Chapter 92

“Okay, so I have determined that your target is nowhere in the city. My sources say that she moved away quite some time ago,” the private investigator stated. “My sources do believe she is living in Lyncrest, but it’s not confirmed.”
“Please let me know as soon as you do find. More than anything, I need to know if she’s pregnant. If you can find out how far along she is, that would be a bonus.”
“And what if she is pregnant?”
“Your job is to find out, not to worry about it,” Grace snapped. “I’m paying you an exorbitant amount of money. My payment includes not asking questions.”
“Yes ma’am. I will find her. I have also received word that your husband has people trying to find her. We’ve been derailing his investigation, having his people chasing false leads, and leading them in wrong directions.”
“Excellent. Keep that up. I’ll wait for updates.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Grace hung up, the wheels in her mind were turning. Will refused to sleep with her. There was no way she was going to get pregnant with his baby. There were other ways to get a baby. She had considered using another man. That plan wasn’t good though. It would take too many steps and was risky. Her best bet was getting Emma’s baby. She needed to ensure that any tie that woman had to Will was severed and burned. If she was pregnant, and if the child was Will’s, she would take it.
“Nothing can tie them together,” she said to no one. “I can’t let her have that baby. If it belongs to Will, it belongs to me.”
After the visit with his parents, Will was surlier and withdrawn. His security team was unable to find Emma at all. It was though she had disappeared from the face of the earth. The only lead he had was Spencer. He was sure that she got a job with his company. But every attempt to search Spencer’s employee roster was like hitting a brick wall. Will was certain that Emma was working for him, but no one could find anything or confirm his suspicion. It was maddening. Part of him didn’t even know why he was looking for her anymore. He was sure she had moved on. Telling her that he knew how he felt about her now wouldn’t change anything, but something in him knew he needed to find her.
Immersion into work was the only solace he had in life. Grace had once been that comfort. She was the safe place he ran to when he wanted to escape his life. Now there was nowhere to go.
“Sir,” the security captain announced himself as he walked into Will’s office. “I have something to report.”
“Have you found her?”
“No, sir. We haven’t. We have been able to confirm that she was employed with Lucas Design Studios but cannot confirm which location. He has locations in several cities and some international subsidiaries as well.”
“So, you’re saying that she could be out of the country?”
“Yes, sir. We believe that may be the most likely scenario. Some of our sources have indicated that she may have traveled internationally.”
“I don’t believe that. Her father is no condition to travel. Try finding him and see if that can lead you to her.”
“Yes, sir.”
The security captain left, and Will slumped back in his chair, and he head fell to his desk.
“I have to find you, Emma. I have to.”
In the meantime, Emma was doing her best to live her life. Her and her father were thriving in Lyncrest. The pregnancy was getting more difficult for her. Her belly was getting bigger, and the baby was more active. Her father had cried when he felt it kick. It seemed that he would be able to leave the facility soon, but Emma had the feeling he wanted to stay. They would address that when the time came.
The private investigator Grace hired found her by chance. They were investigating another matter when she happened to walk by where they were staked out. For the next few days, Emma lived her life, and did her best to keep her spirits high.
The investigator followed Emma for several days and took photos of her whenever they could. Hundreds of photos were complied and sent to Grace.
“She lives a simple life, it seems,” Grace commented over the phone as she scanned the photos that were emailed to her.
“Indeed. I have confirmed that she lived in Lyncrest, close to the downtown area. She walks to work during the week and visits her father in an assisted living facility during the weekend. She’s gone out with coworkers during lunch hours a few times, but it’s been a pretty boring assignment so far.”
“Who is this man in the photos with her? He seems to be around quite a bit.”
“Ah yes. He is around a lot. My sources say he is her boss, but they were friends from before. Your husband apparently also knows him. His name is Spencer Lucas. He goes to her apartment every day and spends hours there. However, he never spends the night. If you look at photos 20-27, you can see them shopping, and then dining together.”
“She’s got a boyfriend, then.”
“That has not been confirmed.”
Grace didn’t listen to the investigator. She looked at the photos and felt her blood curdle at the sight of Emma. That was the woman that was taking Will away from her. But it seemed there was another man in her, so that brought her a sense of relief.
“But about her being pregnant? Is there any confirmation of that?”
“No, ma’am.”
“You need to continue to follow her until you can confirm if she’s pregnant or not! That is vital!”
“Of course. I must tell you, your husband’s people are getting close. I’ve seen a few of them in the area.”
“You must do everything you can to keep them from finding her. He can never know where she is! Never!”
“Have no fear. I have someone leading them on a false trail as we speak.”
“Brilliant.”
Grace hung up the phone, and perused the photos sent to her. There was no evidence of a baby bump, and she was disappointed. Her plan was hinged on Sabrina’s slip. Emma had to be pregnant.
The man with her was attractive, and they looked happy in the photos together. Seeing Emma with another man was comforting. It meant that she wouldn’t try and get Will back. The fear that he would leave her the way she left him always lingered in her mind. He had made it crystal clear that he didn’t love her. She was getting tired of hearing it. His declarations of “un-love” were getting to be too much. This plan was all she had to keep him by her side.
A couple of weeks later, Grace got the confirmation she was waiting for. The investigator sent her photos of Emma and her new boyfriend shopping for new baby necessities. Clothes, bottles, diapers, baby furniture, they were all the smoking gun she needed. The cherry on top was a photo of Emma from the side. It was small, but there was an unmistakable baby bump visible.
“These are great!” Grace commended the investigator on their weekly phone call.
“Are you satisfied with the information that was obtained?”
“I am. I won’t need any more photos, but what I need now is for you to continue to impede my husband’s efforts into finding her. Do whatever it takes.”
“How interesting. The wife uses her husband’s money to sabotage his own investigation that he is already paying for. The irony.”
“I don’t pay you to point those kinds of things out,” Grace seethed. “Don’t let him find her. Do whatever it takes.”
Grace stared at the new pictures and was thrilled that Emma was pregnant. But now that this man was in the picture, there was a possibility that the baby wasn’t Will’s. Grace had let him go once before. She was paying for it as she felt her sanity and security slip through her fingers.
But she had to ensure that Will never found out about this. If he ever did, she might as well kiss her life goodbye.