PART 2: THE ACCOUNT IN HER NAME
Neither spoke for a very long moment.
Then Emily whispered, “She waited for you that afternoon because she wanted to hear your answer.”
Alexander pressed the little notebook against his chest.
Beyond the glass entrance, falling rain turned the buildings into blurred gray shapes.
And beneath the sorrow he had carried all the way from Chicago, a painful realization began to form, something he had never imagined before.
Grace had been waiting for more than her father to arrive.
She had wanted to know whether the three of them would remain a family.
Alexander looked at the message once more.
Daddy, will you come too?
Grace had used a purple crayon, and her letters tilted in different directions. The question was so innocent that it seemed impossible for it to hold so much pain.
Yet it did.
He remembered Grace watching him expectantly that morning, hoping he would pay attention to her artwork. His mind had been elsewhere: business notifications, appointments, and preparations for a birthday event that had seemed urgent at the time.
She had wanted something more meaningful than praise for a drawing.
She had been waiting for him to answer her question.
“Why didn’t you mention this to me?” he asked.
Emily’s expression grew tense. “I made attempts.”
“About the move to Toronto?”
“About all of it.”
He stared down at the notebook.
“I should have paid attention.”
“Yes,” she answered softly. “You should have.”
Her voice no longer carried bitterness. Only deep weariness.
A woman near reception glanced their way before respectfully turning aside. The ordinary workday went on around them, with telephones ringing, elevators arriving, and shoes crossing shining floors, while Alexander stayed caught in a moment that had begun long before today.
“Did Grace bring it up many times?” he asked.
“Not really. She worried about making me sad.” Emily managed a faint, sorrowful smile. “Grace noticed everything. She could always tell when grown-ups were troubled.”
Alexander touched the edge of the notebook gently.
“What did you say to her?”
“That the three of us would discuss it.”
“But that conversation never happened.”
“You never had it.”
He lowered his head.
“I know.”
Emily glanced at the notebook in his hands.
“She adored you,” she whispered. “Nothing ever changed that.”
His throat tightened painfully.
“And I adored her.”
“I know you did.”
Her reassurance could not ease his sadness. He was beginning to realize that genuine love did not prevent a person from making mistakes. Someone could love deeply and still fail to be present when it mattered.
“Would you let me accompany you?” he asked.
Emily glanced at the doors streaked with rain.
“To visit the cemetery?”
“I promise I won’t disturb you. I won’t expect you to make me feel better. I only want to spend a little time close to her.”
Emily remained silent for a long moment.
Eventually, she gently shook her head.
“Not this time.”
He respected her decision, even though every part of him wanted to ask her to reconsider.
“All right.”
For a brief moment, she looked surprised.
“You aren’t going to try changing my mind?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you already told me no.”
A little of the tension left her expression, though the change was subtle.
Alexander kept the notebook held against his chest.
“May I hold on to this?”
“She made it for you.”
He gave a quiet nod.
“I promise I’ll keep it safe.”
Emily held his gaze. “There’s something you must recognize. Protecting a notebook is very different from protecting the child who created it.”
“I understand.”
“Are you certain?”
“I’m learning.”
She watched him closely, perhaps expecting the old frustration to surface beneath his unusually calm behavior. When it never appeared, she seemed unsure how to respond.
At last, she spoke. “There’s another page.”
Alexander glanced at the notebook.
“I assumed I’d reached the end.”
“I never looked at it.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because the back cover was taped shut when I discovered it. Grace had written my name across it. I believed she wanted me to protect it until I understood what should happen next.”
Emily opened her handbag once more.
She took out a folded sheet from a small compartment inside.
“I removed this from the notebook after reaching Toronto,” she explained. “But I never read what was written.”
Alexander studied the folded paper.
“Why give it to me today?”
“Because she created it for you. And you have a right to understand what she was trying to tell you.”
He accepted the sheet gently.
It had been folded over several times. On the outside, Grace had written a short message in blue marker.
For Daddy only.
Alexander opened it carefully.
A child’s drawing filled the inside. It showed a house with uneven walls and an oversized roof. Three people stood outside, their hands joined.
Beside them, Grace had added another figure.
It looked like an airplane.
Under the picture were the words:
If Mommy goes far, we can visit.
Alexander kept staring until the letters grew hard to make out.
Emily spoke in a gentle voice.
“She believed being far apart was something people could overcome if they truly wanted to.”
He shut his eyes.
“She expected all of us to travel together.”
“She believed you would decide to join us.”
The paper trembled slightly between his fingers.
“I should have chosen that.”
“Yes.”
He refolded the drawing carefully, taking his time.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to carry this.”
“You aren’t required to figure that out today.”
“I have no idea how to continue without her.”
For the first time, Emily struggled to keep her composure.
“Neither do I.”
They faced each other, each carrying memories of the daughter they deeply missed. Since Alexander’s arrival in Toronto, this was the first silence that did not feel like a consequence of his mistakes.
It felt like two parents mourning together.
He wanted to take her hand.
But he stayed still.
After several moments, Emily spoke. “I need to leave.”
“I understand.”
She started toward the entrance.
“Emily.”
She stopped walking but kept facing forward.
“I won’t visit your apartment again unless you agree beforehand.”
“Thank you.”
“I won’t contact your workplace or have anyone monitor your movements.”
Some of the tension eased from her shoulders.
“That means a lot.”
“And I won’t pressure you to return home.”
Now she turned around.
Alexander made himself look directly into her eyes.
“I hope you find peace and happiness, even if your future doesn’t include me.”
Emily examined his expression.
“Is that genuinely what you feel, or are you repeating what you believe I want to hear?”
He considered her question.
“I’m not completely certain yet. But I understand that it’s something I have to learn.”
She stayed quiet for several seconds.
Then she gave one small nod and walked away.
Alexander remained in the reception area until the glass entrance doors closed behind her.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel phoned.
“Boss, will you be returning to Chicago?”
Alexander glanced at Grace’s notebook.
“No.”
Daniel paused. “Would you like me to cancel the remaining appointments this week?”
“Postpone whatever isn’t urgent. Arrange video meetings for anything that cannot wait.”
“Understood.”
“One more thing, Daniel.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Arrange for someone to manage the companies during my absence.”
“Only for a short period?”
“I haven’t decided.”
Daniel fell silent.
Alexander had never answered like that before, with such uncertainty. Every aspect of his existence had revolved around confident, decisive replies.
“Are you certain about this?” Daniel asked.
“No,” Alexander admitted. “But I’m moving forward with it.”
He spent the afternoon wandering through Toronto without choosing a destination.
Though the streets were unfamiliar, the city did not feel unwelcoming. Pedestrians hurried past in thick scarves against the chilly weather. Red-and-white streetcars traveled along the roads. Eventually, he stepped into a modest waterfront café, ordered tea, and settled by the window.
He opened Grace’s notebook once more.
Almost every page held a drawing.
A violet-colored kitten. A bright yellow school bus. A birthday cake covered with far too many candles.
One picture showed Emily sitting beside Grace’s bed with a book. Another showed Alexander kneeling near a toy stove while wearing a crown made from paper.
He remembered that afternoon.
Grace had declared him the king of her pretend restaurant.
For twenty minutes, he had worn the paper crown while she cooked imaginary meals and served plastic soup.
Back then, he had kept glancing at his phone between her pretend courses.
But in her drawing, he appeared completely focused on her.
Alexander set the notebook on the tabletop and buried his face in his hands.
A waitress came over, concerned.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you feeling okay?”
He slowly lifted his face.
“Yes.”
She glanced briefly at the notebook before looking back at him. “Could I bring you a glass of water?”
He nodded gratefully.
After she walked away, his phone began to ring.
Madison was calling.
He answered.
“How is she doing?” Madison asked.
“You mean Emily?”
“Yes.”
“She has started working.”
“That isn’t what I was asking.”
Alexander gazed through the window at the rain.
“She’s struggling with her loss.”
Madison drew a quiet breath.
“Were you able to speak with her?”
“Yes.”
“Did she tell you to go away?”
“She asked me not to accompany her to the cemetery.”
“That seems understandable.”
“It is.”
Madison paused briefly.
“Did you tell her you were sorry?”
“I did.”
“What happened afterward?”
“She accepted that I meant it.”
“That’s a positive sign.”
“No,” Alexander replied. “Not necessarily.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because she knows I regret everything. But she doesn’t trust that I’ll become different.”
Madison settled back in her chair. Through the phone, he could hear distant conversations and the clink of dishes.
“Do you think you can change?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Well, at least you’re telling the truth now.”
He turned to the notebook page showing their family beneath the blue sky.
“Madison, were you aware Emily was thinking about moving to Toronto?”
“No.”
“Daniel told me she contacted my office.”
“I wasn’t aware of that.”
“She spent weeks attempting to have a conversation with me.”
Madison sighed.
“Alex…”
“What is it?”
“There’s something I need to admit.”
He immediately grew attentive.
“Tell me.”
“It’s about the birthday post for Olivia.”
He waited for her to continue.
“I was the one who wrote the caption.”
He turned his gaze toward the window.
“What did you actually write?”
“You’ve already seen it.”
“I want you to tell me.”
Madison paused.
“I wrote that you had personally organized the whole celebration and that you and Olivia were meant to be together.”
“Why would you write that?”
“Olivia wanted me to.”
Alexander tightened his grip on the phone.
“She specifically requested it?”
“She told me it would be amusing. She wanted to know whether you’d respond. I assumed she wasn’t serious.”
“And you published it anyway.”
“Yes.”
“Was she aware I had a wife?”
“Obviously, Alex. She knew.”
“Did she ever ask you to remove the post?”
“No. I took it down after noticing Emily had liked it.”
Alexander shut his eyes.
“Why didn’t you mention any of this?”
“I felt ashamed.”
“Madison.”
“I know I made a mistake. I should have explained everything immediately. But when we spoke, you were already distressed about Grace. I convinced myself that a social media caption wasn’t important compared with everything else.”
“It mattered enormously to Emily.”
“I understand that now.”
He stayed silent.
Madison lowered her voice.
“Olivia knew Emily was upset. She asked whether you had mentioned anything concerning the necklace.”
Alexander opened his eyes.
“How did you answer?”
“I told her I hadn’t heard anything.”
“Why was she asking?”
“I figured she was concerned Emily might get the wrong impression.”
Alexander looked down at the blue notebook.
“Did Olivia know that necklace was originally meant for Emily?”
“Yes.”
Madison answered without hesitation.
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Alex, I accompanied you when you purchased it. You wanted my opinion about the gemstone because you remembered Emily liked diamonds with a pale appearance.”
Alexander suddenly remembered.
Several months earlier, he had bought the necklace after Emily casually admired a similar piece displayed in a jewelry store window.
He had planned to surprise her with it on their wedding anniversary.
Then Olivia’s father invited him to a private business dinner. Olivia joined them later that evening. When Alexander drove her home, the necklace stayed inside his vehicle.
He had completely forgotten about it.
Olivia eventually discovered it.
“She told Emily she had seen it inside my car,” he said.
“Did she really?”
“I don’t know for certain.”
Madison fell quiet.
“What are you suggesting?” he asked.
“Olivia told me she discovered it in the guest bedroom at your house.”
Alexander’s expression turned serious.
“She never entered that bedroom.”
“I know.”
“Did Olivia actually tell you that?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would she tell Emily she discovered it in my vehicle?”
Madison had no explanation.
Alexander abruptly stood, scraping his chair against the café floor.
“Madison, is there something else you’re keeping from me?”
“I’m not sure it’s relevant.”
“It becomes relevant if she deliberately misled someone.”
“I’m not accusing her of dishonesty.”
“But you just admitted she gave two different explanations.”
“I told you I don’t know what happened.”
Alexander moved toward the café entrance.
“Did Olivia ever enter my private study?”
There was a brief silence.
“Yes.”
“On what occasions?”
“A few times. She said she needed to discuss something confidential with you.”
“Did I authorize her to go inside?”
“I thought you had.”
“I never did.”
Madison sounded increasingly uncomfortable.
“Alex, I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it. But Olivia has known our family for years. Nobody imagined—”
“Nobody considered asking Emily how she felt about any of it.”
He ended the call before Madison could reply.
Outside, the rain had stopped, leaving the sidewalks wet and reflective.
Alexander stood beneath the café’s shelter, holding his phone.
His first impulse was to contact Olivia immediately.
He wanted an explanation.
But then he remembered Emily’s letter.
Do not make your regret the center of my grief.
Throughout his life, whenever something unsettled him, he had demanded explanations until he felt in control again. He had mistaken collecting information for genuinely understanding people.
If Olivia had been dishonest, discovering the truth was important.
But that truth could never excuse his own failure to be there for his family.
Instead, he contacted Daniel.
“Was Olivia ever allowed into my private office at the house?”
Daniel paused before answering.
“Not through any official arrangement.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
Daniel understood his meaning.
“I’ll review the records.”
“Keep it discreet.”
“Certainly.”
“And Daniel?”
“Yes, boss?”
“Don’t intimidate anyone or pressure them into speaking. I only want verified information.”
Daniel hesitated briefly.
“Understood.”
Alexander made his way back to the hotel.
That evening, Daniel sent a message requesting a private conversation. They met in a quiet room beside the hotel lobby, where reflections of Toronto’s evening lights shimmered across the windows.
Daniel set his tablet on the table.
“I examined the home’s electronic security records.”
Alexander leaned closer.
“Olivia entered your study on three separate occasions over the past two months.”
“Which dates?”
“The first visit happened on the same afternoon Emily contacted you about Toronto.”
Alexander’s face grew tense.
“The second occurred during preparations for the birthday celebration.”
“And the last visit?”
“On the evening of your wedding anniversary.”
Alexander examined the dates carefully.
“How did she gain entry?”
“Madison possessed a key.”
“Is there evidence Olivia removed anything?”
“We haven’t established that.”
“Review the surveillance recordings.”
Daniel looked hesitant.
“The cameras inside the study were turned off during all three visits.”
“Who turned them off?”
“That’s where the situation becomes complicated.”
He rotated the tablet toward Alexander.
“The records indicate someone manually disabled the cameras using your personal access code.”
Alexander stared at the screen.
“I didn’t turn those cameras off.”
“I understand.”
“Who else knew my code?”
“Your mother, Madison, and me.”
“What about Olivia?”
“She wasn’t given access.”
“Could she have worked it out?”
“It’s possible. However, I discovered another detail.”
Daniel opened another document.
“On the day Emily contacted your office regarding Toronto, Olivia made an eleven-minute phone call to a private law firm specializing in family matters.”
Alexander became completely still.
“A family law firm?”
“Yes. The conversation lasted eleven minutes.”
“Did she arrange an appointment?”
“There’s no confirmed appointment under her full name. However, two weeks later, that office recorded a consultation involving someone identified by the initials O.C.”
Olivia Carter.
Neither man spoke the name aloud.
At first, Alexander felt no anger.
Only a growing sense of uncertainty.
“Do we know what she wanted to discuss?”
“No. The firm cannot release confidential information about its clients.”
“See what you can verify through proper channels.”
“Boss—”
“Only through legal means.”
Daniel nodded in understanding.
“I’ll arrange for someone to examine publicly available records and determine whether any official documents were submitted.”
Alexander stood up.
“Arrange a meeting with Olivia tomorrow morning.”
Daniel studied his expression.
“Would you prefer that I attend?”
“No.”
“Do you believe meeting her alone is a good idea?”
“I have no intention of intimidating her.”
“That wasn’t what I was suggesting.”
Alexander turned toward the windows streaked with rain.
“I understand.”
He went upstairs to his hotel room and set Grace’s notebook carefully on the writing desk.
For a long while, he sat beside it, leaving his phone untouched.
Then, shortly before midnight, his phone rang with a number he did not recognize.
Alexander answered.
“Hello?”
A woman replied in a gentle voice.
“Am I speaking with Mr. Hayes?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Claire Morgan, an attorney practicing in Toronto.”
Alexander immediately sat up straighter.
“Where did you obtain my number?”
“Emily provided it.”
His heartbeat quickened.
“Is Emily okay?”
“She’s safe. However, she requested that I contact you if we discovered certain details.”
“What kind of details?”
Claire hesitated briefly.
“Information relating to what happened to Grace.”
Alexander gripped the edge of the desk.
“What have you discovered?”
“I’ve been examining the documents Emily brought from Chicago. Something doesn’t match in the preschool’s official incident report.”
“What doesn’t match?”
“The report claims Grace exited the school through its front gate a little after three in the afternoon.”
Alexander remained completely silent.
“However, the electronic security records indicate the front gate was opened at 3:27,” Claire explained. “And the available recordings don’t show Grace passing through that entrance.”
“Then which way did she go?”
“That remains unclear.”
His fingers tightened around the phone.
“Was anyone accompanying her?”
“The written report indicates she was alone.”
“What do the recordings indicate?”
“Unfortunately, nothing conclusive. The surveillance camera near the side entrance stopped operating for roughly six minutes.”
Alexander abruptly stood.
“Who turned it off?”
“The school’s records show the code used belonged to a temporary employee.”
“What was their name?”
Claire lowered her voice.
“The employee came through a staffing agency associated with one of your family’s businesses.”
Alexander felt an uncomfortable pressure building in his chest.
“What’s the employee’s name?”
“I haven’t obtained the complete personnel records.”
“Then why contact me tonight?”
“Because there’s another important discovery.”
“Tell me.”
“The employee resigned the following morning. Before leaving, she emailed the school’s director.”
Alexander could barely speak.
“What did the message say?”
Claire paused.
“She explained that someone had instructed her to leave the side entrance unlocked because a person was expected to collect your daughter.”
Alexander fell silent.
“Who gave that instruction?” he eventually asked.
“We haven’t established that.”
“Was it Emily?”
“No.”
“Then who was responsible?”
Claire answered carefully.
“The instruction originated from a telephone number associated with a private security company.”
Alexander immediately recognized the company’s name.
It had provided protective services for his family over many years.
And someone he trusted deeply had authorized that company’s access to Grace’s preschool.
Claire continued, “Mr. Hayes, our information suggests that particular number was used only once.”
Alexander stared at the little blue notebook resting on the desk.
“Who was the registered account holder?”
“The account was listed under your sister’s name.”
Madison.
