Chapter 2 - Sins of the Past
The silence inside Grant's top-floor executive suite was suffocating, broken only by the quiet clink of porcelain spoons against dessert bowls. Natalie had allowed the boys to sit at the low glass table, where room service had just delivered bowls of chocolate gelato and fresh strawberries. Leo was already enthusiastically digging in, while his brother, Noah, methodically arranged his berries around the rim of his bowl with meticulous precision—a peculiar habit Grant had maintained his entire adult life.
Grant stood by the panoramic floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the downtown Austin skyline, gripping a tumbler of scotch he hadn’t touched. Every reflection in the glass mocked him. He had spent half a decade believing he was the victim of a calculated betrayal, living in luxury while his children grew up in a rental apartment on the outskirts of the state.
""Why didn't you hire a lawyer back then?"" Grant asked, turning around to face her. ""If you had the affidavit from the waiter, why didn't you take me to court? Why disappear?""
Natalie took a slow sip of the chamomile tea Grant’s assistant had brought her. Her hands were weathered, showing tiny calluses that told of hard, honest physical labor. ""With what money, Grant? You froze our joint accounts the morning you filed. You sent your corporate legal team to notify every major law firm in the city that representing me would be considered a conflict of interest against your holdings.""
A surge of hot shame burned behind Grant’s ribs. He remembered giving that order. In his wounded pride and blinded rage, fueled by Courtney whispering poison into his ear every hour of the day, he had wanted to crush Natalie until she had nothing left.
""Courtney told me you transferred two million dollars out of our offshore accounts right before the split,"" Grant admitted, his voice cracking. ""She showed me the bank transfer statements.""
""And you never thought to verify them directly with the Swiss branch manager?"" Natalie asked, her voice carrying no anger, only an exhausted sadness that cut Grant deeper than any scream could have. ""You trusted the woman who brought you your morning coffee over the woman who slept beside you for seven years. Courtney forged those transfers using your digital signature. I survived on odd jobs, cleaning corporate offices at night while my sister watched the boys during the day.""
Grant closed his eyes tightly, his knuckles whitening around his glass. ""God, Natalie... what have I done?""
""You let your ego run your life,"" she replied simply. ""I didn't come here today to beg for your forgiveness, and I didn't come to play happy family. I came because three days ago, Courtney showed up at the day care where I work.""
Grant’s eyes snapped open, blazing with alarm. ""She did what?""
""She found out where we were living,"" Natalie said, her voice finally trembling with protective maternal fury. ""She cornered me in the parking lot and threatened to have child protective services take Noah and Leo away unless I signed a non-disclosure agreement and signed over full parental rights to you, claiming I was an unfit mother. She wanted to present you with your sons as a 'gift' while making sure I was permanently erased from the picture.""
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Before Grant could respond, the heavy mahogany double doors of the suite swung open. Marcus stepped inside, carrying a thick manila folder and a silver flash drive.
""Mr. Holloway,"" Marcus said grimly, glancing briefly at Natalie and the boys. ""You need to see this right now. Our IT division breached Courtney’s private cloud storage. It’s worse than you thought. Much worse.""
