Chapter 5 — The Brother’s Secret
Julian lunged for the tablet.
An agent caught him before he reached it.
“That isn’t what it looks like!” Julian shouted.
The polished heir to the Vale empire vanished in an instant. His face twisted with panic as two agents restrained him.
Arthur did not defend him.
Celeste noticed that first.
Vivian noticed it second.
“You killed her?” Vivian whispered.
Julian shook his head violently.
“No. I was nineteen. Dad told me the brake sensor was malfunctioning. He said I had to disconnect a tracking device because Mother was meeting someone who wanted to blackmail the family.”
Celeste looked at Arthur.
“You sent your son to tamper with her car?”
Arthur’s expression remained cold.
“I asked him to remove a device.”
“You told me it was harmless,” Julian said.
Crewe stepped forward.
“My clients will not answer further questions without counsel.”
Julian stared at him.
“Your client? Which one?”
Crewe did not answer.
That silence told Julian everything.
Arthur had chosen himself.
Julian began to laugh, but there was no humor in it.
“You said family survives by protecting the center.”
Arthur’s voice sharpened.
“Stop talking.”
“You said Celeste was dangerous because she found the payment files. You said Mother was trying to destroy all of us.”
“Julian.”
“You promised nobody would get hurt.”
Arthur crossed the room and slapped him.
Every person in the study froze.
Julian slowly turned his face back toward his father.
Something inside him broke.
“You knew the brakes would fail,” he said.
Arthur’s eyes flickered.
It lasted less than a second.
But Celeste saw it.
So did Moreno.
Julian looked at the agents.
“I want immunity.”
Arthur went pale.
Crewe immediately objected, but Julian spoke over him.
“I have records. Private ones. Dad kept duplicate books because he never trusted the board. I know where they are.”
“Shut your mouth,” Arthur said.
Julian smiled weakly.
“For once, I don’t think I will.”
Moreno ordered the agents to take him downstairs.
As Julian passed Celeste, he stopped.
“You think you know why Dad erased you,” he whispered.
“I do.”
“No.”
His eyes moved toward Admiral Reed.
“He didn’t erase you because you found the defective-parts scheme.”
Celeste felt the room tilt.
May you like
Julian leaned closer.
“He erased you because you were never supposed to discover who your real father was.”
