Chapter 4 - The Trail of Betrayal
"Maya," I whispered, the name tasting like ash in my mouth.
"She had all your medical proxies," Eric said, his eyes darkening with realization. "She booked all our appointments."
"But why?" I asked, looking at him. "Why would she steal our embryo and hire a surrogate? What does she gain?"
"Leverage," Eric said flatly. "Or money. We need to find her."
We left Dr. Thorne's office with a copy of every document Maya had submitted.
During the drive back to San Diego, Eric made a call to his head of security, Marcus.
"I need a full trace on Maya Vance," Eric ordered over the speakerphone. "Bank records, leases, credit cards. Find her."
"Already on it, boss," Marcus replied. "But it might take a day or two. She's been a ghost for a year."
I spent the evening sitting in the nursery we had built but never used.
The baby—our daughter—was sleeping soundly in the expensive crib, watched over by a temporary nanny the agency had sent.
I reached through the wooden slats and gently stroked the baby's soft cheek.
She had Eric's nose and my dark hair.
"We'll find out who did this to you," I whispered to her.
The next morning, Marcus arrived at the estate with a thick tablet in his hand.
"I found her," Marcus said, laying the tablet on the kitchen island.
"Where?" Eric asked, pouring a cup of coffee.
"She’s renting a small house in Portland, Oregon," Marcus explained. "Under her maiden name."
"Get the jet ready," Eric said instantly.
"Wait," Marcus cautioned. "There's something else. I tracked the IP address that accessed your home security system the night the baby was dropped off."
"Was it Maya?" I asked.
"No," Marcus said, pulling up a new screen. "The IP address bounced through several servers, but the origin traces back to our own corporate headquarters."
Eric froze, his coffee cup suspended in the air. "Whitaker Technologies?"
"Yes, sir," Marcus confirmed. "Someone inside your executive floor gave the bypass codes to whoever dropped the baby off."
"It's an inside job," I said, a chill running down my spine.
"Someone on my board," Eric muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Someone who knew Maya."
"Or someone who was paying her," Marcus added.
"We go to Portland," I decided, grabbing my coat. "Maya is the only one who can tell us who is pulling the strings."
"I'm coming with you," Eric said.
"No," I replied firmly. "If someone in your company is behind this, they are watching you. You need to go to the office and act normal."
May you like
Eric hated it, but he knew I was right.
"Take Marcus," Eric conceded, kissing my forehead. "Don't take any chances."
