Chapter 9 - DANIEL WAS NEVER MY ATTORNEYMen rushed into the church.
Claire pushed me toward a side door.
“Go!”
I ran.
Noah cried against my chest.
Gunshots echoed behind me.
I kept running until I reached the car.
I placed Noah in the back seat and drove.
I didn't stop.
Not until the city lights disappeared.
I pulled into an abandoned gas station.
Noah finally stopped crying.
I stared at him through the rearview mirror.
My son.
Not biologically mine.
But mine in every way that mattered.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
“Where are you?”
“Far away from you.”
“Listen to me.”
“No.”
“Ethan, Victor will kill Claire.”
“He already tried.”
“I can still help you.”
“You betrayed me.”
Daniel was silent.
Then he whispered,
“I've been protecting you since you were twelve.”
“What?”
“Your father ordered me to control the damage after your mother died.”
My heart stopped.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“You knew he killed her.”
“Yes.”
I gripped the steering wheel.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you were twelve.”
“You've had twenty years.”
“I tried.”
“No. You lied.”
“I lied because every time I tried to expose him, someone died.”
I looked at Noah.
“Who else is involved?”
Daniel exhaled.
“Three families.”
“Which ones?”
“Carter. Brooks. Cole.”
Vanessa's family.
I felt sick.
“So Vanessa knew.”
“Yes.”
“And she was sent to seduce me.”
“Yes.”
“Did she ever love me?”
Silence.
Finally:
“I think she did.”
I closed my eyes.
Daniel continued.
“Claire found evidence that Victor was planning to transfer Noah's trust offshore.”
“Why?”
“Because the trust contains billions.”
My eyes opened.
“Billions?”
“Your grandfather created it.”
“For Noah?”
“For every generation.”
I stared at the road.
“And my father?”
“He wanted control.”
“Why did he need me?”
“Because you're the legal heir.”
I understood.
Victor couldn't access Noah's inheritance directly.
But he could if I signed it away.
The affair.
The manipulated documents.
The lies.
Everything had one purpose.
Make me vulnerable.
Then make me sign.
I looked at Noah.
Then I heard a noise.
A car door closing outside.
Someone had followed me.
I reached for my weapon.
A figure approached.
Claire.
Alive.
She opened the passenger door.
“Drive.”
I stared.
“What happened?”
“I escaped.”
“Where are the men?”
“Behind me.”
She climbed in.
I slammed the accelerator.
After several seconds, Claire whispered,
“Ethan…”
“What?”
“There’s something I never told you about Noah.”
I looked at her.
May you like
Her face was pale.
“Noah has a brother.”
