Chapter 13: The Price of a Granddaughter
For three seconds, I couldn't hear anything.
Not Frank shouting.
Not the investigator ordering Megan to step away from the table.
Not even my own breathing.
All I could see was the photograph of Lily.
Her little pink coat.
Her crooked ponytail.
The yellow hair clip she had insisted on wearing that morning.
Someone had taken my daughter.
I grabbed Megan by the arm.
"Where is she?""
Megan pulled away.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
I shoved the photograph toward her.
"Don't you dare lie to me.""
She glanced at it.
Then her eyes moved toward Frank.
That was all I needed to see.
"You know.""
Frank stepped forward.
"Chloe, calm down.""
I turned on him.
"If you say one more word about calming down, I will make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars.""
The investigator moved between us.
"Everyone stay where you are.""
I pressed the phone against my ear.
"Zoe, tell me exactly what happened.""
"The caregiver heard the back door. She went to check, and someone had already taken Lily. There was a vehicle waiting outside.""
"Did she see the person?""
"Yes. She described a woman.""
I looked at Megan.
"Who?""
Zoe hesitated.
"An older woman. Silver hair. She was wearing a dark scarf.""
My grandmother.
No.
It couldn't be.
I turned toward Frank.
"Where is Helen?""
His face changed.
For the first time, he looked genuinely afraid.
Megan whispered:
"She's not supposed to be here.""
Frank grabbed her arm.
"Shut up.""
The investigator immediately separated them.
I looked at Carol.
"You said Helen was coming tonight.""
Carol was crying.
"I thought she was meeting Frank at the hotel.""
"Where is she?""
"I don't know.""
My father entered the room with Rebecca behind him.
He had heard enough.
"Michael?"" I whispered.
He looked at me.
"She's alive.""
"Who?""
"Helen.""
My father turned toward Frank.
"And she's taken Lily.""
Frank shook his head.
"You're wrong.""
"Then tell me where she is.""
Frank said nothing.
My father stepped closer.
"You let this happen once. You let them destroy your daughter's childhood. You will not let them take her child.""
Frank's expression hardened.
"Your daughter was never supposed to be involved.""
My father laughed without humor.
"She's your granddaughter's mother.""
"She's a Bennett.""
The words landed like a slap.
I stepped forward.
"And that's why you hated me, isn't it?""
Frank stared at me.
"You were never supposed to inherit the company.""
"Then why did you let Mark marry me?""
He looked away.
"Because Helen believed she could control you.""
I felt sick.
"She planned my marriage?""
"She planned the future.""
I looked at Megan.
"And you helped her.""
Megan's face twisted.
"I was trying to survive.""
"By taking my daughter?""
"I didn't take Lily!""
"Then tell us where she is!""
Megan started crying.
"She said she only wanted the deed. She promised Lily wouldn't be hurt.""
My father lunged toward her, but the investigator stopped him.
"What deed?"" Rebecca demanded.
Frank looked at me.
"The original ownership deed.""
I frowned.
"The company records already establish my ownership.""
"Not the original deed," he said.
"The one your grandmother kept.""
My grandmother's face went pale.
"Michael," she whispered.
He looked at her.
"You still have it?""
She nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
I stared at them.
"What does this deed contain?""
My grandmother swallowed.
"It contains the original ownership structure and the names of the people who financed the company before Frank took over its operations.""
"Why does Helen need it?""
My father answered.
"Because it proves that Peterson Development was built using money from the Bennett family. It also proves that Helen and Frank knowingly concealed the original ownership.""
Rebecca stepped forward.
"Where is the deed now?""
My grandmother looked at me.
"In a safety deposit box.""
"Where?""
"At the bank.""
Frank laughed.
"That won't help you. Helen knows the branch.""
My grandmother shook her head.
"She doesn't know the second key exists.""
My father closed his eyes.
"Margaret, please tell me you didn't—"
"I did.""
She looked at me.
"Your mother gave me a second copy before she died. I hid it somewhere Helen would never think to look.""
"Where?""
My grandmother hesitated.
"Inside the house.""
Frank's expression changed.
"The brownstone?""
She nodded.
"Behind the portrait in the upstairs hallway.""
Frank suddenly lunged toward her.
The investigators restrained him.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"" he shouted.
My grandmother stood her ground.
"No, Frank. I understand perfectly.""
I turned to Rebecca.
"Can we get Lily back?""
She nodded.
"We have to work with the police. No one is going anywhere alone.""
I looked at my father.
He was already reaching for his coat.
"Where are you going?""
"To find my granddaughter.""
"You're not going without me.""
He looked at me.
"Chloe—"
"She's my daughter.""
His expression softened.
"Then we go together.""
Within twenty minutes, police had secured the brownstone and were coordinating with investigators in Wisconsin and Chicago.
The hotel reservation had been traced.
Helen had booked the private dining room under a false name.
A security camera outside the building showed her leaving in a black SUV.
The vehicle had been registered to a company connected to Andrew Collins.
Rebecca received another call.
She listened, then turned to us.
"Mark has been located.""
"Where?""
"At a private airfield.""
I stared at her.
"He's leaving?""
"Apparently. He has a flight plan under another name.""
My father cursed under his breath.
"He's running with Helen.""
Then my phone buzzed.
An unknown number.
A video appeared.
I opened it.
Lily was sitting on a wooden chair in a dim room.
Her hands were free.
She was holding her stuffed rabbit.
A woman stood behind her.
Helen.
She looked directly into the camera.
"Chloe, I want the original deed. No police. No lawyers. No games.""
Lily looked up.
"Mommy?""
My throat closed.
Helen continued.
"You have one hour. Bring the deed to the old Peterson warehouse on Canal Street.""
Then she leaned down toward Lily.
"Tell your mother you're safe.""
Lily looked at the camera.
"I'm okay, Mommy.""
Her lower lip trembled.
"Please come get me.""
The video ended.
I couldn't breathe.
Rebecca took my phone.
"We're not going to that warehouse without a plan.""
"I don't care about the plan.""
"Chloe, listen to me. Helen wants you frightened. That's how she controls people.""
I looked at the frozen image of my daughter.
"Then she picked the wrong mother.""
My grandmother stepped forward.
"I know that warehouse.""
Everyone turned.
She looked at my father.
"It's where your mother was supposed to meet Helen the night she died.""
My father went pale.
"Margaret, no.""
"That's where the final documents were exchanged.""
I looked at her.
"Then that's where we'll find her.""
Rebecca called the police commander.
A tactical team was assembled.
The original deed was retrieved from the brownstone under supervision.
But before we left, my grandmother took my hand.
"Chloe, there's something you must know.""
"What?""
"Helen didn't just want the company.""
She looked toward the video on my phone.
"She wanted the child.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
My grandmother's voice trembled.
"Because Lily is the only person who can inherit the original Bennett trust without challenge.""
I felt the room tilt.
"What trust?""
My father answered.
"Your mother created it before she died.""
May you like
He looked at me.
"And Lily is its sole beneficiary.""
