Chapter 3 - The Secret Noah Was Carrying
Martha was admitted to the hospital that evening.
Her condition was serious but treatable.
Emma sat outside her room with Noah sleeping against her.
William approached with two sandwiches.
“Eat.”
“Not hungry.”
“That wasn’t a question.”
Emma looked at him.
“You’re bossy.”
“I’ve been told.”
“By employees?”
“Mostly.”
She accepted the sandwich.
A social worker approached.
“Emma Reynolds?”
Emma immediately stood.
William noticed the fear return.
“I’m Karen Mitchell. We need to discuss Noah.”
Emma tightened her arms around him.
“No.”
“Emma—”
“You’re not taking him.”
Karen kept her voice gentle.
“We need to establish who his legal guardian is.”
“My grandma.”
“Your grandmother isn’t listed as his guardian.”
“She takes care of him.”
“Where are his parents?”
Emma looked at the floor.
“I don’t know.”
Karen frowned.
“You don’t know?”
“His mother left him with Mrs. Wilson.”
“Who is Mrs. Wilson?”
“Our neighbor.”
“And where is she?”
“Gone.”
Karen exchanged a glance with William.
“We’ll need to contact child services.”
Emma stepped backward.
“No.”
“Emma.”
“No!”
Noah woke and began crying.
Emma’s voice shook.
“He knows me. I feed him. I get up when he cries. He sleeps beside me. You can’t give him to strangers.”
William stepped between them.
“Give us five minutes.”
Karen nodded reluctantly.
After she left, William crouched beside Emma.
“Listen to me.”
“You said nobody would take him.”
“I said I wouldn’t.”
“You lied.”
“I didn’t.”
“They’ll put him somewhere.”
“Not if I can prevent it.”
Emma stared at him.
“How?”
William didn’t yet know.
But he said, “Give me until morning.”
That night, his legal team worked.
So did a private investigator.
By 8:12 the next morning, Daniel entered the hospital carrying a folder.
“We found Mrs. Wilson.”
Emma jumped up.
“Where?”
“Queens.”
“Why did she leave?”
Daniel looked at William.
That look worried him.
“What?”
Daniel handed him the folder.
“Noah’s mother wasn’t Mrs. Wilson’s niece.”
Emma frowned.
“Then who was she?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Her daughter.”
Emma stared.
“Why would she lie?”
“Because Noah’s father is someone with money.”
William’s expression changed.
“How much money?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“A lot.”
“Name?”
“Ethan Caldwell.”
William knew it instantly.
Caldwell Holdings.
Hotels. Investment funds. Media properties.
Emma looked between them.
“Who is he?”
William answered.
“A very wealthy man.”
“Does he know about Noah?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Apparently not.”
Emma hugged Noah tighter.
“Then don’t tell him.”
William looked at her.
“We have to.”
“No.”
“He may be Noah’s father.”
“He wasn’t there.”
“He may not have known Noah existed.”
Emma’s eyes burned.
“So money means he gets him?”
“No.”
“You’re rich. He’s rich. You people think everything belongs to you.”
William’s face tightened.
“That isn’t fair.”
“Neither is taking Noah.”
Before William could answer, Daniel’s phone rang.
He listened.
Then looked at William.
“He knows.”
“How?”
“Someone at the agency contacted his attorneys.”
“And?”
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
“Ethan Caldwell is downstairs.”
Emma went completely still.
Seconds later, she whispered:
“Don’t let him take my baby.”
William looked at the elevator doors.
“I won’t let anyone decide Noah’s future without hearing you first.”
The elevator opened.
A tall man in a navy coat stepped out with two attorneys.
He looked exhausted.
Then he saw Noah.
Everything changed.
“My God.”
Emma backed behind William.
Ethan stared at the baby.
“He has my father’s eyes.”
Emma tightened her grip.
Ethan stepped forward.
William blocked him.
“Not yet.”
Ethan’s voice turned cold.
“Move.”
“No.”
“That’s my son.”
From behind William came Emma’s trembling voice.
“Then where were you?”
Ethan froze.
The eleven-year-old stepped into view.
“Where were you when he had a fever?”
No answer.
“Where were you when we ran out of diapers?”
Ethan swallowed.
“I didn’t know.”
“When he cried all night?”
“I didn’t know he existed.”
Emma’s anger faltered.
Ethan’s eyes were wet.
May you like
“I swear to you. I didn’t know.”
For the first time, Emma wasn’t sure who the enemy was.
