Page 61 of Blake

“Robert, can you tell us how you met Henrietta?” Blake was taking the lead knowing some of the questions might be difficult for her to ask.

A smile crossed her father’s face that she had never seen before as he began to speak. “She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. Long red hair, pale skin, and a smile that lit the whole room. I was gone for her the second we met, and to my utter amazement she felt the same. I was working as a scientist for Collatech and she was visiting with her father.”

“Wasn’t Collatech owned by Lance Baker?” Blake interrupted.

Her dad nodded. “Yes, and from what I know it was sinking. Albert was going to invest money in the company as soon as Clark and Henri married but then we met, and she couldn’t go through with it. I know it was wrong—we both did—but we were in love. I never knew it could feel like that. She broke off the engagement and Albert was furious, but he wanted the world to see how much he supported his family, so he had the idea to start Sana with me as the lead scientist and MD.”

“How did Clark end up on the board?” Pax asked learning more than she ever had.

“Albert said he owed him after what we had done, and his appointment appeased Lance Baker, Clark’s dad, who was his best friend. We didn’t care as long as we were together. Everything was great. We had a beautiful daughter who was the light of our lives. Henrietta would spend hours just holding you in her arms gazing at you.”

“What happened?”

He shook his head as if confused. “I’m not sure. When you were around thirteen, she started to withdraw and began cheating on me.”

“You knew?” Blake asked as Pax swallowed.

“Of course I did but I love her. She is still my Henri and I know she got lonely when I was building the business.”

“Tell me about Sally Nixon and the drug trial you offered them.” Blake had finally asked the question they most needed the answer to.

Robert looked confused. “I didn’t offer them a trial. I sent your mother to offer to pay the medical bills. I know how much that boy meant to you, Gracie, and we wanted to help.”

Pax shook her head as she stood and paced to the window. “No, Momma told me you offered them an illegal trial of a drug you knew was dangerous.”

“Never,” he exclaimed looking angry. “I would never do such a thing. I am many things, Grace, but I would never harm a child or perform illegal trials. I thought you were lashing out because I hadn’t invented a drug that could help him.”

Pax saw the truth in his face all these years she had believed him a monster when it was all a lie. “Why did she lie to me?”

“Jealousy,” Blake said beside her.

She turned to look at him. “Jealousy?”

“She was jealous of you, Grace. You said yourself you were the apple of your father’s eye as she had been. I thought it before but now I’m convinced that’s the case.”

“So who offered the Nixons the trial?” Robert asked not wanting to acknowledge his wife’s lies to his daughter. Pax took her dad’s hand, guilt flooding her at the way she had believed her mother and subsequently treated her father.

“My guess is Clark Baker, but I need to make some calls and have a few things checked out.” Blake stood and squeezed her shoulder. “You okay here for a bit? I’ll just be in the hall.”

“Yes, go. I’ll wait.” Pax watched Blake leave but not before flashing her a wink that made her heart jump in her throat.

“He loves you,” her father said quietly.

“I love him too.”

“I know you do, my sweet girl. I can see it in your face. You look at him like Henri used to look at me.”

“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” she said as a sob pushed through her voice.

“Nonsense.”

Her father opened his arms and she flew into them, careful not to disturb the monitors. The familiar feeling of her daddy’s arms around her opened a flood gate of emotion that had backed up for years. Her father held her tight making her feel like a little girl again. Not wanting to put too much strain on him she pulled herself together and pushed the emotion down to be dealt with later.

Wiping her eyes and nose on a tissue he handed her from the box beside the bed she smiled at him. “I really am sorry. I should never have believed her.”

“Why wouldn’t you? She’s your mother and as far as you knew, she had no reason to lie to you. I’m just sorry it came to this.”

“I guess we all have a lot of talking to do when everything is sorted.”