Chapter 10 - THE SECOND MOTHERJulian slowly turned toward Margaret.
She had gone completely still.
The woman in the vault looked at her.
Then laughed.
“Hello, sister.”
Elena's breath caught.
“Twin.”
Margaret's face collapsed.
Julian looked between them.
“You have a sister?”
Margaret's voice barely existed.
“Her name was Marianne.”
The woman in the chair smiled.
“Was?”
She looked at Julian.
“Your mother buried me.”
Julian felt dizzy.
“What is happening?”
Marianne lifted her hands.
Chains rattled.
“Ask her.”
Margaret stepped backward.
“Marianne, I thought you were dead.”
“You watched me burn.”
“I was a child.”
“You watched.”
Julian turned to his mother.
“What did you do?”
Margaret cried.
“I was eighteen.”
Marianne laughed.
“And your grandfather told you that if you spoke, he would kill us both.”
Julian looked at Daniel's screen.
His father's face had disappeared.
Adrian stood silent.
Elena held Daniel tightly.
Then Marianne's eyes moved to the baby.
“That's him.”
Julian stepped protectively in front of Elena.
“Don't.”
Marianne smiled.
“He has his father's eyes.”
“My father?”
“No.”
She looked at Julian.
“Your grandfather.”
Julian froze.
“My grandfather is dead.”
Marianne shook her head.
“No.”
“What?”
“He isn't.”
The room became silent.
Elena whispered:
“Who is controlling all of this?”
Marianne smiled.
“The Sterling family has been ruled by dead men for generations.”
Julian's phone buzzed.
An incoming call.
No caller ID.
He answered.
A voice spoke.
Old.
Calm.
Terrifying.
“Hello, Julian.”
Julian stopped breathing.
“Who are you?”
The voice laughed.
“You already know.”
A monitor turned on.
A live camera appeared.
A man sat in a chair beside a fireplace.
White hair.
Sharp features.
He was almost ninety.
But his eyes were clear.
Julian recognized him from old family portraits.
“Grandfather.”
Elena stepped closer.
“That's impossible.”
The old man smiled.
“Nothing is impossible when you own the people who write history.”
Julian gripped the phone.
“You've been alive.”
“Yes.”
“You ordered my divorce.”
“Yes.”
“You ordered the attacks.”
“Yes.”
“You created Genesis.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted my son.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The old man leaned forward.
“Because your son is the first child in this family born outside the system.”
Julian frowned.
“What system?”
“Sterling blood marriages.”
Elena's eyes widened.
Marianne looked away.
The old man continued.
“For generations, the family married strategically.”
Julian understood.
“Blood control.”
“Exactly.”
“Why?”
“To preserve the genetic key.”
Julian looked at Daniel.
“Key to what?”
The old man smiled.
“To ownership.”
“Ownership of what?”
“America.”
Silence.
The words sounded insane.
But the documents.
The payments.
The politicians.
The judges.
Everything suddenly connected.
The old man continued.
“Your family doesn't own companies.”
He leaned closer.
“We own systems.”
Julian stared.
“And my son?”
“He is the first Sterling heir who carries the complete sequence.”
Elena's voice hardened.
“You won't touch him.”
The old man smiled.
“Mrs. Sterling.”
She froze.
“You're not my wife.”
“No.”
He looked at Julian.
“But you will be.”
Julian's blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?”
The old man continued.
“You signed your divorce papers while Elena was pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“Therefore, under Sterling succession law, the child is illegitimate.”
Julian laughed.
“There is no such law.”
“There is now.”
A document appeared on the screen.
Julian stared.
His signature was at the bottom.
The same divorce agreement.
Buried in the final page was a clause.
ALL DESCENDANTS BORN WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF DISSOLUTION SHALL BE PLACED UNDER STERLING TRUST AUTHORITY.
Julian looked at Elena.
“You knew?”
“I didn't.”
Chloe's voice came from the corridor.
“That's because you never read the contract.”
Julian turned.
Chloe stepped into the vault.
Her wedding dress was gone.
She wore a black suit.
No pistol.
No bouquet.
Only a smile.
She looked at Daniel.
“Give me the baby.”
Elena refused.
“No.”
Chloe looked at Julian.
“Then your grandfather will activate the trust.”
Julian stared.
“What happens?”
“Your son becomes property.”
“No.”
Chloe shrugged.
“Legally.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You'll never get him.”
Chloe smiled.
“Adrian.”
She pressed a button.
The vault door began closing.
Behind her, soldiers appeared.
Julian grabbed Elena.
“Run.”
They ran toward the opposite corridor.
But the vault suddenly sealed.
Marianne laughed from inside.
“You forgot the second exit.”
Julian turned.
“What second exit?”
Marianne smiled.
“Under the chair.”
Adrian ran.
He pulled a hidden lever.
The floor opened.
Julian, Elena, and Daniel dropped into darkness.
Above them, Chloe screamed:
“STOP THEM!”
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They fell.
And landed inside a river beneath Manhattan.
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