After Grant died, Audrey tried to protect her adopted daughter from the truth about his affair.

Sarah arrived at six o'clock.

She took one look at my face and pulled me into a hug.

"What's going on?" she whispered. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I can't explain right now," I said. "But I need you to keep Poppy safe. Lock all the doors. Don't let anyone in. Not even if it's the police. Call me immediately if anything happens. Anything."

Sarah's eyes widened. She nodded.

"Okay. I've got her. Go."

I kissed Poppy goodbye and told her I would be back soon.

Then I got in my car and drove to the address the email had specified.

An old park on the edge of town. Empty this time of night.

I parked my car and sat there, my hands on the steering wheel, my heart pounding.

What was I doing? This could be a trap.

But I had to know. Had to find out what Lena wanted.

I saw a figure sitting on a bench near the playground.

It was her.

I got out of the car and walked toward her slowly.

She looked up when she saw me coming. Her face was pale, her eyes red like she had been crying.

"You came," she said.

I stopped a few feet away from her.

"You sent the email."

She nodded.

"I had to talk to you. Alone. Margaret would kill me if she knew I was here."

"What do you want?"

Lena took a deep breath.

"I know you found something in that box. Something important. I saw your face when you opened it. And I know it wasn't just a will."

I stared at her.

"What if it was?"

"Then you wouldn't have hidden it," she said simply. "You would have shown it to Margaret. Or called a lawyer. But you hid it. Which means whatever it is, it's something she doesn't want you to have."

I didn't say anything.

Lena stood up. She was smaller than me, thinner. Her hands trembled as she held her stomach.

"Margaret is not a good person," she said. "I know that now. She promised me everything. A house. Money. Security for my baby. But I see now. She's just using me. Once she gets what she wants, she'll throw me away like garbage."

She looked at me, tears in her eyes.

"I don't want money. I don't want a house. I just want my baby to be safe. To have a good life. And I know Margaret will never let that happen. Not really."

She took a step toward me.

"Whatever you found in that box. Whatever it is that Margaret is so afraid of... I want to help you."

I stared at her.

"Why should I trust you?"

Lena reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She tapped the screen and held it out to me.

A recording.

"Listen to this," she said.

I pressed play.

Margaret's voice filled the air. Cold. Calculating.

"Once we get the documents, you get your money. And then you disappear. The baby stays with me. He's a Bennett. He belongs with his family. You... you were just a means to an end."

Lena's voice, shaky and scared.

"You said I could keep him."

Margaret laughed. A cruel sound.

"You really believed that? A girl like you? You think you're fit to raise a Bennett heir? Once I have those papers, you're done. And if you try to fight me... well, accidents happen, don't they?"

The recording ended.