Chapter 45: A Step Too Late

The afternoon sun shone over New York as Damian Sterling stood in his office, staring out at the city skyline.

His mind was occupied by one question.

Had Sophia lied to him three years ago?

A knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Lucas Bennett entered carrying a file.

"I've spoken with the former nurse."

Damian turned immediately.

"What did she say?"

"She agreed to meet us."

Damian's eyes narrowed.

"When?"

"This afternoon."

"She said she's lived with the truth for three years and doesn't want to carry the burden anymore."

Damian took a deep breath.

"Where are we meeting her?"

Lucas handed him a sheet of paper.

"At her apartment in Brooklyn."

"She doesn't want to meet anywhere in public."

Damian nodded.

"We'll leave in thirty minutes."

At that very moment, Sophia Blake arrived at Sterling Group Headquarters.

She had planned to surprise Damian with lunch.

As she approached his office, she noticed the door wasn't fully closed.

She was about to knock when Lucas's voice stopped her.

"...the former nurse is finally ready to tell us everything."

Sophia froze.

She instinctively stepped back, careful not to make a sound.

Inside the office, Damian spoke.

"After three years, we're finally going to know the truth."

Lucas nodded.

"I've arranged the meeting for this afternoon."

"If what she says matches the inconsistencies in the medical records..."

"We'll know whether someone deceived you."

Sophia's face turned white.

She quietly walked away before either man noticed her.

The lunch she had brought suddenly felt meaningless.

The only thing that mattered now...

Was stopping that meeting.

The moment Sophia reached her car, she grabbed her phone and dialled a number.

"Mr. Carter."

"Yes, Ms. Blake."

"I need you to go to an address immediately."

She told him the address she had secretly heard while Damian and Lucas were talking.

"Someone is meeting Damian there."

"I don't want that meeting to happen."

Mr. Carter understood immediately.

"I'll take care of it."

Sophia ended the call.

She leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes.

"No one is taking Damian away from me."

Meanwhile, Evelyn Hartley spent the afternoon at her grandmother Margaret Hartley's home.

The kitchen was filled with laughter.

Ethan sat at the table decorating biscuits with colourful icing while Margaret watched him with a warm smile.

"He's just like you were at his age," Margaret said.

Evelyn laughed.

"I wasn't nearly this messy."

"Oh, yes, you were."

The three of them laughed together.

Later, while Ethan played in the garden, Margaret poured tea for Evelyn.

"You've been thinking about Damian."

Evelyn lowered her eyes.

"I don't want to."

"But I can't pretend yesterday didn't affect me."

Margaret reached across the table.

"You still love him."

Evelyn sighed.

"Yes."

"But loving him doesn't mean I can forget everything."

Margaret nodded.

"And you shouldn't."

"If he truly deserves another chance one day..."

"He'll have to earn it."

Across the city, Mr. Carter arrived at a modest apartment building in Brooklyn.

He knocked on the door.

A woman in her late fifties answered cautiously.

"Mrs. Helen Morris?"

"Yes."

"My name is Carter."

"I've come to warn you."

The woman frowned.

"Warn me?"

"Someone is on their way to question you about something that happened three years ago."

Helen's expression immediately changed.

"I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do I."

"If I were you, I'd leave for a few days until everything settles down."

Fear filled Helen's eyes.

Without another word, she hurried inside to pack a small suitcase.

Mr. Carter quietly walked away.

His job was done.

Forty minutes later, Damian and Lucas arrived at the apartment.

Lucas knocked on the door.

No answer.

He knocked again.

Still nothing.

An elderly neighbour opened her own door.

"Are you looking for Helen?"

Damian nodded.

"Yes."

"You've just missed her."

Lucas frowned.

"When did she leave?"

"About half an hour ago."

"She looked frightened."

"I asked if she was all right."

"What did she say?" Damian asked.

The neighbour thought for a moment.

"She said she didn't want to get caught in someone else's secrets."

"And then she left."

Damian's jaw tightened.

Someone had warned Helen before they arrived.

Lucas looked at him.

"Only a handful of people knew about this meeting."

Damian nodded grimly.

"Which means someone is protecting the truth."

Back at the Sterling Mansion, Sophia's phone vibrated.

Mr. Carter's name appeared on the screen.

"It's done," he said.

"She left before Mr. Sterling arrived."

Sophia smiled with relief.

"Excellent."

After ending the call, she walked to the window and looked out over the gardens.

"You'll never learn what really happened that day, Damian."

"As long as I can stop it..."

"...the truth will remain buried."

Across the city, Evelyn tucked Ethan into bed and kissed his forehead.

She smiled as he drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that only a few miles away, the past had once again slipped through Damian's fingers.

But the truth could only stay hidden for so long.