Rosie lost the baby. A boy.
Predictably, Phoebe blamed Peter, swearing he set her up. But with no real proof–and oil in a kitchen being nothing unusual–her accusations went nowhere.
Stuart, naturally, sided with Peter. He tore into Phoebe, calling her “vicious” for framing Peter, conveniently forgetting she was his own niece.
Under all that blame, Phoebe cracked.
Peter ended up in the hospital–his eyes stabbed blind by Phoebe.
The second I heard, I made a call. “It’s time.”
Not long after, a video arrived.
It showed her–Carmen Gossett, Peter’s real mother–clutching her bleeding son, sobbing like the world was ending. And there was Stuart, arms around her, holding her close.
1/2
Chapter 9
Anyone watching that scene–seeing Peter’s face next to theirs–would know the truth.
That video was about to land in one man’s hands.
Benson.
Carmen’s husband. An ex–con fresh out of prison.
***
+25 BONUS
My PI laid it out for me. Carmen and Stuart grew up in the same backwater town. First loves.
Then Stuart set his sights higher–on my family’s money. He charmed me in college while Carmen got sold off to Benson.
When Benson landed in prison for assault, Carmen moved to the city to survive.
Fate threw her and Stuart back together. One thing led to another, and soon, their child–Peter–was born.
The report continued.
With a little push from me, Benson finally tracked Carmen down.
After watching the video, the scar–faced thug grabbed a knife, ready to gut Stuart. Carmen dropped to her knees, sobbing, begging him to stop.
Benson put the knife down.
Instead, he named his price–three hundred grand.
