Chapter 10 - Visiting Ruth
|
The hospital room was quiet, the only sound the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Ruth was resting against a stack of pillows, a thick white bandage covering the right side of her forehead. She looked small in the hospital bed, but her eyes were alert and clear when I walked in.
"How is Theo?" she asked immediately, trying to sit up.
"He's perfectly fine," I assured her, gently pushing her back down. "My father's security team took him and the nanny straight to the secure estate. He's probably demanding snacks right now."
Ruth smiled, a tired but genuine expression. "Good."
I sat in the chair beside her bed and took her hand.
"Mom, you need to tell me what you meant in the ballroom," I said quietly. "How did you know about the scheme Margaret used against Helena?"
Ruth sighed, looking away toward the window.
"Before I took you in, Evelyn, I was Helena's personal assistant," Ruth confessed, the truth finally spilling out. "I wasn't just a random foster mother. Helena trusted me with everything. She knew Margaret was stealing from the joint venture. She showed me the forged transfer documents Margaret had created to siphon funds."
"Why didn't you go to the police?"
"I tried," Ruth said, her voice trembling. "After the crash, I took the documents to the police chief. He laughed at me. He told me that if I ever mentioned it again, he would ensure I went to prison for embezzlement. And then... your father came to me."
"Harrison asked you to hide me?"
"He knew Margaret would never stop," Ruth nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "He knew she would target you to get control of the Vance fortune. He begged me to take you away, to raise you in Iowa, far away from the poison of high society. He paid for everything, but he stayed away to keep you safe."
I processed the magnitude of her sacrifice. She had given up her entire life, her career, her home, to raise another woman's child in hiding, simply to keep me breathing.
"You saved my life," I whispered, kissing her hand.
May you like
"And Margaret found you anyway," Ruth said bitterly. "She orchestrated that charity gala. She made sure Garrett bumped into you. She knew exactly who you were, Evelyn. She was just playing the long game."
"The game is over," I promised her. "Margaret is in federal custody. And she is never getting out."
