"If you have something to say, you had better say it," Madison said, her voice low and unpleasant, “because I have had as much from your family as I think I can stand."

William started to talk, then stopped. Finally, “I'm not even sure how to do this. How do you talk to a ghost?"

"What do you want from me?" Madison asked.

"You and Alvin just want one last yuck at my expense? Do you have any idea what he's put me through? Do you care, or were you in on it?"[]

"Never!" Hannity said, standing up quickly and beginning to pace.

“My son's actions are unforgivable, and I promise you that he will pay for them. His mother can only protect him so much. Even if you were... even if there was no chance that you were my daughter, I would never condone such cruelty!"

Madison pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them.

“Then why?

Why did he do it?"

"My son is . . . well, he's spoiled. All his life, he's known that he could get anything he wanted, and I did little to dissuade him.

His mother encouraged him. I think he saw you as a threat to his position. He knew of course. He knew who you were. He knew the story, and he knew that your birthday was special."

“Why? Like a zillion people probably have my birthday."

"Miss Sloan . . . Madison, I wanted to be there for the birth of my first child. Your birth. But Meghan went into labor two weeks prematurely, and I was in Europe on business. I missed what was going to be one of the greatest moments of my life. But when I got back the next day, I was told you had died."

"Your child," Madison said softly.

"There's no proof it was me."

William sat down.

“It was you," he replied.

“I know that now.

Everything makes too much sense because of it. I blamed myself for not being there, as if my simple presence could have saved my child.

Every year since, I have begged forgiveness from whatever gods or goddesses may be listening for not being with my family when I was needed. My wife is . . . she is proud of our bloodlines. Too damn proud. But even I could not imagine that she would have done something like this. Give up our child . . . my daughter, because of this?" he said, motioned towards her glasses.

"But Alvin --"

“Alvin saw you as a threat because of the conditions of the trust fund. He and his mother probably hired the private investigator to see if you knew who you really were and were aiming to interfere with Alvin's acquisition of —'

"What trust fund? What the hell are you talking about?"

"My wife and I agreed to set aside a large sum of money to be divided amongst our children. The oldest would get the lion's share and would help invest for the younger. There was always a chance something could happen to us, so I wanted my children to be able to look after each other."