Cole found himself doubting Roth’s honesty on the question.
Roth answered, “He said the only people he trusted with Coast Eagle and with his son were Dryden Dunsmore and me. He said someone needed to control Coco because she had the decision-making ability of a twelve-year-old.”
“He said that directly to you? Those were his words?”
“Yes. And they’re supported by his will, which included both Dryden and I in guardianship or controlling positions in Coast Eagle.”
“A little too convenient,” Cole whispered to Luca.
“I can’t tell if the judge is buying it or not.”
Destiny cross-examined but wasn’t able to poke holes in Roth’s story. Cole and Luca slipped out at the lunch break, picking a restaurant several blocks away to avoid being seen by Amber or Destiny. By late afternoon, Amber was the only witness left.
Roth’s lawyer started with Amber’s competence at Coast Eagle. It went as expected. There was no getting around her lack of experience, but Cole thought she held her own, particularly on yesterday’s decision to ground the Boonsome jets. Yes, it was a financial loss, but risking passenger lives was too dangerous.
Unfortunately, it then came to light that their closest competitor had not grounded their Boonsomes, and Amber’s decision had, at least in the short term, put Coast Eagle at a competitive disadvantage. The lawyers successfully framed her decision as emotional and even brought Cole into the equation, accusing Amber of taking advice from a competitor on a confidential corporate matter.
It wasn’t going well for Amber’s side.
“You were ten years older than your stepsister?” the lawyer then asked her.
The question obviously surprised Amber, and it seemed to take her a moment to regroup. “Yes.”
“And you left home when she was eight years old?”
“I did.”
“How often did you see her after that?”
“Not often.”
“Once a week, once a month, once a year?”
“Maybe once a year,” Amber admitted, causing a small flurry of whispers in the courtroom.
“Until you introduced her to Samuel Henderson.”
“Yes,” said Amber.
“And why did you introduce them to each other?”
“Coco was in town. When I mentioned the corporate Christmas party at Coast Eagle, she asked to go with me.”
“She asked to go with you?”
“Coco enjoyed parties.”
“Yes, I think we’ve established that already.”
“Objection,” said Destiny.
“I withdraw the comment,” said the lawyer. “After she began dating Samuel Henderson, would you say you and your stepsister grew closer?”
“We did.”
“And you saw each other how often then?”
“A couple of times a month. She was busy. And she was newly married. And she had a lot of obligations.”
Cole wanted to tell Amber to stop talking. She was sounding defensive, as if she was embarrassed that they weren’t closer.
“Tell me, Ms. Welsley, how did Coco feel about her baby?”
“She loved Zachary very much.”
“As mothers do.”
Amber didn’t answer.
Cole applauded that decision.
“What about before he was born?”
She went still, and her face paled a shade. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t like this,” Cole muttered beneath his breath. Something was clearly wrong.
“Before Zachary was born. How did Coco feel about being pregnant?”
“She was healthy. There were no particular problems, morning sickness or anything.”
“I’m not talking about her physical health, Ms. Welsley. I’m talking about her emotional health.”
Again, Amber stayed silent.
“Was your stepsister happy to be pregnant with Zachary?”
Cole got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“She was surprised,” said Amber. “She hadn’t planned on it happening so soon.”
“Surprised or upset?”
Amber paused. “She was upset at first.”
“Upset enough to get an abortion?”
Amber’s hesitation said it all.
“Damn it,” Cole ground out.
“She didn’t get an abortion,” said Amber.
“Did she want an abortion?”
“Objection,” said Destiny.
“I’ll rephrase,” said the lawyer. “Did she ever tell you she wanted an abortion?”
The silence was unfortunately long.
“Once,” Amber admitted.
“Did you talk her out of getting an abortion?”
“I gave her my opinion.”
“Which was?”
“That babies were always good news. And that she was going to be a wonderful mother.”
“Is it fair to say you changed her mind?”
Amber didn’t answer.
“Ms. Welsley? Is it fair to say you changed your stepsister’s mind, talked her out of getting the abortion she desired?”
“She wasn’t serious,” said Amber. “She was upset. She was newly married, and being pregnant came as a shock to her.”
“Did she make an appointment at an abortion clinic?”
“No.”
The lawyer waited.
“She didn’t.”
“Perhaps not to the best of your knowledge. But I can tell you she did make an appointment at an abortion clinic.”
A collective gasp went up in the gallery, followed by whispered comments.
The judge pounded his gavel, and the room returned to quiet.
The lawyer returned to his table, lifting a piece of paper with a flourish. “I have here a copy of an appointment card for Coco Henderson for the Women’s Central Health Clinic.”
“Where did you get that?”
“From the Women’s Central Health Clinic.”
“Coco obviously did not have an abortion.”
“Because you talked her out of it. Like so many of your stepsister’s childish, ill-informed impulses, had you not been there to persuade her otherwise, the consequences would have been catastrophic. She would have had an abortion, and Zachary would never have been born.”
The sick feeling of defeat was written across Amber’s face. Cole fought an urge to go to her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. But he couldn’t. And it wasn’t.
“That was a body blow,” said Luca.
There was nothing Destiny could do to counter the revelations. Both lawyers walked through closing arguments, but there wasn’t a single person in the room who trusted Coco’s judgment, nor was there anyone who truly believed she had her son’s best interests at heart.
Samuel had been shown to be a loving father, thrilled from minute one that they were expecting a baby. Coco looked selfish and petulant, her intelligence and judgment suspect.
Destiny sat down and put an arm around Amber’s shoulders.
“You have to do it,” Luca whispered.
“Do what?”
“Tell them who you are.”
Cole shot Luca a look of astonishment. “What?”
“Now. Right now. Put in a bid for custody. You’re a blood relative.”
“Custody?” Had Luca lost his mind?
“At the very least, it’ll throw a wrench in it, slow things down. If you don’t, if the judge rules on this—and it looks like he’s about to rule—then it’s done.”
Adrenaline shot into Cole’s system, and his stomach clenched. How could he do it? How could he not?
“Ms. Welsley,” said the judge, “I have no doubt as to the love you feel for Zachary. However—”
“Do it!” Luca hissed.
Cole shot to his feet. “Your Honor.”
The judge drew back in obvious shock. “You’re out of order, sir.”
“Go, go, go,” said Luca.
>
Cole moved into the aisle and walked forward.
Amber and Destiny both turned to stare. But he didn’t dare look at them.
“Bailiff,” called the judge.
Cole knew he had only seconds. “My name is Cole Parker Henderson. I’m Samuel Henderson’s son.”
* * *
Amber felt her world dissolve beneath her.
Cole continued walking to the front of the courtroom. He continued talking. He didn’t even bother to look her way.
“I want to petition the court for custody of my half brother,” his voice boomed.
“He’s a competitor,” Roth cried out, coming to his feet.
“Order,” called the judge, bringing down his gavel.
The bailiff seemed uncertain of what to do.
Destiny whispered in an undertone, “What the—?”
“I’m such an idiot,” said Amber.
“Can it possibly be true?”
Cole came to a stop at the little gateway.
Amber took in Cole’s expression. “That’s no bluff.”
He was firm and resolute. She realized he had to have planned this all along. And she’d let him in. She’d trusted him. She’d armed him with all kinds of information. She’d left him alone in the penthouse, alone with Zachary.
“This is preposterous,” said Roth. “It’s a stalling tactic.”
Cole glared at him. “It’s easy enough to prove. DNA, for example.”
“That’ll take time. And we’re losing money by the hour. Your Honor, this can’t possibly be legal.”
Roth’s lawyer stood. “Your Honor, you were about to rule.”
A voice came from the back of the room. “We have a DNA test.”
Cole spun.
Luca came to his feet. “Your Honor, I have the results of a DNA test by Central Laboratories, proving Samuel’s paternity.”
“What do we do?” asked Amber, panic beginning to build deep in her stomach.
“Wait,” said Destiny, watching the judge closely.
The judge finally spoke. “I’m not persuaded that a genetic relationship alone alters the merits of this case. Samuel Henderson could have any number of illegitimate children—”
“They were married,” Cole’s deep voice intoned.
Silence followed the pronouncement.
“My mother and Samuel Henderson were married.” He shot a sharp look to Roth. “Again, very easy to prove.”
Luca spoke. “I have a copy of the marriage certificate and the divorce decree.”
Cole turned to stare at Luca for a long moment.
Destiny leaned close to Amber. “This is a whole new ballgame. Hang tough.”
Destiny came sharply to her feet. “Your Honor, we ask for a recess.”
Roth’s lawyer jumped in. “We ask for a ruling.”
But Destiny wasn’t finished. “Under the terms of the will, as a legitimate child of Samuel Henderson, Cole Henderson is entitled to half of Samuel’s estate.”
The courtroom erupted.
“Order, order,” the judge called over the din. “Court is in recess until such time as Samuel Henderson’s will can be reviewed.” He looked to Cole. “Mr. Henderson, if you do not already have a lawyer, I suggest you get one.”
Everybody left their seats, and the courtroom turned into a mob scene. Cole stood still, the crowd jostling around him. He was nearly chest to chest with the bailiff guarding the low gate.
“Get me out of here,” Amber said to Destiny. “I can’t see him. I can’t talk to him.”
“We can take the side door.” Destiny grabbed her briefcase.
All Amber wanted to do was get back to Zachary. For a horrible moment there, she’d known she was about to lose him. Zachary had almost been ripped from her care and given over to Roth. She was still shaking with reaction.
“Amber,” called Cole.
She refused to look at him. “Go away.”
“I wanted to tell you. I tried to tell you.”
She let out a short, high-pitched laugh. “When? When? It’s not like you lacked opportunity.”
“We need to talk.”
“We’ve talked enough. I’ve told you enough.” She turned away.
“Amber,” Cole tried again.
Luca’s voice interrupted. “Destiny, we need a copy of the will.”
“Not now,” said Cole.
Destiny’s tone was sharp. “As if you haven’t already read it.”
“We haven’t,” said Luca.
“Why the theatrics?”
“You were about to lose,” said Luca.
“Amber?” Cole tried again.
Destiny appealed to Cole. “This is not a good time.”
“I don’t particularly care. You can’t ignore this.”
Amber glared at him. She wanted to yell at him. He’d deceived her. He’d slept with her. He’d let her think he cared about Zachary.
But before she could do anything stupid, she forced herself to turn and walk away.
She left the courtroom and all but ran down the hallway to the foyer. It was full of reporters, but she ignored their questions. She ignored everything, striding blindly for the exit.
Destiny caught up. “You’re doing great. Just keep walking. My car’s to the left, one block up.”
“I remember. I need to see Zachary.”
“We’ll go there first.”
“Ms. Welsley, did you have any idea Samuel had another son?”
“Did your sister know Samuel had another wife?”
“Did Coco have any other abortions?”
Destiny hit the unlock button and pulled open the passenger door for Amber. Amber climbed inside and slammed the door, not particularly caring if she smashed someone’s camera.
And then Destiny was inside, too. She started the car, and the reporters finally backed off.
“You okay?” she asked, reaching out to touch Amber’s shoulder.
“I’m terrible,” Amber answered.
She felt trapped, desperate. For a wild moment, she thought about sneaking Zachary out of the country, hiding out on a beach somewhere where nobody could find them.
“What happens now?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“First, we comb through the will.”
“Does Cole really get half?”
“Unless there’s something I’m remembering wrong, yes, he does.”
Amber’s voice broke over the next question. “Will he get Zachary?”
“I don’t know, honey. I honestly don’t know.”
Amber’s mind scrambled, zipping from Zachary to Coast Eagle, to the Boonsome 300, and then to Cole.
“I have to talk to Max,” she told Destiny. “I have to get back to the office.”
“Do you want to go home first?”
Amber shook her head. “I’ll call Isabel. Roth will go straight to Coast Eagle, and who knows what move he’ll try to make next.” She realized in a rush that despite everything, she feared Roth more than she feared Cole.
* * *
Back at the office, Roth had fought with Max. Julius had argued with Sidney. Each of the board members had called to express their concern. Though, thankfully, all had agreed that Max should stay in place for now as interim president.
Destiny had reviewed Samuel’s will and was now on her way to the penthouse to meet Amber. It was nearly ten by the time Amber finally made it through the door, exhausted and starving.
She kicked off her shoes, shrugged out of her steel-gray blazer and dumped her purse on a table in the living room. Destiny had promised to bring a large pepperoni and mushroom, while Amber was in charge of margaritas.
She called out to Isabel, then, without stopping, she went directly to the kitchen and dumped a tray of ice cubes, lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur into the blender and set it on high.
The doorbell rang, and she padded through the living room to greet Destiny.
“Extra cheese?” she asked hopefully as she eyed the large cardboard c
arton.
“You bet.”
“Come on in.”
While Destiny settled the pizza on the kitchen island and retrieved the plates, Amber poured the margaritas into two large glasses.
“I’ve been seriously thinking about strapping Zachary into his car seat and heading for the border,” said Amber.
“Which border?”
“Does it matter? I can’t help but think we’d be better off if nobody could find us.”
“You might be better off, but I’d have a legal nightmare to unravel.”
“I suppose.”
The fight suddenly went out of Amber, and exhaustion set in. She climbed onto one of the stools and helped herself to a slice of the gooey pizza.
“You could try to make a deal with Cole,” Destiny suggested. She started with a sip of the slushy drink. “It’s pretty clear he’s after Coast Eagle.”
“Do you think Samuel knew about him?” In her few spare moments this evening, Amber couldn’t help but wonder if Samuel had shunned Cole and kept him a secret or had been oblivious to his existence.
“Interesting wording in the will,” said Destiny. “Either Samuel knew, or at least suspected he had a child with his first wife, or he was planning more children with Coco.”
“He definitely wanted more children,” said Amber.
There was more silence.
“An abortion?” asked Destiny.
“I almost couldn’t talk her out of it.”
“For future reference, that’s the kind of thing you want to share with your lawyer.”
“I had no idea it would ever come out.”
“Everything always comes out eventually.”
“I didn’t know she’d made an appointment. She didn’t tell me that. It was one night—one long, horrible night where we argued. And then she changed her mind. I don’t remember any of the staff being around. I thought nobody knew but me.”
“She might have told Samuel.”
Amber gave her head a decisive shake. “She knew how much he wanted children. If she’d had an abortion, it would have been in secret. She’d never have admitted to him she’d had doubts.”
They both fell silent, chewing their way through the pizza slices.
“We were about to lose, weren’t we?” Amber asked.
“We were about to lose big-time. Roth knows how to run Coast Eagle, and Samuel was way out front in the character debate.”
“Just because Coco was self-centered doesn’t mean she was wrong to choose me.”
The Missing Heir Page 10