Nicholas finally spoke, his voice sounding hollow. He turned, and Sarah saw the deep hurt in his eyes. “Think about it. Think about how she’s always been. The control. The way she looks at Mikey—like he’s an obstacle, not a grandson.”
Katherine shook her head, struggling to process it. “But why? Why would she hurt her own grandson? What could she possibly gain from a baby’s suffering?”
Nicholas paused. Then he spoke as if reading a death warrant. “Mikey is the sole heir to the family trust. My father set it up before he died. Billions of dollars. It goes to Mikey when he turns 21. But if he’s declared physically or mentally unfit before then…”
Sarah realized it instantly. “The guardianship goes to the next person in line.” Nicholas nodded.
“And that person is my mother.” Katherine collapsed into a chair, her legs giving out. “She was willing to destroy her own grandson for money,” she whispered.
Nicholas looked at his wife, and for a moment, Sarah saw a rare softness on his face. “You never really knew my mother, Kate. She isn’t the elegant woman you see at charity galas. She’s a predator, and I should have seen this coming years ago.”
He turned toward the door. Katherine looked up, tears streaming down her face. “What are you going to do?”
Nicholas stopped at the door. “What I should have done a long time ago.”
“Nicholas,” Sarah called out, stepping forward. She didn’t know why she cared, but she felt a need to speak. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
Nicholas looked at her. For a second, the hardness vanished. He looked at her with an expression she hadn’t seen before. Almost tender.
“Stay with Mikey,” he said softly. “Keep him safe. I’ll handle this.”
Then he was gone. Sarah stood there, a knot of anxiety in her chest. She didn’t know what Nicholas would do when he faced the woman who tried to poison his son. But she knew the storm had finally broken, and nothing in this house would ever be the same.
Nicholas walked toward the east wing, where Eleanor kept her private suite. The silk pillow was in his hand—light as air, but heavy as a lead weight. Every step brought him closer to a truth he’d ignored for too long.
He pushed open the double doors without knocking. The room was bathed in soft light. Eleanor was sitting in a velvet armchair by the window, a glass of red wine in her hand. She didn’t turn around.
“I wondered when you’d show up,” she said, her voice perfectly calm. “Did your little nurse figure it out?” Nicholas didn’t say a word.
He walked over and dropped the silk pillow onto the table in front of her. “Explain this.”
Eleanor finally turned, her gray eyes meeting his. A cold smile touched her lips. “She’s clever, I’ll give her that,” she said, taking a sip of wine. “I didn’t expect anyone to find it so quickly. Those fifteen doctors certainly didn’t.”
Nicholas felt his blood boil. “You’re not even going to deny it?” Eleanor stood up with practiced grace.
She looked him in the eye, showing no fear. “Why should I? The plan was perfect. A delayed irritant, undetectable by standard tests, no permanent damage if caught in time. Just enough to make the child seem… unstable. Unfit to inherit.”
Nicholas felt like he’d been punched. “He’s your grandson, Mother. He’s a baby.”
Eleanor waved a hand dismissively. “He’s weak,” she spat. “Just like his mother. Just like you were until I hardened you. Do you think the Bennett legacy was built by soft people? Do you think our empire can be protected by a crying infant?”
Nicholas recoiled. “What are you talking about? What do you mean?”
Eleanor laughed, a cold, sharp sound. “You were soft as a boy, Nicholas. Too kind. You reminded me of your father. I couldn’t have that. I had to break you and rebuild you into someone worthy of this name.”
She looked at him like a scientist studying a specimen. “Our empire needs a strong leader. I made this family what it is. I deserve to control its future, not some baby who hasn’t earned a dime.”
“My father built this empire,” Nicholas said, his voice shaking. “And you just spent it. You manipulated everything he worked for.”
Eleanor’s eyes darkened. “Your father?” she mocked. “That weak man who wanted to go ‘legit’? Who wanted to turn us into some boring corporate law firm?”
There was a bitterness in her voice he’d never heard. “What did you do?” Nicholas asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
Eleanor tilted her head. “I did what was necessary,” she said clearly. “As I always do. As I’m doing now.” Nicholas’s eyes widened as the pieces finally clicked together…
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