Chapter 7 - THE SECRET MY UNCLE TOOK TO HIS GRAVE
Victor Hayes had died five years earlier.
A heart attack.
At least, that was the official explanation.
I'd mourned him.
Trusted him.
Believed he'd protected our family.
Now I knew he'd threatened Claire and our unborn daughter.
I couldn't confront him.
But I could uncover what he'd done.
Rebecca helped review old records.
My former security chief, Michael Grant, agreed to speak with investigators about Victor's past activities.
Several documents suggested Victor had interfered with communications between Claire and me.
Letters had been intercepted.
Phone messages erased.
And a private investigator had been hired to monitor Claire after she left Chicago.
I stared at the reports.
"He watched her?"
Michael nodded.
"For about eighteen months."
My hands tightened.
"Did he know Olivia was born?"
Michael hesitated.
"Yes."
I closed my eyes.
My uncle had known.
He'd known I had a daughter.
And he'd let me believe Claire had simply abandoned me.
I called Claire that evening.
"There's something I need to tell you."
She listened.
When I finished, she was silent.
Then she whispered:
"I knew he was dangerous."
I swallowed.
"I should have protected you."
"Alexander, you didn't know."
"I should have noticed."
She sighed.
"You can't rewrite the past."
I looked at the reports.
"No."
Then I asked:
"Did you ever try to contact me?"
Claire was quiet.
"Twice."
My chest tightened.
"What happened?"
"The letters came back."
I closed my eyes.
She continued.
"After that, I stopped trying. I thought it was safer."
I looked toward Ethan's bedroom.
My son was asleep.
My daughter was ten years old.
And I'd lost a decade because someone had decided our family was inconvenient.
For the first time in years, I cried.
May you like
Not because I was weak.
Because there was nothing else to do.
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