Chapter 7: My Dead Brother
"Let me speak to Wren.""
Julian's voice was so quiet that David took a step back.
The man on the phone laughed softly.
Nineteen years had passed, but Julian recognized that laugh.
Adrian.
His dead brother.
"Still giving orders," Adrian said.
"Some things never change.""
"If you've hurt her—"
"You'll what? Call the police?""
Detective Hayes was already signaling to an officer beside her.
Trace the call.
Julian forced himself to remain calm.
"I want to hear my daughter.""
A pause.
Then movement.
Fabric rustled.
A door closed somewhere.
Finally—
"Daddy?""
Julian shut his eyes.
"Wren.""
Her voice trembled.
"I'm okay.""
"Did anyone hurt you?""
"No.""
"Where are you?""
"I don't know. It's dark.""
Adrian interrupted.
"That's enough.""
"Wait!""
The line shifted back.
Julian's voice hardened.
"You took a ten-year-old girl from a hospital.""
"I rescued my niece from people who don't understand what's happening.""
"You're not rescuing anyone.""
"Funny. That's exactly what Father used to say about me.""
Hayes silently mouthed, Keep him talking.
Julian stared at the old photograph of Adrian holding baby Caleb.
"Why did you fake your death?""
"I didn't.""
Julian frowned.
"Father did.""
"What?""
"Ask yourself why a twenty-three-year-old man would abandon his newborn son.""
Julian glanced at the sealed amendment.
"You had Caleb before the crash.""
"Yes.""
"Who was his mother?""
Adrian went silent.
"Adrian?""
"Bring the amendment.""
"Tell me where Wren is.""
"You'll receive instructions.""
"I won't trade anything until I know she's safe.""
"You'll trade everything you own.""
Adrian's voice suddenly lost its warmth.
"Because that's what Father trained you to do. Protect the Ashcroft name. Protect the heir.""
"I'm protecting my daughter.""
"Exactly.""
The call ended.
Julian lowered the phone.
Hayes turned toward the officer.
"Anything?""
"Burner phone. Signal bounced through multiple towers. We have a general area, nothing useful yet.""
Julian grabbed the amendment.
Hayes caught his arm.
"You're not going alone.""
"If that's what gets Wren back—"
"That's what gets you taken too.""
"My daughter is ten.""
"And whoever planned this has been preparing for months.""
"Years," David said.
They turned.
David was studying the documents.
"Look at this.""
He placed two pages side by side.
The first was the inheritance amendment.
The second was an old trust schedule.
"Julian controls Ashcroft Holdings because Wren is his recognized heir. If Wren is legally removed from his custody and Julian is declared medically incapacitated, control doesn't immediately transfer to Corinne.""
"Then where?""
David tapped a paragraph.
"Into temporary trust administration pending review of Adrian's surviving heir.""
"Caleb," Hayes said.
"Exactly.""
Julian stared at the document.
"So Corinne gets rid of Wren. Drugs me until I look incompetent. Caleb appears.""
"And someone controls Caleb," David finished.
Julian remembered the terrified nine-year-old from Blackwood.
"Corinne.""
"Maybe.""
Julian looked up.
"What do you mean?""
David pulled out another document.
"Caleb would be twenty-one now.""
Julian frowned.
"No. Dr. Ward said he was nine six years ago.""
David slowly shook his head.
"Then something doesn't match.""
He pointed to the photograph.
The handwritten date placed Caleb's birth twenty-one years earlier.
Julian stared.
"Blackwood falsified his age.""
"Or the boy at Blackwood wasn't Caleb.""
The possibility landed heavily.
Hayes' phone rang.
She answered.
"Hayes.""
Her expression changed.
"When?""
She listened.
"Secure the scene. Don't touch anything.""
She ended the call.
"We found Corinne.""
Julian stepped forward.
"Where?""
"Your estate.""
"What?""
"She never left the property.""
They drove back immediately.
Police vehicles surrounded the mansion.
Marcus met Julian outside.
His face was bruised.
"What happened at the hospital?""
"The fire alarm went off. Smoke filled the west corridor. Two men in medical uniforms appeared.""
"You let them take her?""
Marcus looked devastated.
"I thought they were hospital staff. One hit me from behind.""
Julian wanted to explode.
Instead, he asked, "Where's Corinne?""
Marcus pointed toward the greenhouse.
Inside, Corinne sat on a stone bench wrapped in a blanket.
Her dress was dirty.
There was blood near her hairline.
Detective Hayes entered first.
"Mrs. Ashcroft?""
Corinne looked up.
"Where is Wren?""
Julian demanded.
Corinne's face crumpled.
"He took her.""
"Adrian?""
She stared at him.
"You know.""
"He's alive.""
Corinne started crying.
Julian felt nothing.
"Enough.""
"I swear, Julian—"
"Enough tears. Enough lies.""
He dropped Caleb's photograph onto the table.
"Start talking.""
Corinne stared at it.
Her shoulders collapsed.
"I met Adrian before I met you.""
"How long before?""
"Years.""
"Did you marry me because of him?""
She didn't answer.
Julian slammed his palm onto the table.
"Did you?""
"Yes!""
Silence.
Even Hayes stopped writing.
Corinne covered her face.
"Adrian found me eight years ago. He told me your family destroyed him. He said your father stole everything.""
"So you married me.""
"He wanted information.""
"You abused my daughter for information?""
"No!""
"You locked her in a basement.""
"I know.""
"You drugged her.""
Corinne shook her head quickly.
"The drops weren't supposed to hurt her.""
Julian stepped toward her.
Hayes moved between them.
"What were they supposed to do?"" Hayes asked.
"Make her tired. Irritable. Unfocused.""
"So the behavioral reports looked believable.""
Corinne lowered her head.
"Yes.""
Julian could barely look at her.
"And the fake bruises?""
"Adrian needed evidence.""
"For Blackwood.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because Wren had to be legally removed before anything happened to Julian.""
Hayes' eyes narrowed.
"Anything?""
Corinne realized what she'd said.
Julian leaned closer.
"What was supposed to happen to me?""
Corinne began trembling.
"I don't know.""
"Lie again and I walk out.""
"Adrian said you'd get sick.""
Julian went still.
"How sick?""
"He said the medication would make you confused. Forgetful. Eventually the board would question whether you could run the company.""
"And then?""
"Caleb would come forward.""
"Where is Caleb?""
Corinne looked genuinely frightened.
"I don't know.""
Julian studied her.
For once, he believed her.
"Why is Adrian doing this now?""
"Because Caleb disappeared.""
"What?""
"Six years ago, Adrian put him in Blackwood temporarily.""
"Why?""
"To hide him.""
"From whom?""
Corinne looked toward the greenhouse windows.
"Your father.""
"My father was already dead.""
"Not your father.""
Her voice fell to a whisper.
"Your mother.""
Julian felt a chill.
"My mother died twelve years ago.""
Corinne looked directly into his eyes.
"No, Julian.""
She pointed toward the old photograph.
"Your father wasn't the only Ashcroft who faked a death.""
Before Julian could respond, glass exploded behind him.
Hayes shoved him down.
A bullet tore through the greenhouse.
Corinne screamed.
Officers drew their weapons.
And somewhere beyond the shattered glass, a woman ran between the trees.
May you like
A woman with silver hair.
A woman Julian recognized from the last photograph ever taken of his mother.
