Chapter 6 - THE SON MY FATHER HID
The address led to the oldest wing of the children's hospital.
It was nearly midnight.
The halls were quiet.
Only the emergency department remained brightly lit.
Arthur walked beside me.
Rebecca followed.
My mother stayed behind with the police.
I couldn't stop thinking about the name.
Lucas Carter.
My father's son.
My half-brother.
A person I had never heard about.
We reached the address.
Room 417.
The door was open.
Inside, a young man stood beside the window.
He looked about thirty.
Dark hair.
Sharp jaw.
Gray eyes.
My father's eyes.
He turned when we entered.
“You came.”
I stared at him.
“Lucas?”
He nodded.
I couldn't speak.
He looked exactly like the photographs of my father when he was young.
Arthur stepped forward.
“Where have you been?”
Lucas laughed bitterly.
“Hidden.”
“By whom?”
“My father.”
I swallowed.
“Why?”
Lucas looked at me.
“Because he knew people were coming for you.”
I frowned.
“Why hide me from my own family?”
“Because your family didn't know I existed.”
I stared at him.
“How?”
Lucas pulled a chair away from the table.
“Sit.”
I didn't.
“Tell me.”
He sighed.
“My mother worked for your father.”
“Rebecca?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“Her name was Natalie.”
He showed me an old photograph.
My father stood beside a young woman.
She was holding a baby.
Lucas.
My father's hand rested protectively on her shoulder.
“She died when I was four.”
“What happened?”
“Car accident.”
I looked at Arthur.
He looked away.
“Another accident?”
Lucas nodded.
“My father believed it wasn't an accident.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did he find?”
“Thomas.”
Of course.
Thomas had been involved.
But Lucas continued.
“Thomas wasn't working for himself.”
I frowned.
“Then who?”
Lucas looked at me.
“Your grandfather.”
My blood ran cold.
“My grandfather was behind it?”
“Yes.”
“And my father?”
“He tried to stop him.”
Lucas walked toward the desk.
He opened a drawer.
Inside was a small black notebook.
“This belonged to Dad.”
I opened it.
Every page contained names.
Payments.
Dates.
Property transfers.
And one phrase repeated again and again.
Protect Ethan. Protect Aria. Protect Lucas.
I looked at him.
“My father knew about you.”
“He always knew.”
“Then why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he thought the people around you would use me against you.”
I felt tears forming.
“All those years…”
“He watched you from a distance.”
“How?”
“Through Arthur.”
I turned toward Arthur.
“You knew.”
He nodded.
“Your father asked me to protect both of you.”
I felt betrayed.
Again.
“How many secrets were you planning to keep?”
Arthur didn't defend himself.
“As many as necessary.”
I looked back at Lucas.
“Why contact me now?”
“Because the foundation is finally safe.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
He pointed to the black notebook.
“There is one final account.”
“What account?”
“A trust your father created.”
I opened the next page.
A number was written there.
My eyes widened.
It represented hundreds of millions of dollars.
But beneath it was a condition.
Only accessible when both sons and the foundation chair are present.
I stared.
“Why me?”
“Because you're the chair.”
“And you?”
“I'm the other beneficiary.”
“Who is the third?”
Lucas looked at me.
“Your mother.”
My heart stopped.
My mother.
She had been part of this from the beginning.
Then the hospital lights flickered.
Arthur immediately reached for his phone.
“What happened?”
The emergency generator had activated.
Someone had cut the main power.
Then every screen in the hallway turned black.
A message appeared.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE TRUST ALONE.
May you like
Lucas looked at me.
“They found us.”
