After ending the call, Daniel sat quietly.
He had spent years believing his marriage had collapsed because of his own ambition and cruelty.
That was true.
Nothing could excuse the way he had treated Emily.
But now another possibility had emerged.
Someone might have taken advantage of his anger to ensure that he and Emily never reconciled.
Someone who knew that as long as Daniel believed she had abandoned him, he would never look for her.
And someone who might have known about Noah before Daniel did.
The next morning, Daniel drove to a small town outside Louisville to meet Richard Hale.
The retired executive looked older, thinner, and deeply troubled.
When Daniel entered his living room, Richard stood.
“Daniel. I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“You sent me a letter about $2.4 million. Start talking.”
Richard gestured toward a chair.
Then he placed a thick folder on the table.
