Chapter 5 - The Father Who Never Died
Conrad Ward had been buried three years earlier.
Sebastian had stood beside the grave.
He had watched the casket lowered.
He had received condolences from senators, judges, bankers, union leaders, and men who never appeared in photographs.
Now Adrian Vale was claiming the grave was empty.
Mateo reacted first.
“We verify.”
Sebastian stared at the disconnected phone.
“How?”
“The cemetery.”
Three hours later, a discreet team obtained authorization through the Ward family estate to inspect the burial vault.
Sebastian did not go.
Neither did I.
We waited inside Crown Meridian.
The report arrived after sunset.
The casket was there.
Inside it were remains.
Male.
Approximate age matched Conrad.
But dental records did not.
Sebastian read the report once.
Then placed it on the table.
“Who?”
Mateo answered.
“Unknown.”
Sebastian turned toward the windows.
I knew better than to fill the silence.
After a minute, he spoke.
“My father taught me that fear was useful.”
I waited.
“He said love made men careless.”
He laughed quietly.
“No wonder he was so good at disappearing.”
“You loved him?”
“He was my father.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Sebastian looked at me.
“I spent half my life trying to become strong enough that he couldn’t control me.”
“And the other half?”
“Becoming him.”
I stepped closer.
“No.”
“You don’t know what I’ve done.”
“I know what you did this morning.”
He frowned.
“You saw blood on a sheet and your first concern was whether I was hurt.”
His expression shifted.
“That does not erase—”
“I didn’t say it erased anything.”
I held his gaze.
“But you get to decide what you become next.”
For once, Sebastian had no response.
Mateo entered.
“We traced Adrian’s call.”
“Where?”
“Brooklyn.”
Sebastian grabbed his jacket.
I stood too.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“You are staying here.”
“I’m not.”
“Lena.”
“You said I get choices.”
His jaw tightened.
“Do not use my own personal growth against me.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
“Then stop making it so easy.”
We drove to an abandoned printing warehouse near Red Hook.
Sebastian’s security team surrounded the block.
Inside, one light burned.
Adrian Vale sat at a table.
Alive.
Older than the photographs.
Thin.
A scar ran along one side of his face.
His left arm was bandaged.
Blood had soaked through.
Sebastian stopped ten feet away.
Neither man spoke.
Years of betrayal stood between them.
Finally Adrian said, “You look like Conrad.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
“You have ten seconds to explain why I shouldn’t hate you.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“You always were generous.”
“Adrian.”
He looked at me.
“So that’s Lena.”
Sebastian stepped slightly in front of me.
Adrian noticed.
“Interesting.”
“What happened last night?” I asked.
Adrian looked tired.
“Evelyn came to Crown Meridian.”
“Why?”
“To retrieve evidence.”
“The C-17 files?”
“Yes.”
“Why was I involved?”
“Because you already had the financial half.”
I understood.
“My case.”
“Your firm was hired deliberately.”
“By whom?”
Adrian looked at Sebastian.
“Me.”
I stared.
“You hired us?”
“Through attorneys.”
“Why?”
“Because I needed someone outside Sebastian’s organization to trace the money.”
Sebastian’s expression hardened.
“You used her.”
“I needed proof.”
“You put her in danger.”
“She was already in danger.”
“Because of you.”
“Because of Conrad.”
Sebastian stepped forward.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why say he entered my bedroom?”
“Because I saw him.”
Silence.
Adrian continued.
“I followed Evelyn upstairs. She had contacted me after years apart. She said she finally had access to the storage room.”
“What happened?”
“She entered your bedroom first.”
“Why?”
“To warn you.”
“Why not call?”
“Because every electronic channel was compromised.”
I thought of the seven-minute blackout.
Adrian continued.
“I was behind her. Then Conrad appeared.”
Sebastian went still.
“My father walked into my bedroom?”
“Yes.”
“What did he want?”
“Lena.”
My heart hammered.
“Why?”
“Because of the investigation.”
Sebastian’s voice dropped.
“What did you do?”
“Stopped him.”
I looked at Adrian’s bandage.
“The blood downstairs.”
“Mine.”
“And me walking through the hallway?”
“Evelyn was moving you.”
“Why?”
“To keep Conrad from taking you.”
My memory returned in flashes.
A woman whispering.
My bare feet.
A man arguing.
A sharp metallic sound.
“Where did we go?”
“Thirty-eight.”
“The files.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did I come back upstairs?”
Adrian looked toward Sebastian.
“Because Evelyn changed the plan.”
“How?”
“She took something from the cabinet.”
“What?”
Adrian hesitated.
Sebastian noticed.
“What did she take?”
“A ledger.”
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
Sebastian moved closer.
“You let my sister disappear for twelve years.”
Adrian stood despite his injury.
“I kept her alive.”
“You let me believe she was dead.”
“Because Conrad was watching you.”
“You let me believe you betrayed us.”
“That kept you alive too.”
Sebastian’s fist tightened.
Adrian did not step back.
“I hated you,” Sebastian said.
“I know.”
“I spent five years hunting every trace of you.”
“I know.”
“I would have killed you.”
“I know.”
Adrian’s voice broke slightly.
“But Evelyn asked me to protect you.”
That stopped Sebastian.
“She knew what your father had become. She knew if you learned the truth too early, you would confront him.”
“She was right.”
“Yes.”
Silence stretched.
Then I asked, “Where is Evelyn now?”
Adrian looked at me.
“That is the problem.”
“What?”
“She disappeared after leaving the building.”
Sebastian’s face hardened.
“With the ledger?”
“Yes.”
“Did Conrad take her?”
“I don’t know.”
Mateo entered from outside.
“We have movement.”
Sebastian turned.
“Where?”
“Crown Meridian.”
“What kind?”
“Someone accessed the private floor.”
Sebastian checked his phone.
“Who?”
Mateo showed him.
The access credential displayed one name.
CONRAD WARD.
Sebastian stared.
My stomach dropped.
“We left the building protected,” I said.
Mateo nodded.
“Apparently not enough.”
Sebastian looked at Adrian.
“You’re coming.”
Adrian grabbed his coat.
We hurried outside.
Halfway to the cars, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph loaded.
Evelyn sat in Sebastian’s library.
Alone.
On the table in front of her was a thick black ledger.
Below the image was one sentence.
COME WITHOUT ADRIAN.
I showed Sebastian.
His face changed.
May you like
Then a second message arrived.
IF HE ENTERS THE TOWER, YOUR SISTER DIES.
