Chapter 15 - Two Men Who Thought Rose Belonged to ThemGrant did not go to the Voss estate.
Police told him not to.
For once, he listened.
For three hours, nobody knew exactly what happened.
Then the facts emerged.
Richard had entered Charles’s estate using an old security credential.
Charles confronted him inside the library.
Both men were armed.
Only one fired.
Charles.
Richard survived with a non-life-threatening wound.
He was arrested at the scene.
Charles was also detained.
Grant felt no satisfaction.
Just exhaustion.
Rose asked why he kept looking at his phone.
“Work.”
She frowned.
“You said no work today.”
Grant smiled weakly.
“You caught me.”
“Put it away.”
He did.
That tiny command mattered more than board control now.
Later, Charles’s attorney contacted Grant.
Charles wanted to speak.
Grant almost refused.
Then accepted a monitored video call.
Charles appeared older.
Tired.
“You heard.”
“Yes.”
“He came to kill me.”
“Did he?”
Charles smiled bitterly.
“No. He came to bargain.”
“For what?”
“Silence.”
Grant laughed.
“Bit late.”
“He offered evidence against everyone else.”
“In exchange for?”
“My help leaving the country.”
“And you shot him.”
“He reached inside his jacket.”
“Was he armed?”
“Yes.”
Grant didn’t care enough to debate.
“What do you want?”
Charles looked at him.
“To apologize.”
Grant almost ended the call.
Charles continued.
“Not for Richard.”
“For Rose.”
Grant stared.
“I told myself I was protecting Emma’s daughter.”
“You stalked her.”
“Yes.”
“You manipulated Margaret.”
“Yes.”
“You used Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“You helped create fake evidence against me.”
Charles looked away.
“Yes.”
“And somehow you called that love.”
“I know.”
Grant said nothing.
Charles’s voice dropped.
“When Emma told me to stay away, I thought she was punishing me for something I didn’t know I’d done.”
Grant remembered Emma’s recording.
Love that refuses boundaries can become possession.
“She was protecting Rose from exactly this.”
Charles nodded.
“I understand that now.”
“Convenient.”
“Yes.”
Grant leaned back.
“Did you know Richard caused Emma’s crash?”
“I suspected.”
“But had no proof.”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you tell police what Emma told you?”
“She made me promise not to involve her family until she had proof.”
“And after she died?”
Charles closed his eyes.
“I thought I could find Richard myself.”
Grant laughed bitterly.
“All of you thought you could handle everything yourselves.”
Charles accepted the accusation.
Then said:
“There’s one thing you need to know about Vanessa.”
Grant’s jaw tightened.
“What?”
“She stopped the plan.”
Grant frowned.
“No, Rose stopped it.”
“Yes.”
“But Vanessa had already delayed us twice.”
“What do you mean?”
“The wedding was originally supposed to happen three months ago.”
Grant remembered.
Vanessa postponed after claiming anxiety.
Charles continued.
“She delayed the trust documents.”
“Why?”
“She said the language was wrong.”
Grant stared.
“Was it?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Charles looked toward him.
“Because she had started caring about you.”
Grant felt anger.
“Don’t.”
“I’m not defending her.”
“It sounds like it.”
“She participated in something unforgivable.”
“Yes.”
“But Richard wanted the custody accusations launched before the wedding.”
Grant froze.
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Why weren’t they?”
“Vanessa refused.”
Grant stared.
“She said Rose would be traumatized.”
He thought of the bridal suite.
Baggage.
Disappear.
Need me less.
That was Vanessa caring?
Charles seemed to understand his disbelief.
“She hated Rose’s dependence.”
“That isn’t love.”
“No.”
“She psychologically abused her.”
“Yes.”
“So what exactly are you trying to tell me?”
“That people can do one decent thing and still be guilty.”
Grant went silent.
It echoed what Emma might have believed.
Truth could be complicated without changing responsibility.
Charles continued.
“Vanessa tried to convince Richard to use a corporate scandal instead.”
“And Richard refused.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Rose was your weak point.”
Grant’s voice became cold.
“Rose is not my weakness.”
Charles looked at him.
“No.”
A pause.
“She is the reason you’re difficult to control.”
That sentence stayed with Grant.
After the call, Rose climbed into his lap.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Do I have to see Vanessa again?”
Grant’s heart tightened.
“No.”
“Ever?”
“Only if someday you want to, and safe adults agree.”
Rose thought.
“I don’t.”
“That’s okay.”
“Will she be sad?”
Grant hesitated.
“Maybe.”
Rose looked down.
“I don’t want her sad.”
Even after everything.
Grant kissed her hair.
“That’s because you have a kind heart.”
“Can I still not see her?”
“Yes.”
Rose nodded.
“Okay.”
Then she whispered:
“I still love her a little.”
Grant closed his eyes.
“I know.”
And perhaps that was the cruelest damage Vanessa had done.
May you like
She had made a four-year-old believe loving someone meant she had to tolerate being unwanted.
Grant would spend however long it took teaching her otherwise.
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