Chapter 5 - The Woman in the Ivory Coat.
Two days later, photographs of Grant and Vanessa leaving Beacon Crest appeared online.
The image spread faster than either expected.
Grant in his expensive suit.
Vanessa beside him.
Emma's ivory maternity coat wrapped around Vanessa's shoulders.
The headline described the investigation into Holloway Medical Supply.
But readers focused on something else.
The initials N.E. were visible inside the coat where the wind had pulled it open.
Someone identified them as Noah and Elise.
By noon, the story was everywhere.
Emma refused to read most of it.
She sat beside her babies instead.
Noah had improved enough that doctors were reducing one medication.
Elise remained more fragile.
Dr. Sloan warned Emma there would be good days and frightening ones.
Premature recovery was rarely a straight road.
Emma understood.
Still, every small improvement felt enormous.
Charles arrived with coffee Emma was not allowed to drink and a stuffed elephant too large for the NICU.
She smiled for the first time in days.
"You know they can't use that."
Charles looked offended.
"They'll grow into it."
Emma laughed softly.
Then Daniel entered.
Her smile faded.
"That face means bad news."
"Not necessarily."
Daniel sat down.
"Vanessa's attorney contacted us."
Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
"She wants to cooperate."
Emma looked at him.
"Against Grant?"
"Apparently."
Daniel opened his notes.
"She claims Grant initiated the Vantage arrangement."
Emma remembered Vanessa proudly wearing her coat.
"How convenient."
"She also claims he knew the neonatal components had incomplete testing records."
Emma's expression hardened.
"Can she prove it?"
"She says she can."
Charles leaned forward.
"What does she want?"
"Immunity isn't ours to offer."
Daniel glanced at Emma.
"But she wants Emma to agree not to pursue certain civil claims against her."
Emma immediately understood.
"The money."
"Among other things."
"And the coat?"
Charles asked dryly.
Daniel almost smiled.
"That probably isn't the central issue."
Emma looked toward Elise.
"What information does Vanessa have?"
Daniel hesitated.
"She claims Grant deliberately hid a safety report."
Emma's face changed.
"When?"
"Three months ago."
"Before the babies were born?"
"Yes."
Emma remembered something.
Grant had been angry one night because she entered his home office without knocking.
He snapped his laptop shut.
He accused her of distracting him.
Later, he apologized and brought her tea.
At the time, Emma believed he was under pressure.
Now she wondered what had been on the screen.
"Where is the report?"
Daniel said, "Vanessa says Grant destroyed his copy."
Charles leaned back.
"Then how can she prove it?"
"Because she photographed it."
Emma looked at him.
"Why?"
Daniel's expression told her the answer would not be flattering.
"Insurance."
Emma almost laughed.
Of course.
Grant and Vanessa had never trusted each other.
Their relationship had been built inside a betrayal.
It should have surprised nobody that both were preparing for another betrayal.
"Set up the meeting," Emma said.
Charles turned toward her.
"You don't need to see her."
"I want to."
"Emma."
"I don't want revenge delivered secondhand."
Her voice was quiet.
"I want to understand what they did."
The meeting happened in a private conference room at Beacon Crest.
Vanessa arrived without makeup.
She looked younger.
And frightened.
She was no longer wearing expensive designer clothing.
She placed Emma's maternity coat in a garment bag on the table.
"I brought this back."
Emma looked at it.
"You should have done that before you wore it into the NICU."
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
"I know."
"No."
Emma's voice remained calm.
"You knew then."
Vanessa said nothing.
Daniel sat nearby.
Two attorneys were also present.
Charles remained outside at Emma's request.
Emma wanted no one speaking for her.
Vanessa folded her hands over her stomach.
"I didn't know about your grandfather."
Emma gave a small, humorless smile.
"Would that have changed what you did?"
Vanessa looked at her.
The answer took too long.
Emma nodded.
"That's what I thought."
Vanessa swallowed.
"I have evidence against Grant."
"Then give it to investigators."
"I will."
"Good."
"I need protection too."
Emma's eyes sharpened.
"From Grant?"
Vanessa nodded.
"He knows I saved documents."
"What documents?"
Vanessa opened her phone.
She showed Emma a photograph.
It was a quality-control report for the neonatal pressure valves.
A red warning box appeared near the bottom.
FAILURE RATE ABOVE ACCEPTABLE THRESHOLD.
Emma's stomach twisted.
Beneath the warning was a handwritten note.
USE OLD CERTIFICATE.
The initials beside it were G.H.
Grant Holloway.
Emma stared.
Vanessa's voice became quieter.
"He knew."
Emma looked at her.
"And you knew."
Vanessa began crying.
"I found out later."
"When?"
"After the first shipment."
"When?"
Vanessa hesitated.
Emma's voice hardened.
"When, Vanessa?"
"Three months ago."
Emma stared at her.
"You had three months to tell someone."
"I was scared."
"You were pregnant."
"Yes."
"So was I."
Vanessa lowered her face.
Emma looked again at the report.
Two women had been pregnant.
Two babies were growing inside Emma.
Another inside Vanessa.
Yet Vanessa had protected Grant and the money.
Emma slid the phone back.
"I won't promise you protection from consequences."
Vanessa wiped her eyes.
"I understand."
"But I won't hide evidence either."
Vanessa nodded.
Then she reached into her bag.
"There is something else."
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
Emma looked at it.
"What is that?"
Vanessa's fingers trembled.
"A recording from the night before your placental abruption."
Emma's body became completely still.
May you like
Vanessa whispered.
"I think you need to hear what Grant said about your pregnancy."
