Chapter 9 - VANESSA'S LAST LIE
Vanessa survived.
The bullet missed her heart by less than an inch.
Nathan visited her hospital room two days later.
Elena waited outside.
Vanessa smiled when Nathan entered.
“I knew you'd come.”
Nathan remained standing.
“You tried to kill my son.”
Her smile disappeared.
“I never wanted Noah dead.”
“Don't.”
“Nathan.”
“Don't use my name like you love me.”
Vanessa looked away.
“I loved what you could give me.”
“At least that's true.”
She laughed softly.
“Grace was always better at love.”
Nathan said nothing.
“Do you know why your father hated her?”
“Because she found the research.”
“No.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“Because she made you human.”
Nathan stared.
“Richard spent your entire childhood building you into himself. Then Grace arrived.”
Vanessa smiled bitterly.
“You laughed. You took vacations. You wanted children.”
Nathan remembered.
Grace dancing barefoot in the kitchen.
Grace stealing his phone.
Grace telling Richard to go to hell during Christmas dinner.
Vanessa continued.
“Your father believed love made people weak.”
“He was wrong.”
“Yes.”
Vanessa looked toward the door.
“Elena taught you that?”
Nathan followed her gaze.
Elena stood beyond the glass with Noah.
“No.”
He smiled faintly.
“Grace did.”
Vanessa's face hardened.
“You still don't understand.”
“What?”
“I wasn't the last person.”
Nathan went still.
“Richard's research had investors.”
“Names.”
Vanessa laughed.
“You think Simon was important?”
Nathan approached.
“Names.”
“I want immunity.”
“You attempted to murder my son.”
“I want protection.”
“From who?”
Vanessa's eyes filled with real fear.
“The people who paid your father.”
The heart monitor accelerated.
Nathan leaned closer.
“Who?”
Vanessa whispered a name.
Nathan stepped back.
“No.”
Vanessa smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Outside, Elena saw Nathan's face.
Then every alarm in the hospital began screaming.
Vanessa's monitor flatlined.
A nurse ran inside.
Then another.
Nathan was pushed away.
Vanessa convulsed.
Blood appeared at her mouth.
Poison.
Nathan looked through the glass.
A doctor removed a syringe from Vanessa's IV line.
Someone had reached her.
Vanessa died three minutes later.
Her final lie was that she wanted immunity.
What she actually wanted was enough time to give Nathan the name of the man who had financed his father's crimes.
Senator William Hale.
May you like
The governor's leading candidate for president.
And Noah's godfather.
