Chapter 5 - THE CHILDREN OF THE FIRE
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Adrian ran.
Marcus chased him.
The house erupted into chaos.
But I couldn't move.
I stared at Chloe.
Three years old.
The last heir.
My niece.
The daughter of the man who had sacrificed himself for my family.
And the sister of the child I thought I had lost.
Isabelle sat beside me.
“There's more.”
“Of course there is.”
She sighed.
“Your father had three children.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Daniel.”
I nodded slowly.
“Then Lily.”
She shook her head.
“Lily was yours.”
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?”
“Your father never legally recognized Daniel.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel's mother was a woman from outside the family.”
“Who?”
“Evelyn Hart.”
I recognized the name.
A former casino singer.
My father had once been rumored to have had an affair.
The family denied it.
Isabelle continued.
“Daniel grew up believing he wasn't a Sterling.”
“Until when?”
“Until your father called him.”
“Why?”
“To protect Lily.”
I swallowed.
“And Chloe?”
“Daniel met Hannah while he was undercover.”
“They married?”
“Secretly.”
“So why wasn't Chloe raised in the Sterling family?”
“Because your father knew Adrian would use her.”
The pieces connected.
Daniel had hidden his daughter.
Then protected Lily.
Hannah had raised Chloe.
The locket had moved between generations.
And now Chloe had been brought into my home.
Not by accident.
By design.
“Why did Daniel send her to me?”
Isabelle looked toward Chloe.
“Because he knew he would not survive.”
My heart tightened.
“He died?”
Isabelle didn't answer.
“He's alive,” Hannah said suddenly.
I turned.
“What?”
“Daniel survived the explosion.”
“Then where is he?”
“Underground.”
“Where?”
Hannah wiped her tears.
“The old river warehouse.”
I didn't wait.
We drove there immediately.
The warehouse was abandoned.
We found a hidden elevator.
It descended beneath the riverfront.
Inside was a medical room.
Daniel lay on a bed.
Alive.
Weak.
Wounded.
When he saw me, he smiled.
“Boss.”
I almost punched him.
Then I hugged him.
“You let me bury my daughter.”
“I had to.”
“You could have told me.”
“If I told you, Adrian would know.”
I stepped back.
“Why Chloe?”
He looked toward the door.
She was holding her teddy bear.
“Because Chloe carries the original Sterling seal.”
I stared.
“What?”
Daniel explained.
My grandfather had placed a genetic marker into the family's succession system.
Only descendants carrying the original bloodline could activate the final trust.
Chloe inherited it.
But so did Lily.
That meant two children held the key.
Lily.
And Chloe.
“What does the trust contain?”
“Enough to destroy Adrian.”
“Money?”
“Evidence.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Your father knew Adrian was corrupt.”
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
“And he created the trust to stop him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he die?”
Daniel looked away.
“Because Adrian found the archive.”
My blood ran cold.
“What archive?”
“The one your father hid in the lakeside villa.”
“The villa exploded.”
“Not everything was inside.”
Daniel handed me a key.
My father’s key.
“This opens the basement.”
I stared.
“Why haven't you opened it?”
“Because it requires three heirs.”
“You.”
He shook his head.
“I'm not recognized.”
“Me.”
“Yes.”
“Isabelle.”
“Yes.”
“Chloe?”
He nodded.
“Then Lily.”
I froze.
“Five.”
“Only three are required.”
“Which three?”
Daniel smiled.
“You'll know when you get there.”
Before I could ask another question, alarms began screaming.
Someone had breached the warehouse.
Adrian.
He had found us.
Daniel tried to stand.
“No.”
I pushed him back.
“I'll handle it.”
He smiled.
“You always were stubborn.”
“Family trait.”
We moved toward the exit.
Gunfire erupted above.
Marcus returned fire.
Isabelle pulled Chloe close.
I grabbed the key.
Then a shot struck the wall beside my head.
Adrian shouted:
“Give me the children!”
I looked at him.
Then at Chloe.
Then at the empty space where Lily should have been.
“No.”
He laughed.
“You have no idea what you're protecting.”
I stepped forward.
“Neither do you.”
He raised his gun.
Then a second voice came through the warehouse speakers.
My father's voice.
Recorded.
“Adrian.”
My brother froze.
“You failed.”
Adrian's face went pale.
The recording continued:
“If you're hearing this, Kaelen finally knows the truth.”
Then one final sentence:
May you like
“Take your sister and the children to the lakehouse.”
“Everything you need is beneath the floor.”
