“Don’t leave me!” Megan cried, running to her aunt and clinging to her.
Henry pried Megan’s hands off Adriana. “Let her go, Megan.” He looked at Adriana. “I want you out of here.”
“It’s okay, Megan. I’ll come back for you soon,” Adriana promised, then was instantly struck by guilt. What right did she have to make such a promise? Henry was right. Adriana had no chance in court against him.
She had no idea how she’d prove him guilty. But it was one promise she knew she would keep.
Adriana would find the evidence to prove Henry guilty, if it truly was the last thing she did on this earth.
“Out!” Henry cried, roughly grabbing Adriana’s arm and dragging her out of Megan’s room. He slammed the door, and Megan’s cries resounded from the other side, cutting into Adriana’s heart like shards of glass.
Adriana shoved Henry away from her as they walked. “Fine, I will leave.” She stopped walking in the hallway and turned to face him once more. “I swear, if you harm her at all, I will make you pay.”
Henry gave her a hard stare. “Get out of my house and don’t come back, or I’ll make Megan’s life a nightmare, starting with boarding school.” He pointed to the door.
How could she not come back and see Megan?
Adriana could still hear Megan crying as she hurried down the stairs. It broke her heart, and tears stung her eyes. She hated leaving her niece here with her monster of a stepfather, but she had no choice. She knew Henry truly would make Megan’s life miserable if she didn’t leave now. Would he really send her away to boarding school?
She didn’t doubt it.
On her way out the door, Mrs. Clement followed Adriana, shutting the door behind them.
“Henry just told me to never come back or he’d send Megan away to boarding school,” Adriana told the housekeeper, throwing her hands up. “I hate leaving her.”
“Adriana, I must tell you something. I just overheard Henry on the phone with his lawyer right before he went upstairs and made you leave. All he talked about is that he is inheriting everything and that he is taking over the software company.”
“I know. He just showed me the will.”
“But that’s the old version. He made Jordan make that will. But I know Jordan had a more recent will she made in secret, that states that you inherit everything and are in charge of it until Megan is older. It also says you have custody of Megan.”
Adriana’s head hurt, but her heart was filled with hope. “Really?” She put a hand to her temple, trying to absorb the news.
“Yes. She used a different lawyer because she didn’t trust Henry or his lawyer. She thought she could trust him, but I think Henry found him and got to him. Henry must have paid his lawyer to use the older will, which states he gets everything. But I was there to witness and sign the new will the day Jordan had it made, and I know she has copies hidden away somewhere, just in case. She suspected Henry would do something like this. That’s why she used a different lawyer. Here.” Mrs. Clement pressed a business card into Adriana’s hand. It read, George Houser, Attorney at Law. “Give him a call. He has a copy of the new will. Henry probably bribed or threatened him to say there is no new will and that Jordan never hired him, but maybe he will still help you. It’s worth a try. I will also contact him.”
Her head spinning, Adriana put a hand to her head, as if trying to stop her brain from somersaulting. “She left everything to me?”
“Well, yes, and to Megan. When she is older, she will have access, and until then, you will be in charge of everything—the software company, the estate, the money, and custody of Megan. But I don’t have any idea where she hid the new will.”
“Henry must hate me more than ever.”
Adriana shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. How far will he go to get rid of me?
“You need to be careful, Adriana. Don’t underestimate him. Maybe you should leave town,” the housekeeper said, as if reading her thoughts.
“No, Megan needs me nearby. I can’t leave her. Besides, I don’t have any money right now.”
“I can take care of her. I’m worried about your life, Adriana. If you’re out of the picture, then he really would inherit everything. I can lend you money, if you need.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Clement, especially for watching over Megan, but that won’t be necessary. I’m not going anywhere,” Adriana said adamantly. “I need to find evidence to prove that Henry killed my sister.” She gave her friend a quick hug.
“I have faith you will,” Mrs. Clement said.
As Adriana walked to her car, she looked up to Megan’s window. Adriana waved, and Megan waved back.
“I promise, Megan. I’ll find the evidence, then we will be together soon. Nothing will stop me,” Adriana whispered.
CHAPTER TWO
Dominic Kauffman mucked his horse’s stall at the back of his barn, whistling a tune. The sun wasn’t even up yet, but he had always been a morning person. But these days, he often got up early for other reasons.
Last night, like many nights, he couldn’t sleep. Nightmares had assailed him when he had dozed off, and he’d given up on sleep around four in the morning. When he was out here, with the horses, he got lost in his work and felt at peace.
“Dominic?” Damaris, his sister, called.
"I'm at the back of the barn, Damaris!"
Less than a minute later, his younger sister came into view. She was wearing a long brown dress, an apron tied over the front. Her brown hair was held back in a bun and covered by her prayer kapp, although there were a few stray strands. Dominic chuckled.
"What is so funny?" she asked.
"You have a little flour on your cheek," he said, pointing and smiling.
She brushed it away. “I was baking biscuits for breakfast.” Damaris paused, looking at him thoughtfully. “You couldn’t sleep again, could you? Did you have nightmares?”
She knew him too well.
Dominic set his shovel down and looked at his sister. "Is there something that you have to say, Damaris? You were obviously looking for me for a reason."
"Well..." she started hesitantly, and he remained quiet, his silence urging her to continue. "So, you see, I was talking with Margaret yesterday when I went to deliver bread to her mother."
This wouldn’t be good.
"And...?" Dominic asked, even though he knew he was not going to like what his sister had to say next. He started shoveling again with ferocity.
"Well... She would really like to go to the Singing with you, and—"
"Why is she in such a hurry? Why doesn't she wait to be asked out to the Singing instead of talking about it with everyone?" Dominic interrupted his sister.
Her eyes lit up and she asked quickly, "So, you were going to ask her?"
"No, Damaris. I have no plans of courting Margaret, so of course I wasn't going to invite her to the Singing. Doing that would only be giving her the wrong impression. So do tell your friend to stop hoping." Dominic thrust his shovel into the manure with much more force than necessary.
"But she really likes you," Damaris argued.