His Mother Had Known All Along
Celeste Whitmore entered the apartment wearing an ivory wool coat, her silver hair perfectly arranged despite the rain outside.
Adrian stared at her.
“You followed me too?”
Celeste looked at Marissa before answering.
“Russell called me. Thankfully.”
Adrian picked up Derek’s email.
“Did you know about this?”
His mother sighed.
“I knew there had been an incident. Your father handled those matters when he was alive.”
“Did he know Derek had reported the equipment?”
Celeste’s expression hardened.
“You are asking questions about decisions made years ago by people managing a complicated company.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Marissa remained near the crib, holding Owen.
Celeste glanced at her.
“And now this woman happens to work inside your home. Surely you don’t find that suspicious?”
Marissa’s cheeks reddened.
“I didn’t know Mr. Whitmore ran the company when I took the housekeeping job. I applied through an agency.”
“Convenient.”
Marissa straightened.
“Mrs. Whitmore, there is nothing convenient about raising a baby alone and counting coins at the grocery store.”
Adrian looked at his mother.
For perhaps the first time, he saw the distance between the world she inhabited and the one Marissa was trying desperately to survive.
Russell stepped closer.
“Adrian, nothing here proves personal wrongdoing on your part. Leave this alone and let us manage it.”
That sentence made the decision for him.
Leave this alone.
Perhaps that was exactly how his family had protected itself for years.
Adrian opened one grocery bag and removed the formula.
He handed it to Marissa.
“Feed Owen first.”
Her hands were trembling.
Adrian found a clean bottle while Marissa showed him how much water to use.
For several minutes, the argument stopped.
Owen began drinking.
Everyone stood quietly around the tiny apartment.
Adrian watched the baby settle against his mother.
Twenty-eight dollars.
That was all Marissa had needed that morning.
Yet behind those twenty-eight dollars was a story worth millions.
