Chapter 14 - The Girl Who Never Existed
Vanessa stopped crying.
That frightened Richard more than the tears.
Her face became empty.
Adrian stared at her with sorrow.
“I’m sorry.”
Vanessa whispered.
“No.”
Alexander stood behind him.
Smiling.
“You told me he was dead.”
Vanessa looked at Alexander.
“You told me the Sterlings killed him.”
Alexander shrugged.
“They tried.”
Adrian turned.
“No.”
His voice was weak but clear.
“Conrad tried to save me.”
Vanessa stared.
Alexander’s smile faded slightly.
Adrian continued.
“My father ordered Victor to take me.”
Vanessa looked between them.
“My father.”
She said it as though the words did not fit.
Adrian’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Vanessa began shaking her head.
“No.”
Alexander stepped closer.
“You wanted truth.”
“Here it is.”
“You are not Catherine.”
“You are not Adrian’s daughter.”
“You are Rebecca Shaw.”
“Your mother died in a motel.”
“Your father never claimed you.”
“I gave you a family.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You gave me a lie.”
“I gave you purpose.”
“You made me hate Richard.”
“You did that very well on your own.”
Richard saw Vanessa flinch.
Alexander continued.
“You poisoned him.”
“You humiliated him.”
“You destroyed his trust.”
“You hid his child.”
“Do not pretend I moved your hands.”
Vanessa’s eyes shifted toward Richard.
He did not rescue her from the truth.
Alexander was cruel.
But those choices were hers.
Vanessa whispered.
“I thought you would kill Ethan.”
“I would have.”
Richard’s fists tightened.
Alexander smiled at him.
“Still might.”
Richard held up the decoy key.
“Then you get nothing.”
Alexander’s eyes went to his hand.
“Good.”
He stepped away from Vanessa.
“Give it to me.”
“Release them first.”
Alexander laughed.
“No.”
“Then no key.”
“You came alone.”
Richard said.
“Did I?”
Alexander looked around.
No police visible.
But he knew better.
“You brought Ortiz.”
Richard did not answer.
Alexander nodded toward the roof.
“My people are watching the perimeter.”
“If police move, Vanessa dies.”
Richard looked at Adrian.
“And him?”
Alexander shrugged.
“He has been dying for fourteen years.”
Vanessa made a sound of pain.
Adrian looked at her.
“Don’t.”
She turned toward him.
“What?”
“Don’t let him use me.”
She stared.
“You don’t even know me.”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“I know what he did to you.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled again.
“He made you wear my daughter’s life.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize to me for.”
Alexander’s expression hardened.
Adrian continued.
“What happened to Catherine was not your fault.”
Vanessa whispered.
“I stole her name.”
“You were a child.”
Richard watched Vanessa absorb the first kindness connected to Catherine Vale she had probably ever received.
Alexander saw it too.
He slapped Adrian across the back of the chair.
“Enough.”
Richard stepped forward.
“Touch him again and the key goes into the river.”
Alexander stopped.
Richard held the microchip between two fingers.
It was not real.
Alexander did not know.
“Untie Vanessa.”
“One hand.”
Alexander motioned.
A guard cut Vanessa’s right wrist free.
Richard said.
“Both.”
Alexander shook his head.
“You are not negotiating from strength.”
Richard smiled faintly.
“I have the only thing you want.”
Alexander stared.
Then signaled again.
The second restraint was cut.
Vanessa stood slowly.
Alexander held a gun toward Adrian.
“Walk to Richard.”
Vanessa took one step.
Then stopped.
She looked at Adrian.
“I can’t leave him.”
Alexander smiled.
“You see?”
He looked at Richard.
“I trained her well.”
Vanessa’s face hardened.
Richard said.
“Vanessa.”
She looked at him.
“Walk.”
“I can’t.”
“Ethan needs you alive.”
Her expression collapsed.
Richard continued.
“You want to repair anything you did?”
She nodded faintly.
“Then start by staying alive long enough to face it.”
Vanessa looked toward Adrian.
He nodded.
“Go.”
She walked toward Richard.
Halfway across the warehouse, Alexander lifted his gun.
“Stop.”
Vanessa froze.
“Richard.”
“Key.”
Richard extended it.
Alexander sent a guard forward.
The guard took it.
Returned.
Alexander inserted it into a portable encrypted device.
The screen processed.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Elena had promised maybe thirty.
Richard watched Vanessa.
She watched him.
The device beeped.
INVALID KEY.
Alexander slowly looked up.
Richard moved first.
He grabbed Vanessa and pulled her behind a steel column.
Gunfire erupted.
Police crashed through side entrances.
Alexander shot toward Adrian.
Adrian threw himself sideways.
The chair toppled.
Richard heard Vanessa scream.
Officers returned fire.
Alexander disappeared through a rear door.
The guard beside him fell.
Richard crawled toward Adrian.
Vanessa followed.
Adrian lay beside the overturned chair.
Alive.
Richard cut his restraints.
“You okay?”
Adrian nodded weakly.
Vanessa knelt.
“Adrian.”
He looked at her.
She did not know what to call him.
Father was false.
Stranger was cruel.
He reached for her hand.
“Rebecca.”
Vanessa flinched at the name.
Adrian said it gently.
“You need your own name.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t know who that is.”
“You can find out.”
Richard looked toward the rear exit.
Ortiz ran past.
“Alexander is heading for the river!”
Richard stood.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her.
“He will go to Ethan.”
Richard froze.
“What?”
Vanessa stood.
“The key was not the real objective.”
“Yes, it was.”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Alexander has billions.”
“He doesn’t need more.”
Richard frowned.
“Why chase the key?”
“Because the accounts contain names.”
“What names?”
“People he controls.”
Politicians.
Judges.
Executives.
Alexander’s network.
Vanessa continued.
“But the key is only a backup.”
“He already has another way to access the accounts.”
“Then why all this?”
Vanessa looked terrified.
“Because Conrad added a kill switch.”
Richard stared.
“What kind?”
“If the key is inserted into the master server and authenticated by a Sterling biometric signature, every account becomes public.”
Richard understood.
Alexander feared exposure.
“Whose biometric?”
“Conrad designed it for his heir.”
Richard looked down at his hand.
“Me.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.”
Richard frowned.
“Then who?”
Vanessa looked toward the warehouse doors.
“Conrad changed it after Ethan was born.”
Richard stared.
“He used Ethan’s genetic profile.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“He couldn’t know Ethan’s profile before—”
Vanessa interrupted.
“Alexander gave him access to the clinic records.”
Richard’s face changed.
“Conrad was dead before Ethan was born.”
Vanessa realized.
Another lie.
Adrian spoke from the floor.
“Conrad wasn’t.”
Richard turned.
Adrian struggled upright.
“Your father did not die nine years ago.”
Richard felt the world shift again.
“No.”
Adrian looked at him.
“I saw him three years ago.”
Richard stared.
Vanessa whispered.
“Richard.”
He did not hear her.
“My father died in my arms.”
Adrian shook his head.
“You watched a man die.”
“Not Conrad Sterling.”
Richard backed away.
The hospital.
The stroke.
The oxygen mask.
His father’s hand.
Richard had believed.
Had he ever seen DNA confirmation?
No.
Why would he?
Adrian continued.
“Conrad went underground because Alexander was hunting him.”
Richard whispered.
“Where is he?”
Adrian looked toward the river.
“I don’t know.”
“But Alexander does.”
Richard’s phone rang.
Hannah.
He answered.
“Richard.”
Her voice shook.
“Ethan is gone.”
The warehouse disappeared around him.
“What?”
“The nursery window was open.”
“We found a note.”
Richard could barely breathe.
“What note?”
Hannah read it.
BRING THE REAL KEY TO YOUR FATHER’S GRAVE.
YOUR SON WILL BE WAITING.
Richard closed his eyes.
Alexander had not fled.
He had gone exactly where every Sterling secret seemed to begin.
May you like
Back to the dead.
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