Silence hangs between us as he flips through the pages, and tension twists my gut painfully. My mother didn’t only want my child. She was planning shit for longer than we anticipated.
“Here it is,” the detective says as he pushes the pages over toward us. Logan picks it up, his eyes scanning the page. He hands it to me, and I sit back to take in the information.
Vera Rose Conreid will be wed to Logan Phillip Oakridge at the age of eighteen. Should anything come between their union, we will call reinforcements to ensure they will marry before Vera Rose turns twenty-one. With Leigh Conried’s contract signed and dated, Herbert Oakridge agrees to all further points within this document.
If he breaks the agreement in any way, by warning either Logan or Vera, he will forfeit his name, company, and any possessions to Leigh Conried. Once the union takes place, Leigh will be gifted the firstborn of Logan and Vera, to eventually run both Oakridge Incorporated as well as Conried and Associates.
“My mother wanted our child to claim the companies. But why would Herbert give all that up because he got arrested?” I ask, setting the page down. I’m sure there is more where that came from, but I’m sickened by what I’ve read, and I can’t imagine the rest is any better.
“It seems that in your father’s confession, Mr. Oakridge,” the detective says to Logan, “he wanted to ensure you’re never to find each other again. When we questioned him about the contract, he told us he tried to ensure you don’t find each other again.”
“But he hurt Vera by putting her into a fucking coma,” Logan spits in anger. Rage causing his hand to vibrate, and I squeeze it in an attempt to calm him down.
“We asked about that after you mentioned it. He explained that he was trying to force you both to break up mutually. He was convinced that if that happened, you wouldn’t want to get back together.”
“I don’t believe he did anything to keep either of us safe,” Logan says, and deep down, I agree with him, but it makes sense. If Logan hurt me in any way when I was unconscious, I would’ve left him. I would’ve walked away, but what Herbert didn’t think about was that Logan was stronger than he anticipated.
“We don’t know all the details,” Moritz says as he hands Logan a few more pages. “These are his signed confessions. He’s also told us about setting up Mr. Conried, which means, Vera, your father, will be released from prison soon.”
Tears fill my eyes, but they’re not coming from a place of sadness. Instead, I’m happy, I’m relieved, and I can’t wait to hold my dad again. He always gave the best hugs, and that’s what I need. There’s a lot he needs to clear up, but now I know we have time. “Thank you for everything.”
“We need to finalize the paperwork. Herbert wants to turn over a new leaf,” he tells us. “At least, that’s what he’s telling us. I don’t know all the details because he’s been talking to my partner and his lawyer, but I needed to meet with you and give you all the news before you see it in the papers.”
“Thank you,” Logan says as we all three rise from our seats. “Will I be able to see my father before his court date?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” The promise is there, but somehow, I don’t think Herbert is going to want to see his son. There is so much bad blood, and still, I’m not sure everything makes sense.
“Oh, before you leave,” Moritz says, handing me a letter. “This was addressed to you. We found it when searching your mother’s apartment. She was living in a semi-permanent rental in the city.”
“Thank you.” My voice is a whisper. I’m not sure I want to know what’s inside. Perhaps she’s given me a reason for leaving, but then again, maybe she’s written all the lies she could’ve told me to my face in the letter.
I have a choice.
Do I want to know?
Or do I move forward, putting her behind me?
I’ve been sitting on the couch staring at the letter for hours. Logan made dinner, we’ve eaten, and now he’s at his desk working on something for Dax while I debate whether I should open the can of worms my mother left me.
“You know you don’t have to open it,” he tells me from where he’s seated.
I glance over at him, smiling at him as he looks at me over his dark-rimmed glasses. “I know. I just . . . it’s the unknown that keeps niggling at me. You know?”
“I get it, but don’t force yourself to do something that may hurt you.” He stands, makes his way over to me, and pulls me to my feet. “I’m here for you. No matter what.” Logan presses a kiss to my forehead before he leaves me and heads down the hallway until I’m alone.
I pick up the envelope and rip it open. Pulling out the letter, I unfold it slowly, my fingers trembling. I allow my eyes to scan the page.
Vera Rose,
Growing up in our family, with our name, it was never easy to make a life for yourself because there were certain things expected of you. I learned from a young age to agree, no matter what. My father already had my marriage arranged to Stephen before I could ever tell him I was in love with someone else.
Sadly, I didn’t fight. I didn’t run. I walked down the aisle, and I was Mrs. Conried before I was ready. My heart craved to be an Oakridge because they had everything. That is until your father came into his own, and suddenly, I was no longer a poor girl married to a man who wasn’t anywhere near the upper-class society I craved. But as much as your father tried to give me, I never loved him.
After having you, I thought it would change. I thought I would change. But my heart wasn’t in it, and I walked away. I am not a mother. I never claimed to be. What I wanted though, was the name I’d admired for most of my life. When I saw you were in line to claim that last name, I was angry.
I was jealous.
My daughter would have the one thing I always wanted.
I hated you.
I wanted you to pay.
And that’s when I knew what I had to do—take your firstborn. I would finally gain the fortune, the name, and everything that came with it. I knew Herbert would leave everything to your child because Logan never wanted that life.
The information about Herbert killing his wife because she was planning to leave him, along with his embezzlement, wasn’t enough. At least that’s what I believed. But when I found out, he was running an underground sex trafficking ring for, under eighteens, I knew I had him.
The fear in that man’s eyes was nothing short of bliss for me. For years he thought I was nothing more than a whore who spread her legs, but what he didn’t realize is, I’m shrewd, and I’m good.
I wanted everything he had. Including a grandchild because I knew you wouldn’t forgive me for leaving. But I was blinded, I didn’t care, all I wanted was the money, the name, and the respect.
But if you’re reading this, I failed.
I made mistakes.
And I don’t expect forgiveness; I just needed you to know. You may never understand, and that’s okay.
Goodbye, Vera Rose. Take care of the name you’re going to gain.
I flip the page around, but there’s nothing else. Her final words to me weren’t I love you, darling, or something like that. Instead, she was more concerned about a fucking name.