Chapter 10 - The Third ChildThey ran.
Adrian carried Owen.
Ethan pushed his mother into the hidden room.
Daniel appeared from the corridor.
“Get down!”
Another shot tore through the wall.
Adrian dropped behind the staircase.
“Who is shooting?”
Daniel looked grim.
“Your father's people.”
“How many?”
“Too many.”
Ethan took a weapon from the guard who had entered behind Daniel.
“My sister.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Clara.”
“Why was she hidden?”
Ethan shook his head.
“She wasn't hidden.”
“What?”
“She was erased.”
Their mother cried.
“Stop.”
Ethan stared at her.
“She deserves the truth.”
Adrian's head was spinning.
“My mother had three children?”
“Four.”
Silence.
Adrian stared.
“What?”
Ethan looked directly at him.
“There was another.”
“Who?”
Ethan didn't answer.
A woman stepped from the darkness.
Red gloves.
Black coat.
Long silver hair.
Adrian raised his weapon.
She smiled.
“Put it down, Adrian.”
“Who are you?”
The woman removed her gloves.
“My name is Clara.”
Adrian stared.
She looked at Ethan.
“Hello, brother.”
Ethan's jaw clenched.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
Clara smiled.
“So was everyone else.”
Adrian lowered his weapon slightly.
“Where is my father?”
Clara's smile disappeared.
“He's dying.”
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“He has six months left.”
Ethan looked at her sharply.
“You said he'd already been arrested.”
“I lied.”
Clara's gaze moved to Owen.
“The baby is the key.”
Adrian held Owen closer.
“To what?”
“The end.”
She took a folder from her coat.
Inside were legal documents.
One was titled:
FINAL VALE SUCCESSION AGREEMENT.
Another:
BIOLOGICAL HEIR RECOGNITION.
Another:
TRUST ACTIVATION CONDITIONS.
Clara explained.
If Owen were legally recognized as the descendant of the original founder, the old trust would activate.
But only if every surviving family member signed.
The problem was that several members of the family had been declared dead.
Including Ethan.
Including Clara.
Including Adrian's father.
The entire succession was built on false deaths.
Adrian looked at the documents.
“Why?”
Clara answered:
“Because your father wanted to control the trust forever.”
“And Julian?”
“He tried to expose him.”
“Did he die because of that?”
Clara looked away.
“Yes.”
Adrian's grip tightened around Owen.
“Who killed him?”
Clara didn't respond.
Ethan stepped forward.
“Tell him.”
Clara finally whispered:
“I did.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“You killed Julian?”
“I had to.”
“No.”
“He knew too much.”
“You murdered my brother.”
“He was going to release the records.”
“And?”
“Thousands of employees would have lost everything.”
Adrian stared at her.
“You expect me to believe that was about them?”
“No.”
Clara's voice cracked.
“It was about Owen.”
Adrian froze.
“What did Julian know about Owen?”
Clara looked at the baby.
“He knew the child was a decoy.”
Adrian's blood ran cold.
“What?”
“Owen was never the missing heir.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“Then who is?”
Clara looked at Maisie.
The little girl stood silently beside Adrian.
Clara smiled.
Adrian's heart stopped.
“No.”
Maisie looked confused.
Clara pointed toward her.
“She is.”
Adrian shook his head.
“She's four.”
“And?”
“She is the heir?”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at Maisie.
The toy stethoscope.
The hidden rooms.
The strange things she knew.
Clara continued:
“Your mother gave birth to a girl after the boys.”
Adrian felt sick.
“Maisie isn't my mother's child.”
Clara smiled.
“She isn't.”
Adrian looked at Natalie.
Then at Ethan.
“No…”
May you like
Clara whispered:
“She is Julian's daughter.”
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