Chapter 22 The Choice He Never Made
Marcus stopped.
His father's gun was pointed directly at Thomas.
Nobody spoke.
Even the countdown seemed to disappear beneath the weight of the moment.
Richard's face was unreadable.
Thomas looked at him.
“Richard.”
Richard's jaw tightened.
“Don't come any closer.”
Marcus stared at the weapon.
“Dad, put it down.”
Richard's eyes shifted toward him.
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“I can't make that mistake again.”
Thomas looked confused.
“What mistake?”
Richard laughed bitterly.
“The one I made thirty years ago.”
Emilia stepped beside Marcus.
“Richard, what is happening?”
Richard looked at her.
“Victor wants you to believe this is about the trust.”
“Isn't it?”
“No.”
He glanced toward the walls.
“This is about what happened before Bellweather.”
Marcus frowned.
“You said the trust was created to protect the displaced families.”
“It was.”
“Then why are you pointing a gun at Thomas?”
Richard's eyes filled with pain.
“Because your uncle betrayed us.”
Thomas went still.
“My brother?”
Richard nodded.
“He didn't just borrow money from Victor.”
Thomas stared at him.
“What are you talking about?”
Richard's voice became quieter.
“He gave Victor the location of the children.”
Emilia looked at Thomas.
Her father shook his head.
“No.”
Richard didn't lower the gun.
“I trusted you.”
“I never knew about the children.”
“You knew enough.”
“I knew there were people being moved. I didn't know who they were.”
Richard's expression hardened.
“You signed the transfer papers.”
Thomas's face drained of color.
“I signed financial documents.”
“You signed the transport orders.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
Fragments of old memories seemed to return.
“I thought they were company assets.”
Richard stared at him.
“That is exactly what they wanted you to believe.”
Marcus looked between them.
“Dad, what are you saying?”
Richard finally lowered the gun.
“Your uncle wasn't working alone.”
He looked at Thomas.
“He was manipulated.”
Thomas swallowed.
“By Victor.”
“Yes.”
“And you think I betrayed you?”
“I thought you did.”
Thomas's voice broke.
“I would never knowingly hurt those children.”
Richard looked away.
“I know that now.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Then why are you still holding the gun?”
Richard lowered it completely.
“Because Victor is watching.”
A small red light blinked above the doorway.
Marcus looked up.
A camera.
Richard nodded.
“He wants us fighting.”
Emilia understood.
“He wants us divided.”
“Exactly.”
Richard placed the gun on the floor.
Then he stepped away from it.
“He has spent decades making people believe they are each other's enemies.”
Thomas looked at him.
“And you believed him.”
“Yes.”
Richard's voice was heavy.
“I did.”
The countdown appeared on the wall.
03:17
Marcus looked at it.
“What's going to happen when it reaches zero?”
Richard answered.
“The underground locks will seal permanently.”
Daniel frowned.
“Then we need to move.”
Richard nodded.
“But there's something you need to know first.”
Marcus looked at him.
“What?”
Richard looked toward Emilia.
“Victor has another reason for wanting her.”
Emilia's expression tightened.
“What?”
Richard hesitated.
“The final trust isn't just property.”
He looked at the others.
“It contains control of a private foundation.”
“How much?”
“Enough to influence hundreds of businesses and thousands of families.”
Marcus understood.
“And the person named as successor can redirect all of it.”
Richard nodded.
“Which is why Victor needs Emilia.”
Emilia shook her head.
“But you said Claire was the rightful heir.”
“She is.”
Claire stepped forward.
“Then why does Victor need Emilia?”
Richard looked at her.
“Because the trust requires both signatures.”
Claire frowned.
“Both?”
“The Foster heir and the Aldridge heir.”
Marcus looked at Emilia.
“Then Victor needs both of you.”
“Yes.”
Claire stepped back.
“I don't want any of this.”
Richard's expression softened.
“Neither did I.”
She looked at him.
“Then why did you keep me hidden?”
“Because the people hunting you didn't care whether you wanted the trust.”
Claire's eyes filled.
“They only cared about what I could give them.”
Richard nodded.
“And I wanted you to have a childhood before the world demanded something from you.”
Claire's voice trembled.
“You should have told me.”
“Yes.”
He accepted the accusation without defending himself.
“I should have.”
Charlotte stepped forward.
“Where is Adrian?”
Richard looked at her.
“Victor moved him.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Charlotte's face fell.
“But I know where Victor wants us to go.”
“Where?”
“The old family residence.”
Marcus frowned.
“Why?”
“Because that's where the original trust was signed.”
Thomas looked at Richard.
“You think Victor wants us there?”
“I know he does.”
Hannah shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Victor wouldn't risk going there.”
Richard frowned.
“Why not?”
“Because someone else owns it now.”
Marcus asked,
“Who?”
Hannah looked at him.
“Adrian.”
Charlotte stared.
“My son?”
Hannah nodded.
“He inherited the property when Richard disappeared.”
Richard looked stunned.
“I never knew.”
“Victor knows.”
Charlotte suddenly understood.
“That's why he took him.”
Richard nodded.
“He needs Adrian to transfer the property.”
Marcus looked toward the exit.
“Then we get Adrian back.”
Daniel checked his watch.
“We have less than two minutes.”
Marcus turned toward his father.
“Which way?”
Richard pointed toward another passage.
“Follow me.”
They ran.
The tunnel twisted beneath the old foundations.
Water dripped from the ceiling.
The countdown continued.
01:34
01:33
Marcus kept Emilia close.
Behind them came Daniel, Claire, Thomas, Hannah, and Charlotte.
Nobody spoke.
They didn't need to.
Everyone understood what was at stake.
The passage ended at a steel door.
Richard entered a code.
The door opened.
They emerged inside an old service building near the harbor.
Marcus looked toward the road.
“There.”
A black vehicle stood outside.
Daniel moved toward it.
Richard stopped him.
“Wait.”
The vehicle's engine was running.
No driver.
Charlotte looked around.
“Where is Adrian?”
A phone rang inside the building.
Everyone froze.
Marcus answered it.
Victor's voice came through.
“You're getting closer.”
Marcus said nothing.
Victor continued.
“I have one final offer.”
“What?”
“Give me Claire.”
Everyone went still.
Claire looked at Marcus.
Victor continued.
“Leave the others behind, and I'll release Adrian.”
Marcus stared at Claire.
“No.”
Victor laughed.
“You haven't even asked what happens if you refuse.”
Marcus's voice hardened.
“I don't need to.”
Victor paused.
“You're becoming very predictable.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at Claire.
“I've finally become predictable to the right people.”
Victor's voice became colder.
“Then listen carefully.”
A sound came through the phone.
Adrian.
“Mom?”
Charlotte covered her mouth.
“Adrian!”
Victor returned to the line.
“Bring Claire to the old family residence.”
Marcus asked,
“And if we don't?”
“Then you will never see him again.”
The call ended.
Claire stood completely still.
“I'll go.”
Marcus turned.
“No.”
“I'll go.”
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“He wants you.”
Claire looked at him.
“I know.”
She took a breath.
“And I'm tired of everyone deciding what happens to me.”
Emilia stepped toward her.
“You don't have to do this.”
Claire looked at her.
“Neither do you.”
Emilia understood.
Two women who had spent their lives being moved around by other people's choices now stood facing the same decision.
Marcus looked at Emilia.
She knew what he wanted to say.
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
He stopped.
“You can't protect everyone by making yourself responsible for every decision.”
She took his hand.
“Trust me.”
Marcus looked at her for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
“I do.”
It was the first time he had said those words without qualification.
Not I trust you if.
Not I trust you because.
Simply:
“I do.”
They reached the old family residence just before dawn.
The house stood above the harbor, surrounded by dark trees and stone walls.
It had once been the center of the Bellweather estate.
Now it looked abandoned.
The front door was open.
Marcus stared at it.
Richard stood beside him.
“This is where it began.”
Marcus looked at his father.
“And where it ends?”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
He looked toward the house.
“Where it finally becomes honest.”
They entered.
The main hall was empty.
A single lamp burned at the far end.
Then a voice came from the upper floor.
“Welcome home.”
Victor appeared on the balcony.
Adrian stood beside him.
Charlotte gasped.
“Adrian!”
He looked at her.
“Mom.”
He was frightened but unharmed.
Victor smiled.
“Claire.”
She stepped forward.
“I’m here.”
Marcus caught her arm.
Victor immediately raised a hand.
“Let her go.”
Marcus released her.
Claire walked toward the staircase.
Emilia watched her.
Richard whispered,
“This is wrong.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Then stop it.”
Richard nodded.
He stepped forward.
“Victor.”
Victor looked down.
“You came back.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
Richard stared at him.
“Because I finally realized hiding the truth doesn't protect anyone.”
Victor smiled.
“Then tell them.”
Richard looked at Marcus.
Then Emilia.
Then Claire.
“I will.”
He took a breath.
“The original heir isn't Claire.”
Everyone froze.
Victor's smile disappeared.
Richard continued.
“Claire is one of the two required heirs.”
He looked at Emilia.
“The other is Emilia.”
Victor frowned.
“That isn't what the records say.”
Richard smiled sadly.
“The records were changed.”
“By whom?”
Richard looked at Evelyn.
She stood in the shadows behind Victor.
Evelyn lowered her head.
“By me.”
Victor turned toward her.
“What did you do?”
Evelyn looked at Marcus.
“I changed the names because Richard asked me to.”
Marcus stared.
His father closed his eyes.
“I couldn't protect both girls.”
Victor's voice became dangerous.
“Girls?”
Richard nodded.
“There were two children.”
He looked toward Emilia.
“And one of them was never supposed to be known as Emilia Foster.”
Emilia felt the room tilt.
“Then who am I?”
Richard looked at her.
Before he could answer, a door behind Victor opened.
An elderly man stepped into the light.
Marcus recognized him instantly.
His grandfather's former attorney.
A man everyone had believed died years ago.
The old man held a sealed document.
He looked directly at Emilia.
Then he said,
“Your name was changed the night you were born.”
He lifted the document.
“And I am the only person alive who can prove why.”