Chapter 4 - The Blue Nursery Book
Khloe woke shortly after midnight.
Harrison was beside her.
The room was dim.
A monitor beeped steadily near the bed.
For several seconds she looked confused.
Then her hand moved toward her stomach.
Her eyes widened.
"The baby."
"She's alive."
Khloe closed her eyes.
A tear rolled toward her hairline.
"Girl?"
"A girl."
"Is she okay?"
"She's in the NICU."
"She's small."
"But she's fighting."
Khloe's lips trembled.
"I want to see her."
"You will."
"Now."
Harrison almost smiled.
"There you are."
Khloe looked at him.
"Where's Richard?"
"Outside your medical circle."
"Vanessa?"
"Still being questioned."
Khloe's face tightened.
Harrison leaned closer.
"I found the envelope."
Fear immediately replaced exhaustion.
"Then you know."
"Some of it."
"Harry."
"Tell me."
Khloe stared toward the doorway.
"Close it."
He did.
Then she spoke.
Three months earlier, she had found a hotel receipt in Richard's suit jacket.
She had confronted him.
He claimed it belonged to a client.
Khloe did not believe him.
She hired a financial forensic analyst instead of a private investigator because something else had bothered her more.
Money was disappearing from the family company.
The Harrington Development Group had originally belonged to Khloe's father.
When he died, he divided ownership between Khloe and Richard because Richard had worked in the company for years.
Khloe owned fifty-one percent.
Richard owned forty-nine.
That one difference gave Khloe control.
"I think Richard wants my shares."
Harrison's expression hardened.
"Through divorce?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because of the prenup."
Harrison understood immediately.
If Richard divorced her, he could not take her ownership stake.
"But if you transferred them voluntarily."
"Exactly."
"And you wouldn't."
"Never."
Harrison stared at her.
"So they tried another route."
Khloe looked away.
"I found documents."
"What documents?"
"A trust amendment."
"What kind?"
"One that moves my shares to Richard if I'm declared medically incapable for more than thirty days."
Harrison froze.
"Your signature?"
"Forged."
He became very still.
"Where is it?"
"The nursery book."
"Why hide it there?"
"Richard never enters the nursery."
"Why?"
Khloe gave a sad smile.
"Because he didn't want this baby."
The words hit harder than Harrison expected.
Khloe continued.
"He wanted me to terminate the pregnancy when we found out."
"I thought he was happy."
"He pretended in public."
"In private, he said a baby would complicate everything."
Harrison looked toward the floor.
His anger was no longer hot.
Hot anger made mistakes.
This was something colder.
"What else?"
Khloe hesitated.
"The night before I changed my medical power of attorney, I heard Richard talking to Vanessa."
"Where?"
"In his office."
"He thought I was asleep."
"What did he say?"
Khloe swallowed.
"He said, 'After the courthouse, she won't be able to stop anything.'"
Harrison's eyes lifted.
"Those exact words?"
"Yes."
"Why were you at the courthouse today?"
Khloe's voice turned bitter.
"Richard told me we were meeting a mediator."
"For what?"
"He said he wanted to discuss separating peacefully."
Harrison leaned back.
"So he brought you to a courthouse."
"Yes."
"And Vanessa happened to be there."
Khloe nodded.
"I saw her."
"She told me Richard had already chosen her."
"I told her I didn't care."
"I just wanted her away from me."
"Then she started talking about the company."
Harrison frowned.
"What did she say?"
"She said I was standing in the way of their future."
Khloe looked at him.
"Then Richard came outside."
"He didn't stop her."
"He just watched."
A knock interrupted them.
Lena entered carrying an evidence bag.
Inside was a blue hardcover book decorated with silver stars.
"We found it."
Harrison opened the bag while wearing gloves.
Taped beneath the back cover was a flash drive.
Alongside it sat three folded documents.
The first was the forged trust amendment.
The second was a life insurance policy on Khloe for twelve million dollars.
The third contained Richard's signature.
The policy had been increased only six weeks earlier.
Lena looked at Harrison.
"We also found something else."
"What?"
"A second policy."
"On the baby."
Khloe stopped breathing for a second.
Harrison turned toward her.
May you like
And for the first time since the courthouse, Khloe did not look frightened.
She looked furious.
