Chapter 6 - VICTORIA'S LAST SECRET
Edward’s arrest made national news.
Sterling Industries stock collapsed.
Federal investigators raided six offices.
The foundation suspended operations.
Victims began coming forward.
Some described financial intimidation.
Others described medical coercion.
Two families claimed relatives had disappeared after confronting Edward.
The hidden rooms beneath Sterling House became evidence in a federal conspiracy case.
Victoria requested to see me.
I almost refused.
Clara said, “Go.”
“Why?”
“Because if there’s one more secret, I’d rather know now.”
There was.
Victoria sat behind glass in county detention.
“You found Edward.”
“Yes.”
“And Theo.”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“Good.”
“Don’t pretend relief makes you innocent.”
“I’m not.”
“Why did you keep Clara?”
“Because she found Rebecca’s documents.”
“For four years?”
“At first I intended to frighten her.”
I stared.
“Do you hear yourself?”
“Yes.”
“For once, I do.”
She looked exhausted.
“Edward contacted me after Clara disappeared.”
I frowned.
“You said you didn’t know where he was.”
“I lied.”
Of course.
“He ordered me to keep her alive until we found the ledger.”
“And Theo?”
“Edward took him.”
“You visited him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Victoria’s voice cracked.
“Because someone had to.”
I hated that part of me understood.
Not forgave.
Understood.
She had helped imprison his mother while secretly visiting the stolen child.
People could commit evil and still perform tenderness.
That did not cancel either.
Then Victoria said, “Theo has a sister.”
My entire body froze.
“No.”
“Not Clara’s child.”
I stared.
“Whose?”
“Yours.”
Silence.
“That’s impossible.”
“Before Clara.”
I stood.
“Who?”
“Emily Harper.”
The name from the hidden cabinet.
My memory returned.
Emily.
My college girlfriend.
We dated for almost two years.
She disappeared from school midway through senior year.
Her family said she transferred overseas.
I had believed them.
“No.”
Victoria looked ashamed.
“Emily became pregnant.”
My knees weakened.
“She never told me.”
“She tried.”
“What did you do?”
“Edward intercepted her.”
My father.
Again.
“He believed a child would interfere with your succession.”
“What happened?”
“Emily refused money.”
I stared.
“Where is she?”
“Alive.”
“And the child?”
Victoria looked directly at me.
“A girl.”
My daughter.
“How old?”
“Fifteen.”
The room blurred.
“Where?”
“Connecticut.”
“What’s her name?”
“Sophie Harper.”
I sat.
Another child.
Another stolen relationship.
“Did Edward take her too?”
“No. Emily raised her.”
“Then why didn’t she contact me?”
“Because Edward threatened Sophie.”
My fists tightened.
Victoria continued.
“He told Emily that if she contacted you, he would use Sterling lawyers to take custody.”
The same weapon.
Family.
Custody.
Money.
Fear.
“Why tell me now?”
“Because Emily’s file was in the cellar. Investigators will find her.”
I stared at Victoria.
“You knew I had a daughter for fifteen years.”
“Yes.”
“And every birthday, every Christmas, every time you asked when Clara and I planned to have children—”
“Yes.”
I stood.
“I don’t know what to call you anymore.”
She looked down.
“Victoria is sufficient.”
For once, she was right.
Emily lived outside New Haven.
I did not arrive unannounced.
Hayes contacted her first.
She agreed to meet.
Clara came with me but waited outside the café.
Emily looked almost exactly as I remembered, only older.
Stronger.
When she saw me, tears filled her eyes.
“Julian.”
“Emily.”
We sat.
Neither knew where to begin.
Finally I said, “I didn’t know.”
“I know.”
“Did you hate me?”
“For years.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Then Victoria contacted me after Edward disappeared.”
“What did she say?”
“That you genuinely never knew.”
I looked toward the window.
Clara waited outside with Theo.
“Why didn’t you contact me then?”
“Sophie was ten.”
“And?”
“I was afraid Edward wasn’t really dead.”
She had been right.
“Does Sophie know?”
“That you’re her father?”
“Yes.
“She knows your name.”
“Does she want to meet me?”
Emily smiled sadly.
“She’s fifteen. She changes her mind every twenty minutes.”
Fair.
Then the café door opened.
A teenage girl entered.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
My chin.
She looked at me for three seconds.
Then said, “Wow.”
I almost laughed.
“Good wow?”
“No.”
Emily covered her face.
Sophie sat.
“You’re shorter than I expected.”
“I’m six-two.”
“Photos make you look taller.”
I liked her immediately.
She studied me.
“Did you really not know?”
“No.”
“Mom says your dad was horrible.”
“He was.”
“And your fake mom?”
I nearly choked.
Emily said, “Sophie.”
“What? That’s technically accurate.”
I smiled.
“She did terrible things.”
Sophie nodded.
Then looked through the window.
“Is that Clara?”
“Yes.”
“And my little brother?”
“Yes.”
“Can I meet him?”
My throat tightened.
“Of course.”
She stood.
Then stopped.
“I’m not calling you Dad.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to.”
“Maybe Julian.”
“I’d like that.”
She nodded.
“Okay, Julian.”
It was enough.
More than enough.
That evening, Clara watched Sophie teach Theo how to take ridiculous photographs on her phone.
I stood beside her.
“You okay?” she asked.
“I don’t know how many children I have anymore.”
She laughed.
Then became serious.
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have.”
“How?”
“I should have questioned my family sooner.”
“Yes.”
I looked at her.
She didn’t soften it.
That was one reason I loved her.
Then she added, “But you can’t spend the rest of your life punishing yourself for secrets other people deliberately kept from you.”
I nodded.
“Is that what you’re doing?”
“What?”
“Not punishing yourself.”
Clara looked away.
She still blamed herself for not escaping.
For not protecting Theo.
For believing Victoria.
I took her hand only after she moved it toward mine.
“We both have work to do.”
She squeezed my fingers.
“Yes.”
Then my phone rang.
Hayes.
“We found something in Edward’s private files.”
“What?”
“A death list.”
My stomach tightened.
“Names?”
“Rebecca Bennett is on it.”
I closed my eyes.
“Who else?”
“Seven people.”
“And?”
Hayes paused.
“One of them is Clara Sterling.”
May you like
I looked at my wife.
The date beside her name was three days from now.
