Chapter 10 - The Woman Who Opened the Door
Elaine sat alone in the hospital chapel.
She had been there for almost an hour.
Sebastian found her in the last pew.
She did not turn around when he entered.
“I wondered how long it would take.”
Sebastian stopped.
“You knew we would find the transfer.”
“Yes.”
“Did you authorize it?”
Elaine looked down at her hands.
“Yes.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
“Why?”
She began to cry.
Not loudly.
Not theatrically.
She simply covered her face.
“My son.”
Sebastian waited.
Elaine lowered her hands.
“He has leukemia.”
Sebastian’s anger did not disappear.
But it changed.
“He was diagnosed last year.”
“The insurance covered treatment.”
“Then he relapsed.”
“The trial he needs isn’t covered.”
Sebastian understood before she finished.
“Damian paid for it.”
Elaine nodded.
“Six hundred thousand dollars.”
“In exchange for what?”
“At first, nothing.”
“He said it was charity.”
“Then three months later he asked for Marcus’s travel schedule.”
“Then access records.”
“Then his authentication backup.”
Sebastian sat several seats away.
“Did you know he intended to use it for a transfer to Isabella?”
“No.”
“Did you give Isabella access to your office?”
Elaine closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Did you help delete the hospital footage?”
“No.”
“I swear.”
“Who did?”
“I don’t know.”
Sebastian leaned forward.
“Elaine, Khloe almost lost her baby.”
“I know.”
“You stood in that room and pretended to be shocked.”
“I was shocked.”
“I didn’t know Isabella would attack her.”
“Did you know Isabella was going to confront her?”
Elaine hesitated.
Sebastian saw the answer.
“Yes.”
“What were you told?”
“That Isabella would reveal the affair.”
“That Khloe would become emotional.”
“That Marcus would be forced into a public separation.”
Elaine’s voice cracked.
“I thought it was cruel.”
“But I didn’t think anyone would get hurt.”
Sebastian looked away.
“People always say that after they help dangerous men.”
“I was trying to save my child.”
“And you risked someone else’s.”
Elaine started crying harder.
Sebastian stood.
“I’m going to tell detectives everything.”
“I know.”
“You may go to prison.”
“I know.”
He walked toward the aisle.
“Mr. Kane.”
Sebastian stopped.
Elaine wiped her face.
“There’s something else.”
He turned.
“The hospital attack wasn’t the original plan.”
“What was?”
Elaine looked frightened.
“A car accident.”
Sebastian became completely still.
“What?”
“Six weeks ago Damian asked me for Khloe’s route to her prenatal appointment.”
“I gave it to him.”
“The next morning, a black SUV followed her.”
Sebastian remembered Marcus mentioning surveillance.
Elaine continued.
“I panicked.”
“I told Damian I was done.”
“He said it didn’t matter.”
“He already had what he needed.”
Sebastian’s voice became dangerously low.
“Was there supposed to be an accident?”
“I don’t know.”
“But two days later, Khloe’s regular driver found the brake pressure sensor disconnected.”
Sebastian felt his blood turn cold.
Marcus’s security team had reported it as mechanical failure.
It had never reached Khloe.
Because Marcus had hidden the incident.
Elaine whispered.
“Damian wasn’t just trying to break the marriage.”
“He had alternatives.”
Sebastian left the chapel immediately.
In Khloe’s room, Marcus was already standing.
One look at Sebastian’s face was enough.
“What happened?”
Sebastian closed the door.
Then he told them about the vehicle.
Khloe stared at Marcus.
“You knew about the brake problem?”
“I knew there had been a fault.”
“Did you know it might have been sabotage?”
Marcus said nothing.
Khloe laughed in disbelief.
“You did.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew someone may have tampered with my car while I was pregnant.”
“I replaced your entire security team.”
“But you never told me.”
“I was trying—”
“Don’t say protecting me.”
Marcus stopped.
Khloe’s eyes filled.
“You didn’t trust me with my own life.”
He had no defense.
Sebastian placed a hand on the door.
“Khloe, we have less than thirty-six hours before the trust hearing.”
Khloe wiped her eyes.
“What do we need?”
“Proof tying Damian directly to the scheme.”
She looked toward Marcus.
“Then find it.”
Marcus nodded.
Khloe stopped him before he left.
“And Marcus?”
He turned.
“If we survive this, do not mistake surviving together for staying together.”
The sentence hurt.
May you like
Marcus accepted it anyway.
Because for the first time, he understood that saving Khloe’s life and saving his marriage were two completely different battles.
