Chapter 9 - The Man Arthur Trusted Most
Daniel didn’t run.
That frightened Arthur more than anything.
He simply stood beside the fireplace.
Calm.
Elena stared at him.
“You.”
Arthur looked between them.
“Daniel?”
Daniel exhaled.
“This isn’t what you think.”
Victoria laughed.
“That sentence should be printed on your tombstone.”
Arthur stepped toward Daniel.
“Did you imprison Elena?”
“No.”
Elena shouted.
“You delivered me!”
Arthur turned toward her.
Elena pointed at Daniel.
“Six years ago.”
“When I came back.”
“He arranged the meeting.”
“He told me Charles would guarantee Maya and Ethan’s safety.”
Daniel lowered his head.
Arthur stared at him.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Arthur’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“You knew Elena was alive.”
“Yes.”
“For six years?”
“Yes.”
Arthur punched him.
Daniel crashed against the wall.
Maya screamed.
Arthur stopped himself.
Daniel wiped blood from his mouth.
“I deserved that.”
Arthur shook with rage.
“You stood beside me at her funeral.”
“Yes.”
“You helped settle her estate.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me marry Victoria.”
“Yes.”
Arthur grabbed his shirt.
“WHY?”
Daniel looked him directly in the eyes.
“Because Charles owned me.”
Arthur released him.
Daniel sat down.
Twenty years earlier, Daniel’s father had borrowed money from Whitmore Holdings.
The debt became leverage.
Charles used Daniel to monitor Arthur.
At first, the assignments were small.
Documents.
Schedules.
Business information.
Then Elena discovered the fraud.
Charles ordered Daniel to watch Arthur more closely.
Daniel became trapped.
Arthur listened without speaking.
“You were never my lawyer.”
Daniel looked ashamed.
“I was.”
“No.”
Arthur shook his head.
“You were his.”
“For years, yes.”
Victoria interrupted.
“And now we get to the interesting part.”
Arthur looked at her.
Victoria pointed toward Daniel.
“Ask him who created the DNA test.”
Arthur froze.
Maya stared at her.
“What?”
Arthur turned toward Daniel.
“Is the test real?”
Daniel hesitated.
Arthur’s heart sank.
“Daniel.”
“The sample was real.”
“What does that mean?”
Daniel looked at Maya.
“Elena requested it.”
Arthur felt sick.
“But?”
Daniel swallowed.
“The result in locker 317 was altered.”
Silence.
Arthur stared at him.
“Altered how?”
Daniel looked at Ethan.
Then Maya.
“Maya is your biological daughter.”
Arthur’s breathing stopped.
“And Ethan?”
Daniel couldn’t answer.
Ethan stepped backward.
“No.”
Arthur looked at him.
Daniel whispered.
“Ethan isn’t.”
The boy ran upstairs.
Arthur started after him.
Elena stopped him.
“I’ll go.”
Arthur turned toward her.
“You knew?”
Elena nodded.
“Who is his father?”
Elena looked at Victoria.
Victoria’s face changed.
Arthur followed her gaze.
“No.”
Victoria whispered.
“Arthur…”
Arthur understood.
“No.”
Elena spoke.
“Sebastian.”
Arthur stared at her.
Victoria closed her eyes.
Maya covered her mouth.
Arthur felt as though every truth only opened another lie.
Elena continued.
“Sebastian helped me escape Charles the first time.”
“We became close.”
“It happened once.”
“Ethan was born nine months later.”
Arthur sat down.
He thought of Sebastian taking a bullet in his living room.
He thought of Ethan’s face.
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“So now you understand why Sebastian suddenly developed a conscience.”
Arthur looked at her.
“He wasn’t saving Elena.”
“He was saving his son.”
Elena shook her head.
“He was saving all of us.”
Victoria scoffed.
“You still defend him.”
Arthur stared at the floor.
Then his phone rang.
Marcus.
Arthur answered.
“What?”
Marcus sounded urgent.
“Sebastian is gone.”
Arthur stood.
“What do you mean gone?”
“He left the hospital.”
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
“Why?”
Marcus paused.
“He received a message.”
“What message?”
Marcus forwarded it.
Arthur opened the image.
A photograph of Ethan sleeping in Arthur’s house.
Taken minutes earlier.
Below it were four words.
BRING THE DRIVE.
COME ALONE.
Arthur looked upstairs.
Ethan was supposed to be there.
He ran.
The bedroom was empty.
May you like
The window was open.
Ethan had disappeared.
