Chapter 8 - THIRTEEN MINUTES TO SAVE OLIVER
“Oliver is with his father.”
I said it because I desperately needed it to be true.
Eleanor pointed at the transfer order.
“Read the authorization.”
Beneath Oliver's name were two signatures.
Julian Whitmore.
Victoria Sterling.
I stared at the second one.
“Victoria signed this?”
“Julian prepared it. She says he threatened her younger brother, Benjamin, with prosecution over foundation accounts he never controlled.”
“Then why didn't she tell Alexander?”
“Because she was frightened. And because she believed staying close to Julian gave her a better chance of protecting Oliver.”
I thought of Victoria's terrified expression when she saw me in the ballroom.
She hadn't looked frightened because I'd discovered her secret.
She'd looked frightened because Julian's plan was already moving.
I grabbed Eleanor's hand.
“We're not letting him take your child.”
We hurried toward the ballroom.
When we entered, Alexander stood near the fireplace with Oliver against his shoulder.
My chest loosened.
For one precious second, everything seemed possible.
Then Eleanor stepped into the light.
Alexander saw her.
He went completely still.
“Ellie?”
The nickname sounded almost painful.
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Alexander took one step toward her.
Then stopped.
He looked at the scar above her eyebrow.
At her hands.
At the face he'd mourned for two years.
“I buried you.”
Eleanor began crying.
“I know.”
“I stood beside your grave.”
“I know.”
His eyes filled.
“I would have searched the whole world.”
“You searched until Julian told you to stop.”
That hurt him.
I could see it.
But he didn't deny it.
Oliver lifted his head.
He stared at Eleanor.
Then reached both arms toward her.
“Ah!”
The sound was small.
Ordinary.
But Eleanor broke.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
Alexander moved closer.
“May I?”
She nodded.
He carefully placed Oliver in his mother's arms.
The baby studied her face.
Then pressed his hand against her cheek.
Eleanor held him against her chest.
“My beautiful boy,” she whispered.
The entire ballroom went silent.
Even Julian stopped speaking.
For a moment, I believed we'd won.
Then a sharp voice came from the front of the room.
“That's enough.”
Julian approached with two guards.
“Alexander, this woman has no verified identity. The child must be removed for his protection.”
Eleanor instinctively stepped backward.
Alexander moved in front of her.
“Nobody takes my son.”
Julian's expression hardened.
“The foundation's security team has emergency authority under the family protection agreement.”
“An agreement you drafted,” Alexander replied.
“And you signed.”
Alexander looked at the guests.
Then at the cousin who'd managed his family business for decades.
“I'm revoking your security authority.”
Julian laughed.
“You can't undo twenty years with a sentence.”
“No,” Alexander answered. “But I can stop obeying you.”
Victoria walked forward.
Still wearing her wedding gown.
She removed her engagement ring.
Then placed it on the nearest table.
“I'm not marrying Alexander tonight.”
A murmur spread through the guests.
Julian stared at her.
“Think carefully about Benjamin.”
“I have,” she replied.
“My brother deserves a chance to defend himself. He doesn't deserve to be used to make me hurt a child.”
Alexander looked at her.
“Victoria—”
“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “For every time I chose silence.”
She turned to the guests.
“Julian prepared false transfer orders. He controlled the records and threatened people who questioned them. I helped hide Eleanor when she survived the accident. I also concealed her survival from Alexander.”
She swallowed.
“You can hold me responsible for that. But I won't help him take Oliver.”
Julian's face darkened.
“Remove her.”
Nobody moved.
Then Rosa entered with Elias and a woman carrying a thick accounting register.
“This is Mrs. Callahan,” Rosa announced. “She was the foundation's chief accountant before Julian forced her retirement.”
The elderly woman held up the register.
“I kept the original payment entries,” she said. “The transfers credited to Claire Bennett were approved from Julian's office. I can show the corresponding bank references.”
Julian moved toward her.
Alexander blocked his path.
“Don't.”
Mrs. Callahan placed the book on a table.
Guests began recording with their phones.
The man who'd controlled the room through fear suddenly had witnesses he couldn't easily silence.
Julian stepped back.
“Fine,” he said softly. “You want your spectacle. Have it.”
He turned and walked toward the service corridor.
I watched him disappear.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
He'd surrendered too easily.
Then Rosa looked toward the nursery doors.
“Where's Oliver's nurse?”
Eleanor froze.
Oliver was still in her arms.
But the baby began fussing, and Alexander suggested taking him to the nearby private sitting room while we secured the records.
Eleanor insisted on accompanying him.
Rosa went ahead to prepare the room.
A minute later, she returned looking terrified.
“The sitting-room security team has been replaced.”
Alexander immediately pulled Oliver closer.
Elias checked his radio.
His face changed.
“Sir, Julian has ordered the east courtyard cleared. He's bringing a vehicle around.”
The lights outside the windows swept across the walls.
A black SUV rolled toward the service entrance.
Then Alexander's phone displayed a message from Julian's security console.
Hand over the child or the foundation records will be destroyed.
Alexander looked at Eleanor.
Then at Oliver.
And finally at the doors.
Julian's voice came through the security radio.
May you like
“You have five minutes, Alexander.”
“Bring me the boy.”
