Chapter 1 - The Voice of a Dead Man
Roman did not answer immediately.
For eleven years, he had trained himself not to react when Vincent’s name was spoken.
He had stood beside a grave while rain soaked through his black suit.
He had watched a coffin disappear beneath six feet of earth.
He had placed one hand on their mother’s shoulder while she collapsed against him.
Now the dead man was breathing into his phone.
“Vincent.”
Sophia stared at Roman.
The voice on the speaker gave a quiet laugh.
“You still sound angry when you’re afraid.”
Roman crossed the apartment and pulled the curtains closed.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere Silas can’t easily find me.”
The name struck Roman harder than the voice had.
Silas Callaway was their father’s younger brother.
He had been the family attorney before becoming chairman of the Callaway Foundation.
For eleven years, Silas had been one of Roman’s most trusted advisers.
Roman looked at Gabriel.
“Why does Silas want the baby?”
Silence came through the phone.
Then Vincent spoke.
“Because Gabriel changes who owns everything.”
Sophia shook her head.
“I don’t own anything.”
Vincent heard her.
“No, Sophia.”
“Your son does.”
Roman’s expression hardened.
“What are you talking about?”
“Father changed the Callaway family trust three months before I supposedly died.”
Roman felt the room shrink around him.
Their father, Dominic Callaway, had died four years after Vincent’s funeral.
Roman had inherited operating control of the family companies.
Silas had retained control over several old trusts and charitable entities.
At the time, Roman had never questioned it.
Vincent continued.
“The trust divides control between Father’s surviving bloodlines.”
“If one son dies without descendants, his share passes to the other.”
Roman understood before Sophia did.
For eleven years, everyone had believed Roman was Dominic Callaway’s only surviving son.
That meant Roman controlled his own inheritance and temporarily exercised voting authority over Vincent’s dormant share.
But if Vincent had a living biological child, the situation changed.
Gabriel made Vincent’s bloodline legally alive.
Roman looked toward the bassinet.
“How much?”
“Thirty-eight percent of Callaway Consolidated.”
Sophia’s face drained of color.
Roman almost laughed from disbelief.
Callaway Consolidated controlled real estate, shipping interests, private lending, hotels, and energy assets worth billions.
A six-day-old baby sleeping beneath a white cotton blanket had just become one of the wealthiest children in America.
Sophia backed away.
“No.”
Roman turned toward her.
She shook her head faster.
“I don’t want it.”
“I don’t want any of it.”
“I only want my baby safe.”
Vincent’s voice softened.
“That’s why you have to listen to Roman.”
Sophia’s eyes flashed.
“You disappeared.”
The accusation silenced the room.
“You told me your name was Daniel.”
“You told me you had no family.”
“You disappeared before I could tell you I was pregnant.”
Vincent exhaled slowly.
“I know.”
“You know?”
Sophia’s voice cracked.
“You knew?”
Roman stepped closer to the phone.
“That is enough.”
“No.”
Sophia looked directly at Roman.
“He gets to answer.”
Vincent did.
“I found out three weeks after I left.”
Sophia covered her mouth.
“And you stayed gone?”
“I thought staying gone was the only reason you were still alive.”
Before Sophia could respond, Roman heard something through the phone.
A faint metallic sound.
A door opening.
Then Vincent said one sentence.
“Roman, get them out of the building.”
Roman moved instantly.
“Davis.”
The security guard appeared at the apartment entrance.
“Underground garage.”
“Armored vehicle.”
“Now.”
Sophia lifted Gabriel from the bassinet.
“What happened?”
Roman reached beneath his jacket and checked the hallway.
“Someone found Vincent.”
The phone remained connected.
Roman heard footsteps on Vincent’s end.
Then another voice.
Cold.
Male.
Close to Vincent.
“We found you.”
A crash followed.
Sophia flinched.
Roman shouted into the phone.
“Vincent.”
There was no answer.
Only breathing.
Then Silas Callaway’s unmistakable voice came through the speaker.
“Roman.”
Roman stopped moving.
Silas sounded almost disappointed.
“You should have left the past buried.”
The call ended.
May you like
Three seconds later, every light in the ninth-floor apartment went dark.
And somewhere below them, the fire alarm began to scream.
