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"Yes," she says bluntly "She can keep her trust fund, less the original invest pretty with the return she's made And she can keep the apartment"

And now it all boils down to this

"What do you think she knows about Coppens?" I ask, not even atte to hide the dread in my voice

"When his nainal analysis of the financial docu a foreigner through Interpol We got a hit"

"He's a criminal?"

"No He's not been convicted of anything Not even arrested, but he is on a watch list for the Federale Politie as well as Interpol"

"For what?" My sto froetting closer to the source of Macy's darkness, and while I want to knohat it is I don't want to know at the same time

"Illegal abortions," Dee says Those words hang in the air, dirty and rotten

"I don't understand Abortions are legal in Belgium" I'd seen on Dr Coppens website that he did perforal

"That's right Since 1990 But he's suspected of doing a very specialized type of abortion," she says, and her words are co ready to tell me is bad

"Just lay it out," I growl

"It's suspected he perfor forced to have the procedure done against their wishes," she says quietly

Oh, fuck No Fuck

"And you think that's why the Carringtons took Macy there when she was fifteen?" I ask et the words out

"That's what I suspect," she says sadly

"FUCK," I yell as I explode out ofeven though I' a bit dizzy My hands come up to coverelse about Macy and her tortured past

A thought strikes me

A vicious, angry thought

I wheel on Dee and sla in and al at her in fury "Why in the fuck hasn't this been investigated further? Why isn't this guy under arrest? If her parents did that to her why aren't they under arrest?"

"You're not going to like my answer," she says hesitantly

"I don't like a fucking thing about any of this," I growl at her, and then take a deep breath I turn on ht

"Coppens is small potatoes," she says from behind me

My fingers curl inward, digging into my palms I want to slap this woet justice for

Turning back to face Dee, I force myself to calm down I tell myself this woman still holds the power to help Macy keep her life intact "Then why are you interested in Coppens? In what he did to Macy?"

"We don't know he did anything," Dee corrects me "I just suspect"

"I know he did it," I say absently as I walk back to the chair to sit down Dee doesn't press me on how I know, because she knoon't tell her

Attorney-client privilege and all, but fuck it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that ainst her will It all makes sense now Her physical reaction to that man's name, her hatred of her parents

It all started in Brussels

It's when my love turned to hate, she had told me

For the first ti up withinit would be Coppens Most definitely her father And fuck her mother too Who does that to a child?

Dee's voice is cal "If Macy confirainst Travis Carrington in our plea deals I can tell you right now, he's not going to entertain our offers His high-priced attorneys ant to drag this out as long as possible They'll defend this to the bitter end But if I have so like this--"

"You mean sordid," I mutter

"Yes It's a shameful act for apublic could induce him to plea out The others will follow"

"But you just said this is s to aid in a prosecution of this, are you?"

Dee shakes her head sadly "No It would be a bluff Again, iuovernment has no power"

"You want a woman to tear her heart out, open old wounds, expose her father, and send him to prison all on a bluff?"

"That's what I want," she affirms

Fuck Just fuck