CHAPTER 5 — THE MAN I CALLED UNCLE
For twelve years, I had believed my father died of a heart attack.
For thirty years, I had believed he was my biological father.
For my entire life, I had believed my mother was the person who would never betray me.
Now, in less than an hour, every one of those beliefs had collapsed.
I stared at Teresa.
“Say that again.”
She couldn't look at me.
“Connor…”
“Say it.”
Her lips trembled.
“Victor Hale is your biological father.”
I laughed.
A short, empty laugh.
“No.”
“I didn't want you to know.”
“You're lying.”
“I swear I'm not.”
“You just told me my father died because of those people.”
“He did.”
“You told me Victor wasn't my enemy.”
“He isn't.”
“Then why is he threatening my family?”
“He isn't the one threatening you.”
I stopped.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“Victor has been trying to protect you.”
I shook my head.
“This is insane.”
Mason stepped forward.
“I think she's telling the truth.”
I turned on him.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know?”
“Because Victor told me something three months ago.”
“What?”
Mason swallowed.
“He said your father wasn't dead.”
My entire body went numb.
“What did you say?”
Mason looked toward Teresa.
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered,
“Your father is alive.”
The room disappeared.
I couldn't hear anything.
My father.
Alive.
Impossible.
I had stood beside his coffin.
I had watched the casket disappear beneath the ground.
I had seen the death certificate.
I had watched my mother collapse.
I had spent years grieving him.
And now she was telling me he was alive.
“No.”
My mother nodded.
“Yes.”
I stepped backward.
“Then whose funeral did I attend?”
She didn't answer.
“Mom!”
“A body was identified as your father.”
“Was it him?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
I stared at her.
“Who was it?”
“I don't know.”
The police officers exchanged uneasy looks.
One of them stepped closer.
“Mrs. Bradley, you need to explain everything.”
She looked exhausted.
“I will.”
She sat down.
Then she began speaking.
“Twelve years ago, your father discovered the group was laundering money through shell companies.”
“Bradley Property Holdings.”
“Yes.”
“He wanted to expose them.”
“Yes.”
“Victor helped him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did my father disappear?”
“Because Jonathan Cross found out.”
My mother's voice became quieter.
“Jonathan wasn't just an investor. He controlled the entire network.”
“And Victor?”
“Victor was one of his closest partners.”
“Then why would Victor help Dad?”
“Because Victor discovered what Jonathan was really doing.”
“What?”
“Human trafficking.”
I froze.
My mother continued.
“People were being recruited through fake employment agencies. Their identities were stolen. Their bank accounts were used. Some disappeared.”
My stomach turned.
“And my father found out.”
“Yes.”
“Then Victor helped him escape.”
She nodded.
“They created a fake death.”
My hands curled into fists.
“But why?”
“Because Jonathan was watching everyone.”
“So Dad went into hiding.”
“Yes.”
“And Victor?”
“He stayed behind.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
“Someone had to keep Jonathan convinced that your father was dead.”
I suddenly remembered the photograph.
My father.
Victor.
Jonathan.
All standing together.
Maybe they hadn't been friends.
Maybe they had been pretending.
“Why did you lie to me?”
My mother looked down.
“Because Jonathan threatened you.”
I said nothing.
“He told me if I ever revealed the truth, you would die.”
“So you raised me believing the wrong man was my father.”
“Yes.”
“You stole my inheritance.”
“I protected it.”
“You used my money.”
“I moved it so Jonathan couldn't find it.”
“You created a company in my name.”
“To hide the trust.”
“You forced Amy to serve twenty relatives.”
My mother's face collapsed.
“That…”
Her voice broke.
“That was my biggest mistake.”
“No.”
I stepped toward her.
“Your biggest mistake was thinking you had the right to control my life.”
She nodded.
“You're right.”
I turned away.
My mind was spinning.
Then I remembered the message.
ASK YOUR MOTHER WHY YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS A LIE.
I pulled out my phone.
“Where is my original birth certificate?”
My mother looked at me.
“I don't know.”
“That's convenient.”
“I swear.”
“Then why did that message say it's fake?”
She shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Mason suddenly spoke.
“I might.”
I turned.
He reached into his jacket.
“I found something else in the folder.”
He pulled out a small envelope.
It had been sealed.
My name was written across it.
I took it.
Inside was a photocopy of a birth certificate.
My eyes moved across the page.
The father's name:
Daniel Bradley.
The mother's name:
Teresa Bradley.
Everything looked normal.
Then I noticed the date.
It was three months after the date my mother claimed I was born.
I looked at her.
“This is impossible.”
She didn't answer.
I opened another document.
A hospital record.
Different date.
Different hospital.
Different mother.
My heart pounded.
“What's this?”
My mother began crying.
“That is the truth.”
“Whose name is on it?”
I looked down.
The mother was listed as:
Evelyn Hale.
My eyes widened.
“Hale?”
My mother nodded.
“Victor's wife.”
I stared at her.
“His wife?”
She whispered,
“She died shortly after you were born.”
I couldn't speak.
My mother continued.
“Victor and Evelyn had a son.”
My fingers went numb.
“What son?”
She looked at me.
“You.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You were born Connor Hale.”
“No.”
“I changed your name.”
“Why?”
“To keep Jonathan from finding you.”
I stepped backward.
My entire identity had been constructed.
Connor Bradley.
My father's name.
My mother's name.
My childhood.
All of it.
A lie built to keep me alive.
Then I saw something on the hospital record.
A handwritten note.
INFANT TRANSFERRED TO BRADLEY FAMILY.
I looked at my mother.
“You took me.”
“I saved you.”
“You stole me from my father.”
“He thought you were safer with me.”
“Does Victor know?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then why hasn't he come for me?”
She looked away.
“Because he promised your father he would stay hidden.”
“Until when?”
“Until Jonathan was gone.”
I looked toward the broken window.
“So why is Victor contacting Mason now?”
My mother didn't answer.
Then her phone rang.
Everyone froze.
She looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
I reached for it.
She pulled it away.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because if it's Victor…”
She stopped.
I took the phone.
Answered.
For several seconds, there was only static.
Then a man's voice came through.
Deep.
Calm.
Familiar in a way I couldn't explain.
“Connor.”
I froze.
“Who is this?”
Silence.
Then:
“You've grown into your father's face.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Victor?”
“Yes.”
I couldn't speak.
“You found the safe.”
“Yes.”
“You found the truth.”
“Yes.”
“Then listen carefully.”
His voice suddenly became urgent.
“Your mother is telling you only half the story.”
I looked at Teresa.
She went pale.
“What does that mean?”
Victor whispered:
“Daniel Bradley did not disappear twelve years ago.”
I gripped the phone.
“He disappeared three days ago.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“He was captured.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Captured by who?”
Victor's voice dropped.
“Jonathan Cross.”
I looked at my mother.
She covered her mouth.
Victor continued.
“Your father is alive.”
Then the line went dead.
I stood frozen.
My father was alive.
And somewhere in Nashville, the man who had been dead for twelve years was being held by the same person threatening my family.
Then my phone received one final message.
A location.
A warehouse address.
And beneath it:
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT TO MEET YOUR FATHER.
I stared at the screen.
Amy grabbed my arm.
“Connor, don't go.”
I looked at her.
Then at Frederick.
Then at my mother.
For the first time, I realized the enemy had finally stopped hiding.
And they weren't asking me to choose between money and family.
May you like
They were forcing me to choose between saving my father...
and keeping my wife and son alive.
