Chapter 5 - My Son Was Gone
I don’t remember leaving the storage facility.
I remember Naomi screaming Noah’s name.
I remember Grant calling police.
I remember gripping the back seat so hard my fingernails tore.
And I remember one thought repeating in my head.
Not again.
Not again.
Not again.
When we reached the mansion, Ruth was waiting outside in tears.
Naomi jumped from the car before it stopped.
“Where is he?”
“I’m sorry.”
Ruth grabbed her hands.
“I went into his room at six. He was sleeping.”
“What happened?”
“Mrs. Hale came back.”
My blood boiled.
“How?”
“She still knew the old service entrance code.”
I turned toward Grant.
“Why wasn’t it changed?”
“It was supposed to be.”
Ruth continued.
“Celeste was with her. Mrs. Hale said you had sent them to take Noah to breakfast.”
“You believed her?”
Ruth began crying harder.
“No. I called security.”
“Then what?”
“Celeste showed me a message from your number.”
Grant frowned.
“A spoofed message.”
Ruth nodded.
“I still refused.”
Naomi was barely breathing.
“How did they get Noah?”
Ruth looked at me.
“He came downstairs.”
My stomach dropped.
“He heard Mrs. Hale.”
Naomi whispered, “Did she hurt him?”
“No.”
Ruth shook her head quickly.
“She told him you had been in an accident.”
Naomi covered her mouth.
“She told him his father needed him.”
I turned away before I broke something.
My mother knew exactly how to make Noah cooperate.
She used me.
Grant approached.
“We’ve issued alerts.”
“I want every airport watched.”
“Already happening.”
“Private airfields too.”
“Yes.”
Naomi stood completely still.
I walked toward her.
“We’ll find him.”
She looked at me.
For the first time since the ballroom, anger replaced fear.
“You said your security would protect him.”
The words hit.
“I know.”
“You said nobody would take him.”
“I know.”
“But she did.”
“I know.”
Naomi pushed both hands against my chest.
Not hard.
Just once.
Then again.
“I lost him for five years!”
Her voice cracked.
“I had him back for one night!”
I caught her wrists gently.
“I will bring him home.”
“You don’t know that!”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because my mother has spent my entire life teaching me exactly how she thinks.”
Naomi froze.
I turned toward Grant.
“Victoria doesn’t run.”
He understood immediately.
“She negotiates.”
“Yes.”
“She wants leverage.”
“Yes.”
Naomi stared at us.
“What does that mean?”
“It means she didn’t take Noah to disappear.”
I hated saying it.
“She took him to make me choose.”
Naomi’s face twisted.
“Choose what?”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone stopped.
I answered.
“Where is my son?”
Victoria’s voice came through.
“Safe.”
I almost collapsed from relief.
“Put him on.”
“Mason—”
“Put Noah on the phone.”
A pause.
Then his little voice.
“Daddy?”
My eyes closed.
“Buddy.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He began crying.
“Grandma said you crashed.”
“She lied.”
Naomi grabbed my arm.
I switched to speaker.
“Noah,” she said.
“Mommy?”
Naomi broke down.
“I’m here.”
“I want to come home.”
“You will.”
Victoria took the phone.
“That depends on Mason.”
My rage returned.
“If you hurt him—”
“I would never hurt my grandson.”
“You told his mother he was dead.”
Silence.
Then Victoria said, “Come to the Riverside house.”
I knew the property.
An old Hale estate north of the city.
“Alone.”
“No.”
“Mason.”
“You already lost the right to give me instructions.”
“You want Noah?”
Naomi grabbed the phone.
“I’ll come.”
I stared at her.
Victoria became quiet.
Naomi continued.
“You wanted me gone five years ago.”
“Naomi—”
“So take me.”
“No,” I said.
Naomi looked at me.
Her eyes were terrified.
But her voice stayed steady.
“You give Noah back, and I disappear.”
My mother laughed softly.
“You think I believe you?”
“I signed your contracts once.”
“Naomi, stop.”
She ignored me.
“I’ll sign another.”
Victoria considered it.
Then she said, “Both of you come.”
The call ended.
Police wanted us to wait.
I refused.
So did Naomi.
We drove toward Riverside with an unmarked tactical team several minutes behind us.
The estate appeared through trees just after noon.
It was the house where my father had spent his final summer.
I hadn’t visited in twelve years.
My mother stood on the front steps.
Celeste beside her.
And Noah between them.
He ran the second he saw our car.
Victoria grabbed his shoulder.
Naomi made a sound I never wanted to hear again.
“Noah!”
I stepped out slowly.
“Let him go.”
Victoria shook her head.
“First we settle this.”
Celeste looked nervous.
“This wasn’t the agreement, Victoria.”
My eyes moved toward her.
“What agreement?”
Celeste went pale.
Victoria snapped, “Quiet.”
I almost laughed.
“Still giving orders?”
She stared at me.
“You will announce that the documents are fraudulent.”
“No.”
“You will withdraw all accusations.”
“No.”
“You will marry Celeste within six months.”
Celeste looked at the ground.
Naomi stared at me.
Now I understood.
The ballroom.
The selected women.
The pressure.
It had never been about finding Noah a mother.
It was business.
“What do the Whitmores get?”
Celeste whispered, “Control of the merger.”
Victoria turned on her.
“Shut your mouth.”
I looked at Celeste.
“Keep talking.”
She was shaking.
“My father agreed to protect Victoria if you married me.”
Naomi’s eyes widened.
Victoria grabbed Noah tighter.
He winced.
“Grandma, you’re hurting me.”
Every protective instinct inside me exploded.
“Take your hand off him.”
My voice changed.
Victoria noticed.
So did everyone else.
She released him.
Naomi whispered, “Come here, baby.”
Victoria stepped in front of Noah.
Then Celeste did something none of us expected.
She moved aside.
“Noah.”
Victoria spun.
“What are you doing?”
Celeste looked sick.
“I agreed to a marriage arrangement.”
Her voice shook.
“I did not agree to kidnapping a child.”
“You weak little fool.”
Celeste faced Noah.
“Go.”
He ran.
Naomi dropped to her knees.
Noah crashed into her.
She wrapped herself around him.
I had never felt relief like that.
Police vehicles emerged from the trees.
Victoria stared at Celeste.
“You betrayed me.”
Celeste stepped backward.
“No.”
She looked at me.
“I’m just done being afraid of you.”
Officers moved forward.
Victoria didn’t fight this time.
She simply looked at me.
“You’re destroying your family.”
I walked beside Naomi and Noah.
I looked at the woman who had raised me.
“No.”
I took my son’s hand.
“I’m finally protecting it.”
An officer began reading Victoria her rights.
Then another detective approached me.
“Mr. Hale?”
“Yes?”
“We received something while you were driving here.”
He handed me a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a flash drive.
“From Dr. Hargrove’s attorney.”
Naomi stared at it.
The detective continued.
“He wants immunity.”
“For what?”
May you like
The detective looked toward my mother.
“For telling us who actually tampered with Isabella’s car.”
