Chapter 8 - Henrietta Finally Asked to See Her SonHenrietta called from her attorney’s office.
Pierce almost declined.
Then he answered.
“What?”
Her voice sounded smaller.
“I want to see you.”
“No.”
“Pierce.”
“You do not come near Rowan.”
“I’m not asking to see Rowan.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking to see my son.”
Pierce closed his eyes.
She still knew which word to use.
Son.
Not Pierce.
Not Mr. Cole.
Son.
He agreed to meet at Mara’s office with attorneys present.
Henrietta arrived wearing navy wool.
Perfect hair.
Pearl earrings.
The same composed woman who once hosted Christmas dinners for thirty people.
Pierce could not reconcile her with the bathroom video.
Then he remembered that was the problem.
Both women were real.
She sat.
“You look tired.”
Pierce almost laughed.
“You abused my son.”
Her expression tightened.
“I lost my temper.”
“You forced his head under running water.”
“I was washing him off.”
“He wasn’t dirty.”
“He had been crying and—”
“Stop.”
Henrietta did.
“You called him a bastard.”
Silence.
“You told him he would be gone before I knew.”
“He was supposed to go to school.”
“You forged my signature.”
“I had authorization.”
“No.”
Mara placed documents down.
“You did not.”
Henrietta’s attorney whispered something.
Henrietta ignored him.
“Rowan needs structure.”
Pierce stared.
“No.”
“You’re never home.”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The excuse.”
Pierce leaned forward.
“You built an imaginary violent child on paper.”
“He has problems.”
“What problems?”
“He lies.”
“About what?”
“He told you I hurt him.”
Pierce’s eyes hardened.
“I watched you hurt him.”
Henrietta looked away.
“Luis interfered in a private family matter.”
Pierce almost stood.
Mara touched his arm.
He remained seated.
“Why Hawthorne Ridge?”
“Because they could help.”
“With what?”
Henrietta’s face hardened.
“With the fact that Rowan manipulates you because he knows you feel guilty about Claire.”
Pierce stared.
“You hated Claire.”
“I distrusted her.”
“You fabricated a DNA test.”
Henrietta became completely still.
There.
For the first time, genuine fear.
“Raymond told me.”
Her lips parted.
Pierce continued.
“Dad knew.”
Henrietta’s composure disappeared.
“You don’t know what your father did.”
“I know about Edward.”
Silence.
Her attorney looked confused.
Henrietta looked at Pierce.
“Raymond had no right.”
“Neither did you.”
“That was between your father and me.”
“You involved my wife before Rowan was even born.”
Henrietta’s eyes filled.
“You don’t understand how Franklin punished me.”
“He changed his estate.”
“He humiliated me.”
“Privately.”
“He gave Winfield to an unborn baby.”
“To his grandson.”
“To make a point.”
Pierce nodded.
“Maybe.”
Henrietta looked surprised.
He continued.
“But Franklin being vindictive does not turn Rowan into property you can take revenge on.”
Her face hardened.
“Winfield was mine.”
“No.”
“I chose every curtain in that house.”
“You used it.”
“I raised you there every summer.”
“Dad owned it.”
“We were married.”
“And he left it to Rowan.”
Henrietta’s hands shook.
“Because he wanted me to look at that child and remember betrayal.”
Pierce stared.
“Rowan was a baby.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Then why punish him?”
Henrietta stopped.
For a moment, something almost human broke through.
“I didn’t at first.”
Pierce waited.
“He looked like you.”
Her eyes filled.
“When he was little, I tried.”
“Then Claire died.”
Henrietta nodded.
Pierce felt cold.
“And you got access.”
“She never trusted me.”
“Now I know why.”
Henrietta’s mouth tightened.
“Claire poisoned you against me.”
“No.”
Pierce shook his head.
“I protected you from Claire.”
She stared.
“I told her to ignore you. I told her you were difficult. I told her not to make family gatherings uncomfortable.”
Pain moved across his face.
“I transferred your cruelty to my wife because I didn’t want conflict.”
Henrietta looked away.
“That’s mine to live with.”
He continued.
“But I will not do it to Rowan.”
Her attorney intervened.
“We should return to the financial issues.”
Pierce looked at Henrietta.
“Yes.”
He placed the Hawthorne Ridge invoice down.
“You used Rowan’s trust.”
“For his care.”
“He didn’t need care.”
“He needs discipline.”
“Then the lake house.”
Henrietta’s face changed again.
Pierce placed the purchase agreement beside it.
“Your LLC.”
No answer.
“Six hundred forty thousand for a property worth more than two million.”
“It needs repairs.”
“Not $1.4 million worth.”
“I intended to restore it.”
“With money from where?”
Silence.
“Raymond?”
Henrietta looked toward her lawyer.
Pierce understood.
“Or Rowan’s other trust?”
Her head snapped toward him.
There.
He had confirmation.
“You knew about the $6.4 million.”
Henrietta’s attorney leaned forward.
“We’re ending this meeting.”
Pierce ignored him.
“How much is left?”
Henrietta stood.
“Pierce.”
“How much?”
“You don’t understand the trust.”
“How much of my son’s money did you use?”
Her face flushed.
“It is family money.”
“No.”
Pierce stood too.
“It is Rowan’s.”
“He is eight!”
“And that somehow makes theft easier?”
Henrietta’s eyes filled with rage.
“You have no idea what your father took from me.”
Pierce’s voice became quiet.
“And Rowan has no idea what you think his grandfather took from you.”
He stepped closer.
“That is why he is the easiest person to punish.”
Henrietta stopped.
Pierce continued.
“He cannot argue about Franklin.”
“He cannot ask about Edward.”
“He cannot understand the trust.”
“He cannot defend himself when you call him broken.”
Her mouth trembled.
“You are wrong.”
“Then tell me why you hurt him.”
Henrietta stared.
For several seconds she said nothing.
Then the answer came.
“Because he found Claire’s notebook.”
Pierce went still.
Finally.
Truth.
“What was in the missing pages?”
Henrietta looked toward her attorney.
“Do not answer,” he said.
Pierce’s pulse accelerated.
There was something worse than the forged DNA test.
“Mom.”
Henrietta looked at him.
“What did you tear out?”
Her eyes became wet.
Pierce knew the answer mattered.
Henrietta sat slowly.
May you like
Then whispered:
“The part about the night Claire died.”
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