Chapter 5: The Husband Who Came Back Begging
I didn't open the door.
Instead, I stood behind the curtain and watched Tyler wait on my porch.
He checked his watch.
Then he adjusted the bouquet.
Then he looked down at his phone and typed something.
My phone vibrated.
*Tyler: I'm not here to fight, Em. Please.*
A second message arrived.
*Tyler: I miss my family.*
I almost laughed.
He missed his family.
Apparently, he had remembered we existed somewhere between his dinner reservations with Vanessa and his attempts to empty my inheritance account.
Michael was still on the phone.
"Emily, do you have someone with you?""
"My neighbor is outside.""
"Good. Keep the doors locked. I'm sending someone to your address.""
"Michael, I need to know why Tyler mentioned my father.""
"Don't engage with him until we understand what he's trying to accomplish.""
I watched Tyler knock again.
"Emily!""
His voice carried through the glass.
"Please, sweetheart. I know you're angry.""
I walked into the living room.
Piper was asleep.
Poppy was awake, moving her tiny feet beneath her blanket.
I lowered my voice.
"He's outside.""
"I know. Security is on the way.""
I ended the call and opened the door's camera app.
Tyler stood directly beneath the porch light.
He looked exhausted.
His hair was untidy, and the expensive watch on his wrist caught the afternoon sunlight.
He raised the roses toward the camera.
"These are for you.""
I didn't respond.
He stepped closer.
"Emily, I know I messed up.""
I pressed the intercom.
"What do you want?""
His expression softened immediately.
"To come home.""
I stared at him.
"You have a home.""
"With you.""
"You have a girlfriend.""
He closed his eyes.
"Vanessa was a mistake.""
"Was Rachel a mistake too?""
His eyes snapped open.
For the first time, I saw genuine fear.
"What?""
"Rachel Morgan.""
He looked toward the street.
Then back at the camera.
"Where did you hear that name?""
I didn't answer.
He stepped closer.
"Emily, listen to me. Whatever she told you, she's lying.""
"Is Noah your son?""
His face drained of color.
I waited.
He glanced toward the window.
Then he lowered his voice.
"Can we please discuss this privately?""
"No.""
"Emily.""
"Is Noah your son?""
He looked down.
That was answer enough.
I pressed the intercom again.
"How many children do you have, Tyler?""
He rubbed his face.
"Don't do this.""
"How many?""
"Two.""
I stared at him.
"You have two daughters and a son.""
"Yes.""
"And you knew about him before you left?""
He nodded.
I felt something crack inside me.
"Did you ever plan to tell me?""
He looked genuinely miserable.
"I was going to.""
"When?""
"After the assignment.""
"After five months?""
"Things were complicated.""
I almost shouted.
"You had five months to tell me that another woman had given birth to your child!""
He stepped back.
"Keep your voice down.""
I looked at him through the glass.
"You're worried about my voice?""
"You're upsetting the neighbors.""
I laughed.
There it was.
Even now.
Even after everything.
He was more concerned about what people might think than what he'd done.
"Leave, Tyler.""
"Not until we talk.""
"We've talked.""
"No, we haven't.""
He placed the flowers on the porch railing.
Then he pulled an envelope from his jacket.
"I brought something for you.""
"What?""
"Documents.""
I stared at the envelope.
"What documents?""
"Something that can protect us.""
I didn't move.
He held it up.
"Your father's estate records. I know you're confused about the transfers, but I can explain everything.""
"How convenient.""
"Emily, your father trusted me.""
"My father barely trusted you with his lawn mower.""
His jaw tightened.
"That's not fair.""
"Neither is stealing from his estate.""
Tyler looked around again.
Then he leaned toward the camera.
"Your father wasn't as innocent as you think.""
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
"What does that mean?""
"He had financial problems.""
"No, he didn't.""
"How would you know? You never understood his business.""
I stared at him.
"Tell me exactly what you're accusing him of.""
Tyler took a breath.
"Before he died, your father transferred money through several offshore accounts. I found the records. The money was never properly reported.""
I felt cold.
"You're lying.""
"I'm trying to help you.""
"Then why did you forge his signature?""
His expression hardened.
"I didn't forge anything.""
"Why is his name on your company documents?""
"Because he invested in the company.""
"My father died two years before you registered it.""
Tyler froze.
I watched him process the fact that I knew the dates.
Then his voice changed.
"Who have you been talking to?""
I didn't answer.
He stepped closer.
"Emily, listen carefully. Michael Bennett is not your friend. He's trying to protect the cruise company. If they can blame me, they won't have to explain what happened to their money.""
"Then why is my father's estate involved?""
"Because he had business dealings with the company.""
I stared at him.
"How?""
Tyler opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
For the first time, he didn't have a ready-made explanation.
A car pulled up behind his SUV.
Two men stepped out.
One was wearing a security uniform.
The other was Michael.
Tyler turned.
"Unbelievable.""
Michael walked toward the porch.
"Tyler, step away from the door.""
"This is my house.""
Michael stopped.
"Actually, the property is registered in Emily's name.""
Tyler laughed bitterly.
"We're married.""
"That doesn't give you permission to enter.""
Tyler looked at me.
"Are you seriously going to let him talk to me like this?""
I folded my arms.
"Yes.""
He looked at the security guard.
Then back at Michael.
"Fine. But I need to give Emily these documents.""
Michael held out his hand.
"I'll take them.""
Tyler hesitated.
"They're private.""
"Then you can provide them through the legal process.""
Tyler stepped away from the door.
He looked at me one final time.
"You're making a terrible mistake, Emily.""
I didn't respond.
He picked up the roses.
Then he walked toward his SUV.
But before he got inside, he turned.
"One more thing.""
I waited.
"If you go digging through your father's old business records, you'll discover things you won't like.""
Then he drove away.
Michael watched the SUV disappear.
When he turned toward me, his expression was serious.
"Did you hear what he said?""
"Every word.""
"Good. We need to document it.""
I opened the door.
Michael stepped inside.
He looked at the twins.
"How are they?""
"Fine.""
He glanced toward the nursery.
"Can we talk?""
I nodded.
We sat at the kitchen table.
I told him about Rachel, the baby, the blue folder, and the photograph.
Then I showed him the letter.
He read it twice.
His expression darkened.
"Where did you get this?""
"Inside the folder.""
He turned the paper over.
"Emily, this is important.""
"Why?""
He pointed to a line near the bottom.
If she finds out about our son before I return from the ship, everything I've worked for will be destroyed.
Michael looked up.
"Tyler knew his employment contract prohibited outside financial arrangements. He was already preparing to hide something before he left.""
"Then why did the company wait until now?""
"We suspected financial misconduct, but we didn't have enough evidence to connect the transactions to him personally.""
I leaned forward.
"And now?""
"Now we have a possible pattern.""
I looked toward the nursery.
"Can you tell me what happened to my father's money?""
Michael shook his head.
"Not yet. But Rebecca has requested the original banking records.""
My phone rang.
Rachel.
I answered.
"Emily?""
Her voice was frantic.
"Did Tyler come to your house?""
"Yes. Why?""
"Because he just called me.""
"What did he say?""
"He told me he was going to take Noah.""
I stood so quickly my chair scraped against the floor.
"What?""
"He said he had spoken to someone about custody. He said I had been involved in the financial fraud and that he could have me arrested.""
"Rachel, where are you?""
"At home.""
"Lock your doors.""
"I have.""
"Don't let him inside.""
She began crying.
"Emily, there's something I haven't told you.""
I closed my eyes.
"What?""
"When Tyler first approached me, he said he was going to divorce you.""
I waited.
"He told me your father had left you a large inheritance, and that you were planning to use it to buy a house for your daughters.""
I swallowed.
"He said that was why he wanted to be with me.""
I looked at Michael.
He was watching my face.
Rachel continued.
"Tyler said if we waited until your daughters were born, he could make you believe the money had disappeared because of your father's old debts.""
My hand went numb.
"He planned this before the cruise?""
"Yes.""
I looked down at the blue folder.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?""
"Because I believed him.""
Her voice cracked.
"He showed me documents. He said you were aware of everything. He said you had agreed to let him manage the estate.""
I closed my eyes.
Then she whispered:
"Emily, I found something else.""
"What?""
"A second bank account.""
"Whose?""
"Your father's.""
I gripped the phone.
"Where?""
"In the records he left at the old office.""
"How much is in it?""
Rachel took a shaky breath.
"Almost nine hundred thousand dollars.""
I couldn't move.
Nine hundred thousand dollars.
My father had never mentioned such an account.
"Emily, there's a problem.""
"What?""
"Someone withdrew money from it yesterday.""
"How much?""
"All of it.""
I stared at Michael.
He had heard enough to understand something was wrong.
May you like
Rachel whispered:
"And the withdrawal authorization was signed by someone who is supposed to be dead.""
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