Chapter 6 - Victoria's Ultimatum
Ethan watched the recording seven times.
By the eighth, he could no longer convince himself there was some innocent explanation.
Victoria had known Maya existed.
Not merely as an old girlfriend.
She had known Richard intended to remove Maya from Ethan's life.
Perhaps she had even participated.
Ethan called her immediately.
She didn't answer.
He drove to her apartment.
Victoria opened the door wearing a silk robe, her expression unsurprised.
“You found out.”
Those three words removed every remaining doubt.
Ethan held up the phone.
“How long?”
Victoria stepped aside.
“Come in.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“I’m not having this conversation in a hallway.”
“Then start talking.”
Victoria sighed.
“Your father approached me during the Denver acquisition.”
“Why?”
“Because our families had known each other for years.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“He believed I was a better match.”
Ethan felt sick.
“A match.”
“You know how Richard thought.”
“Yes. I’m learning.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“At the time you and I weren't together.”
“But you wanted to be.”
She didn't deny it.
“Did you help him keep Maya away?”
“No.”
“The recording says—”
“The recording shows your father asking.”
“And your response?”
“I refused.”
Ethan stared.
Victoria disappeared into another room and returned with a folder.
She handed it to him.
Inside was correspondence between Victoria and Richard.
The messages surprised him.
I will not participate in deceiving Ethan. Whatever I think of Ms. Bennett is irrelevant. He deserves the truth.
Another:
Do not contact me about this again.
Ethan looked up.
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Victoria's composure cracked slightly.
“Because I was twenty-eight, your father was one of the most powerful people in our world, and you were barely speaking to me at the time.”
“You saw me afterward.”
“Months afterward.”
“You knew Maya was pregnant?”
“No.”
Ethan searched her expression.
“No?”
“Richard told me Maya was unstable and trying to damage your career. I thought he was exaggerating, but I didn't know there was a child.”
“Why didn't you tell me about the conversation after we started dating?”
Victoria looked away.
“Because by then Maya was gone.”
“And because you wanted me.”
“Yes.”
The honesty surprised him.
“I loved you before you ever noticed me, Ethan.”
“That doesn't make secrecy acceptable.”
“I know.”
He lowered the folder.
“Who sent me the phone?”
“I have no idea.”
“Who recorded the meeting?”
“Your father recorded everything.”
That sounded true.
Ethan walked toward the door.
Victoria spoke behind him.
“Do you love her?”
He stopped.
“This isn't about that.”
“It is for me.”
“Victoria—”
“You have spent four years believing Maya left you. Now you've learned she didn't. You have a child together. Do you honestly think those facts won't change what you feel?”
Ethan turned.
“I don't know what I feel.”
“I do.”
Her voice shook for the first time.
“You walked into my apartment furious because you thought I helped hurt her. You weren't furious because she is simply Noah's mother.”
Ethan said nothing.
Victoria wiped beneath one eye before a tear could fall.
“I won't compete with a ghost that suddenly became real.”
“I never asked you to.”
“No. But you will ask me to accept being second.”
“That isn't fair.”
“Neither is any of this.”
She removed the engagement ring from a drawer.
“I was going to give this back when you figured things out.”
She placed it in his palm.
“Now I think you should keep it.”
Ethan looked at the diamond.
“So we're finished?”
“We were planning a marriage based on an incomplete version of your life.”
Her voice softened.
“Find the complete version.”
Ethan left.
The following weeks became a strange new routine.
Tuesday afternoons with Noah.
Saturday mornings.
Occasional dinner.
Maya insisted everything happen gradually.
Ethan agreed.
He learned that Noah hated peas but would eat broccoli if it was called “tiny trees.”
He learned Noah woke at five thirty whenever excited.
He learned Noah could identify twelve dinosaurs but consistently called pigeons “city chickens.”
He learned that fatherhood did not arrive as one enormous emotion.
It arrived through repetition.
A small hand automatically reaching for his.
A voice calling “Daddy” from another room.
A cup appearing beside his plate because Noah had decided it belonged there.
One afternoon, Ethan took Noah to Central Park.
Maya came too.
Noah chased pigeons.
“City chickens!” he yelled.
Ethan laughed.
Maya shook her head.
“You encouraged that.”
“I respected his taxonomy.”
“You bought him a book about birds.”
“And he concluded the book was wrong.”
They sat on a bench.
Noah played nearby.
Ethan glanced at Maya.
“Victoria and I ended things.”
Maya's smile disappeared.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“You never liked her.”
“I didn't know her.”
“You hated her dress at the gala.”
Maya looked offended.
“I did not.”
“You stared at it.”
“It had approximately nine miles of satin.”
Ethan laughed.
Then Maya became serious.
“I don't want Noah thinking his existence destroyed your relationship.”
“He won't.”
“Make sure.”
“I will.”
Maya watched her son.
“You're good with him.”
“I’m learning.”
“He likes you.”
“I like him too.”
“That's generally useful.”
Their shoulders almost touched.
Neither moved away.
Then Noah fell.
He had been running too fast.
His knee struck the pavement.
He began crying.
Both Maya and Ethan were up instantly.
Maya reached him first.
Ethan crouched beside her.
Noah looked at his scraped knee as if catastrophe had arrived.
“It's bleeding!”
“A little,” Maya said.
“I need the hospital!”
Ethan fought a smile.
“I think we can save the leg.”
Noah stared.
“Save it?”
“Definitely.”
Maya glared at Ethan.
“Do not tell the three-year-old his leg requires saving.”
Noah cried harder.
Ethan panicked.
Maya laughed despite herself.
Eventually Noah calmed.
Ethan carried him back toward the car.
The boy fell asleep against his shoulder.
Maya walked beside them.
She looked at Ethan holding their son.
Her expression changed.
Not romantic.
Not yet.
But less guarded.
That night Maya received an email.
No subject.
No name.
Only one sentence.
Ethan Caldwell didn't tell you everything his father did. Ask him about the hospital agreement signed before Noah was born.
Maya read it twice.
She called Ethan immediately.
He answered.
“Maya?”
“What hospital agreement?”
Silence.
“What?”
“I just received a message saying your father signed some agreement before Noah was born.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Find out.”
“Maya—”
“If Richard tried to interfere with Noah before he was even born, I need to know.”
“I'll check.”
The next morning Ethan contacted Brenner.
The attorney sounded uncomfortable.
“There was an agreement.”
“What agreement?”
“Richard arranged for a private hospital to notify his office if Maya Bennett was admitted for childbirth.”
Ethan's blood ran cold.
“Why?”
“He wanted confirmation that the child existed.”
“And?”
Brenner hesitated.
“He also prepared documents.”
“What documents?”
“A petition.”
“For what?”
“If Maya attempted to identify you publicly as the father, Richard intended to seek emergency custody.”
Ethan's chair scraped backward.
“On what grounds?”
“He had investigators compile a file questioning her financial stability.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
Maya had been right to fear lawyers.
His father had planned to take Noah.
“Was anything filed?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Brenner paused.
“Because someone stopped him.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
Ethan stared.
Margaret had helped hide Noah.
But apparently she had also prevented Richard from taking him.
The story was becoming more complicated than betrayal.
May you like
And Ethan realized he might have judged his mother before hearing the entire truth.
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