Chapter 10 - The Name on the Paper
The name was Noah Bell.
Ava stared at it.
“No.”
Julian took the paper.
His expression hardened.
“Noah?”
Lily nodded.
“Victoria said he knew everything.”
Julian refused to believe it.
Noah had worked beside him for twelve years.
He knew his schedule.
His family.
His secrets.
His father's files.
He had helped expose Richard.
But when Julian called him, Noah didn't answer.
His office was empty.
His computer was gone.
Security footage showed Noah leaving Crosswell thirty minutes earlier.
Ava looked at Julian.
“He knew about Richard.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about the archive.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about my mother.”
Julian said nothing.
They tracked Noah to a warehouse near the river.
Inside, they found boxes of records.
Noah was there.
But he wasn't alone.
Marcus Vale stood beside him.
Ava stared.
“You lied to us.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Noah did.”
Noah looked at Julian.
“I never wanted you involved.”
Julian stepped forward.
“Why?”
Noah looked at Ava.
“Because your mother asked me to protect you.”
Ava froze.
“My mother?”
“Elena knew she was dying.”
Noah pulled out an old letter.
“She gave this to me.”
Ava opened it.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
My daughter must never know what happened to her sister.
Ava looked up.
“Why?”
Noah swallowed.
“Because Victoria was planning to sell Lily to Richard.”
Lily covered her mouth.
Noah continued.
“Elena believed Richard would use Lily as leverage.”
Julian stared.
“So Noah helped hide her.”
“Yes.”
“And my mother?”
Noah shook his head.
“She survived the fire.”
Ava's knees weakened.
“What?”
“She survived for three days.”
Noah's voice broke.
“She asked me to keep her children safe.”
Julian looked at him.
“Then who killed her?”
Noah looked toward Marcus.
Marcus answered.
“Your father.”
Julian froze.
“No.”
“He didn't start the fire,” Marcus said.
“But he ended her life.”
Ava stared.
“How?”
Marcus lowered his head.
“Because Elena knew Julian's father had been involved in the original fraud.”
Julian's face became pale.
“He silenced her.”
Noah nodded.
“And spent the rest of his life trying to protect her children.”
Ava looked at the letter.
Then she noticed something.
There was a second page.
She unfolded it.
Her mother's final words were written beneath the fold.
If Julian ever finds Ava, tell him the truth about his birth.
Julian stared.
“My birth?”
Noah looked away.
Ava read the next line.
He was not Julian Cross.
The room went silent.
Julian took the page.
His hands trembled.
“What does this mean?”
Noah closed his eyes.
May you like
Then he whispered:
“Your father wasn't your biological father.”
