Chapter 9: The Man Behind Everything
I couldn’t speak.
For years, I had imagined my father’s voice.
Sometimes in dreams.
Sometimes when I needed advice.
Sometimes when life became difficult and I wished I could ask him what to do.
But hearing him now didn’t feel comforting.
It felt like hearing a ghost.
A ghost that had been watching me.
“You’re alive.””
“Yes, James.””
“Why?””
A long pause.
“Because I had to disappear.””
I looked around the nursery.
At the room where I had spent nights rocking my babies.
At the room where my entire life had been destroyed.
“You ruined everything.””
My father sighed.
“I protected the family.””
“No.””
My voice shook.
“You protected yourself.””
Claire stepped closer.
She mouthed:
“Put it on speaker.””
I did.
My father continued.
“Your mother always misunderstood my decisions.””
Claire stepped forward.
“You abandoned your son.””
Silence.
Then my father said:
“Claire.””
The way he said her name made my skin crawl.
“You should have stayed gone.””
My mother’s face changed.
She wasn’t scared anymore.
She was angry.
“You destroyed our family.””
“No. I preserved it.””
I tightened my grip.
“What do you want?””
“You know.””
“The twins?””
“Yes.””
I looked down at my children.
“You’re never getting near them.””
My father laughed softly.
“You still think this is about the babies.””
“Then what is it about?””
“The future.””
I felt sick.
“You sound exactly like the man everyone warned me about.””
“Everyone?””
He laughed.
“James, everyone you trust has been part of this.””
I looked at Victoria.
She looked away.
“You’re lying.””
“Am I?””
His voice became colder.
“Ask Michael why he kept your mother hidden.””
I froze.
“Ask Victoria why she signed the agreement.””
I froze again.
“Ask Daniel why he waited until now to tell you the truth.””
Each name felt like another wound.
“You manipulated all of them.””
“No.””
My father paused.
“They made choices.””
I looked at Claire.
She looked heartbroken.
“Where are you?””
“Close.””
The word sent chills through me.
“How close?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Close enough to see you.””
I immediately looked toward the windows.
Nothing.
Only darkness outside.
“Why now?””
“Because you finally became ready.””
“Ready for what?””
His answer was quiet.
“To become the man I raised you to be.””
I almost dropped the phone.
“I’m nothing like you.””
“You will be.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
His voice hardened.
“Because you already made your first choice.””
“What choice?””
“You chose blood over truth.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
He continued.
“You protected children who might not be yours.””
My anger exploded.
“They are mine.””
“Biologically?””
I went silent.
The question hurt because it was the one thing I couldn’t answer.
My father continued.
“That is why I created the system.””
“What system?””
“The one that brought everyone together.””
I looked at the documents.
The lies.
The betrayal.
The money.
“You planned all of this?””
“Yes.””
My stomach turned.
“For how long?””
A pause.
Then:
“Since before you were born.””
The call ended.
I stood there, frozen.
My mother touched my shoulder.
“James.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She pointed toward the window.
A car was parked across the street.
The headlights were off.
But someone was sitting inside.
Watching.
My phone buzzed again.
A photo appeared.
It was a picture of me standing in the nursery.
Taken only seconds ago.
Below it was a message.
*“You should have listened to your father.””*
I stared at the screen.
Then Claire whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“James…”
I looked at her.
She was staring at the photograph.
“That car.””
“What about it?””
May you like
Her voice trembled.
“That’s the same car your father used the night he took me away.””
