory.
Not defeat.
Then Laurent Development Group’s board voted.
Six to five.
Sophia was placed on temporary executive leave.
Julian became acting chief executive.
Victor remained vice-chair.
Sophia walked out of the boardroom without speaking.
Thirty years of Laurent history lined the walls.
Her grandfather breaking ground on the company’s first building.
Her father shaking hands with mayors.
Sophia opening the company’s affordable-housing division.
Now Julian sat in her chair.
He followed her into the corridor.
“This doesn’t have to be war.”
Sophia turned.
“You took my company while our son was missing.”
“You signed the agreement.”
“Under threat.”
“You’ll have to prove that.”
He smiled slightly.
That was the moment Sophia understood Julian’s greatest weakness.
He believed truth and proof were different things forever.
At home Leo sensed something was wrong.
“You lost your job?”
“For now.”
“You own the place.”
“Part of it.”
“Then how can they fire you?”
Sophia gave a tired smile.
“Rich people make complicated ways to steal from each other.”
Leo considered that.
“Anna was right about grown-ups.”
Sophia laughed despite herself.
Then the building intercom rang.
Miriam’s apartment had been broken into.
Sophia and Quinn arrived twenty minutes later.
Drawers emptied.
Mattress cut.
Kitchen cabinets opened.
Nothing valuable taken.
Except Nora’s original diaries.
The photocopies remained with police.
But the originals were gone.
Miriam was shaking.
Leo hugged her.
Quinn surveyed the damage.
“This was targeted.”
Sophia’s anger rose.
“Only a few people knew the diaries were here.”
Tessa nodded.
“Police. Us. Miriam. Sophia’s security.”
Sophia looked toward the empty lockbox.
Patrick Dane had disappeared after attempting to purge Northline files.
Now Nora’s diaries were gone.
Sophia’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
One message.
I have what they’re afraid of.
Two million dollars.
Come alone.
—P
May you like
Patrick had resurfaced.
And he was selling the truth to the highest bidder.
