Chapter 6 - What Caleb Was Really Running From
Dominic pulled Harper behind the stone fireplace.
"Stay down."
"I am so tired of people telling me to stay down."
Another impact hit the front door.
Dominic looked at her.
"Complain later."
Despite everything, Harper almost laughed.
Marco shouted from the hallway.
"Boss! Three vehicles. Victor's men."
"Claire?"
"Outside with Caleb."
Harper's heart pounded.
"Is she hurt?"
"Doesn't look like it."
Daniel crouched beside them.
"There's a storm cellar under the kitchen."
Harper stared.
"How do you know?"
"I built it."
Dominic gave him a dark look.
"Useful time to mention it."
They moved through the kitchen while Dominic's men held the entrance.
Harper refused to leave without the ledger.
She shoved it inside a canvas bag.
Before they reached the cellar, a voice came through a loudspeaker outside.
"Harper Foster."
Victor.
Dominic stopped.
Victor continued.
"Nobody has to die tonight."
Harper whispered, "That's usually what people say before somebody dies."
Dominic looked almost approving.
Victor continued.
"Bring me the ledger. Your mother walks inside."
Claire shouted from outside.
"Don't!"
Harper moved toward the window.
Dominic blocked her.
"I need to see her."
He let her look from the side.
Claire stood near Victor's SUV.
Caleb beside her.
Neither appeared restrained.
Harper frowned.
"Why isn't Caleb tied up?"
Daniel looked.
His expression darkened.
"Because he brought her willingly."
Harper's stomach sank.
No.
Caleb looked toward the cabin.
Even from the distance, Harper could see his face.
Ashamed.
Again.
Always ashamed after the damage.
"Harper!" he shouted. "Listen to me!"
She opened the window slightly.
"Why is my mother with Victor?"
"I was trying to get her away."
"You're standing beside him!"
"Because everything changed!"
"You keep saying that!"
Caleb ran both hands through his hair.
"Madison stole the ledger."
"From my mother."
"Yes."
"And you knew."
"Eventually."
"Where is Madison?"
Caleb looked toward Victor.
Victor said nothing.
Harper understood.
"He has her."
Caleb nodded.
Harper gripped the window frame.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes."
"You swear?"
"Yes."
Harper looked at her mother.
"Mom?"
Claire nodded.
"She's alive."
Dominic whispered, "They're using Madison as leverage against Caleb and Claire against you."
Harper looked at him.
"And what are they using against you?"
His gaze moved toward the ledger.
"My father's name."
Victor shouted again.
"Midnight is approaching."
Harper checked the time.
11:42.
Eighteen minutes.
She looked at Daniel.
"Tell me who my biological father is."
"Not now."
She laughed.
"Actually, now seems ideal."
"Harper."
"The tape says Victor can use Dominic and me against both of you. Why?"
Daniel's silence confirmed something enormous.
Dominic looked between them.
"Tell her."
Daniel stared at him.
"You won't like the answer."
"I rarely do."
Daniel looked at Harper.
"Gabriel Vale."
Nobody moved.
Harper heard the words.
But they did not become meaning.
Then they did.
Dominic went utterly still.
"No."
Daniel continued softly.
"Gabriel was your father, Harper."
Harper looked at Dominic.
Dominic looked at her.
Her brain tried desperately to calculate.
Same father?
No.
Impossible.
"Then Dominic..."
Daniel shook his head quickly.
"No. Gabriel raised Dominic. He wasn't Dominic's biological father."
Dominic's face changed.
"What?"
Daniel sat against the wall.
"Your biological father was Gabriel's younger brother, Matteo."
Dominic stared.
"My uncle."
"Yes."
Harper pressed a hand to her forehead.
"So we're..."
"Not siblings."
"Related?"
"Second cousins by blood, technically through the Vale family line, but not siblings."
Dominic looked furious.
"How long have you known?"
"Since before Harper was born."
"Who else?"
"Victor."
There it was.
The leverage.
Harper looked at Daniel.
"My mother?"
"Claire believed I was your biological father."
Harper felt sick.
"So my entire family history is a lie."
"Not intentionally."
"Please stop trying to improve this."
Outside, Victor called, "Ten minutes!"
It wasn't ten.
He was creating pressure.
Dominic turned toward Harper.
"We don't give him the ledger."
"My mother is out there."
"We give him something else."
"What?"
Dominic took the ledger.
He opened several pages.
"Photos."
Daniel understood.
"Copies."
Dominic nodded.
"Enough to make him think we have leverage stored elsewhere."
Harper looked at him.
"Can that get Mom inside?"
"It can get Victor closer."
"Why do we want him closer?"
Dominic met her eyes.
"Because his cars are armored."
Harper understood.
"If he's inside..."
"His advantage changes."
Daniel smiled faintly.
"Gabriel would have liked you."
Dominic's face went cold.
"Don't."
They photographed selected ledger pages.
Marco prepared a small envelope.
Harper stepped outside.
Dominic immediately objected.
"No."
"It has to be me."
"Why?"
"He wants me."
"Exactly."
"Dominic, he won't believe anyone else."
His jaw tightened.
Harper stepped closer.
"I'm not asking permission."
He looked down at her.
For one second, neither spoke.
Then Dominic removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"What is this?"
"You're freezing."
Only then did she realize she was.
He leaned closer.
"When you reach the porch, stop."
"Okay."
"If he tells you to come farther, don't."
"Okay."
"If something feels wrong—"
"I run."
"No."
She looked up.
His voice softened.
"You drop."
Harper swallowed.
"Right."
She walked outside.
Cold air hit her.
Victor stood twenty yards away.
Caleb watched her.
Claire looked terrified.
"Harper!"
"I'm okay, Mom."
Victor held out a hand.
"The ledger."
Harper held up the envelope.
"Proof first."
Victor smiled.
"You learned quickly."
"I've had a difficult evening."
"Come closer."
"No."
His smile vanished.
Harper continued.
"You get these pages. My mother walks to me."
"You aren't negotiating."
"Then we're done."
She turned.
"Wait."
Harper stopped.
Victor nodded toward Claire.
"Go."
Claire ran.
Harper's knees nearly weakened with relief.
Her mother reached the porch.
Dominic pulled her inside.
Victor extended his hand.
"Now."
Harper tossed the envelope halfway across the yard.
It landed in snow-damp grass.
Victor's man retrieved it.
Victor studied the pages.
His face changed.
Real fear.
Harper noticed.
Good.
Dominic came out behind her.
Victor looked toward him.
"Your father should have burned this."
Dominic's voice was cold.
"Which father?"
Victor actually laughed.
"So Daniel told you."
"Enough."
"Did he tell you Gabriel built everything you inherited?"
Dominic said nothing.
"Did he tell Harper why Gabriel chose her mother?"
Harper felt Dominic stiffen.
"What does that mean?"
Victor smiled toward her.
"Ask Claire."
From inside, Harper's mother shouted, "He's lying!"
Victor continued.
"Gabriel didn't meet Claire accidentally."
Daniel moved onto the porch.
"Enough, Victor."
Victor's smile widened.
"There he is."
Harper looked between them.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Daniel's face hardened.
"Victor wants confusion."
"No. Victor wants the ledger."
She turned toward Victor.
"Where is Madison?"
Victor gestured toward the rear vehicle.
A door opened.
Madison stepped out.
Her hands were bound.
Alive.
Harper's chest tightened.
Madison looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
Harper whispered, "I know."
Caleb suddenly moved.
He grabbed the nearest guard.
Everything exploded.
Dominic pulled Harper down.
Marco fired toward a tire.
Victor's men scattered.
Madison dropped.
Claire screamed from the house.
Harper crawled toward Madison.
"Harper!" Dominic shouted.
Too late.
Harper reached her.
She cut Madison's wrists against a broken metal edge on the porch.
Caleb tackled another man.
Victor ran toward his SUV.
Daniel followed.
Dominic moved between Harper and the chaos.
Then Victor stopped.
He held a gun toward Daniel.
"Nobody moves."
Everyone froze.
Victor smiled.
"Finally."
Harper looked at Daniel.
Daniel looked strangely calm.
Victor continued.
"You want truth? Ask him why Gabriel Vale died."
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
Daniel said, "Victor."
"Tell them."
"Not like this."
Victor laughed.
"Daniel Foster killed him."
Dominic's face emptied.
Harper stared at Daniel.
Victor pulled the trigger.
The weapon clicked.
Empty.
Daniel moved.
Marco tackled Victor.
Within seconds, it was over.
No cinematic final shot.
No dramatic execution.
Just shouting, handcuffs, blood from a split lip, and men breathing hard in the cold.
Harper helped Madison stand.
Caleb approached.
"Harper."
She looked at him.
He was bleeding from his eyebrow.
"I'm sorry."
"For which part?"
"All of it."
She stared.
"I did love you."
Harper's eyes burned.
"That's what makes it worse."
Caleb looked down.
"I was assigned to you."
"I know."
"But I stayed because—"
"No."
He looked up.
"You don't get to make betrayal romantic."
Caleb flinched.
Harper continued.
"You had four years to tell me the truth."
"I was scared."
"So was I."
She turned away.
Dominic was watching.
His expression was unreadable.
Police sirens approached in the distance.
Actual police this time—Dominic had contacted an outside federal unit Daniel trusted.
Harper walked toward him.
"What happens now?"
"Victor talks."
"And the ledger?"
"Your decision."
She looked at him.
"And you?"
Dominic's eyes flickered.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Whether you want me anywhere near the rest of your life after tonight."
Harper's chest tightened.
Before she could answer, Daniel's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
"What?"
Daniel answered slowly.
Nobody spoke.
Then he lowered the phone.
"That wasn't Victor's operation."
Dominic frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"The thirty million."
Daniel looked at Harper.
"Victor didn't order the transfer."
"Then who did?"
Daniel turned toward the cabin.
A figure stood inside the broken doorway.
Claire.
Harper's mother held the original black ledger against her chest.
Daniel whispered, "Claire?"
She opened it to the final page.
There, beneath Gabriel Vale's signature, was a second name.
May you like
Claire Foster.
And beside it was today's date.
