That was when he understood he needed the truth.
That evening, after Oliver had fallen asleep, Ethan asked her to come into his office. His voice held no anger—only exhaustion.
“Grace, we need to talk,” he said quietly.
She froze for a brief second, then nodded.
Ethan placed the locket on the desk.
All the color drained from her face.
“Where did you find that?” she whispered.
“In your bag. Tell me who the people in the photo are.”
Grace slowly lowered herself into the chair. Her eyes filled with tears.
“The man… he’s my grandfather,” she said softly. “And the woman is my mother.”
Ethan felt his chest tighten.
“My father,” she continued, “worked on a construction site where your company was hiring more than thirty years ago. He died in an accident. No one was ever held responsible. My mother raised me alone, struggling every day. My grandfather… he helped us survive.”
Ethan shut his eyes.
He knew exactly which accident she meant.
“One day, my mother saw you on television,” Grace said. “She recognized the last name. She knew you were the son of the man who signed the papers back then.”
“And why did you come here?” he asked quietly.
Grace met his gaze without hesitation.