Chapter 8 - THE MAN BEHIND JULIAN
The man who raised Julian was not Dominic Croft.
Not exactly.
Dominic was his father.
But after Dominic died, another man became Julian’s guardian, strategist, and protector.
Samuel Kane.
Julian rarely spoke about him.
Former attorney.
Family adviser.
The man who helped Julian survive the transition from twenty-one-year-old heir to the most feared boss in Chicago.
Samuel retired four years ago.
Or supposedly retired.
When Maya repeated Victor’s words, Julian’s face changed.
“No.”
Derek looked equally disturbed.
“Kane?”
“He left Chicago.”
“Where?”
“Arizona.”
Maya stared at both of them.
“You believe that?”
Julian didn’t answer.
Good.
At least he was learning.
They traced Samuel.
House in Scottsdale.
Empty.
Utilities active.
Mail collected.
No confirmed sighting in eight months.
Then Derek found financial transfers.
Small.
Careful.
From a foundation controlled by Julian.
To a medical security firm in Wisconsin.
Julian frowned.
“I never approved that.”
Derek checked.
“Authorization code is yours.”
Same pattern.
Cloned access.
Maya felt a chill.
“Who is the patient?”
The firm refused initially.
Julian made one call.
Five minutes later, they had a name.
Patient: G. Reyes.
Age: sixty.
Private long-term care.
Maya calculated.
Gabriel would be around sixty.
“Where?”
A facility two hours north.
They drove through freezing rain.
The place looked like a luxury rehabilitation center hidden in the woods.
Security at the gate recognized Julian.
Too quickly.
Maya noticed.
“They expected you.”
Julian did too.
Inside, a nurse led them to a private wing.
Room 214.
Maya’s pulse became painful.
She opened the door.
A man sat beside the window.
Gray hair.
Thin.
Scar running from his neck toward his jaw.
He turned.
Maya stopped breathing.
She had never seen him.
Yet something inside her knew.
Not mystical.
Not magical.
His eyes.
Her eyes.
Gabriel Romano stood slowly.
“Maya.”
Her knees nearly gave way.
“You know me.”
His face broke.
“I know everything about you.”
“Then why did you leave me?”
No hello.
No embrace.
Just the question that had waited twenty-three years.
Gabriel looked at the floor.
“Because I thought distance kept you alive.”
Maya laughed through tears.
“Everybody says that.”
“I know.”
“Were you watching me?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Always.”
That made her angrier.
“You watched me work two jobs?”
“Yes.”
“You watched Mom get sick?”
“Yes.”
“You watched me borrow money from Victor Bellini?”
Gabriel’s face changed.
“No.”
Maya froze.
“You didn’t know?”
“No.”
“Then your watching was useless.”
He flinched.
Good.
Julian remained near the door.
Silent.
Gabriel looked at him.
“Dominic’s son.”
Julian nodded once.
“You know who I am.”
“I watched you too.”
Julian’s eyes hardened.
“From Kane?”
Gabriel looked surprised.
So Victor had told the truth.
Maya stepped closer.
“Samuel Kane tried to have Victor killed?”
Gabriel sat.
“Samuel has been trying to erase the past for years.”
“Why?”
“Because Dominic didn’t build the Croft empire alone.”
Julian went still.
“What does that mean?”
Gabriel looked at him.
“Samuel did.”
Silence.
“Dominic was the face.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Kane was counsel.”
“Kane was architect.”
Maya looked between them.
“What did he architect?”
Gabriel answered:
“The alliances. the payoffs. the police contacts. the politicians. the ledgers.”
Julian’s expression darkened.
“The black ledger was his?”
“Yes.”
“Why would my father keep it?”
“Insurance against Samuel.”
Everything flipped again.
Maya whispered:
“Then the second ledger?”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Evidence against Samuel.”
Derek cursed under his breath.
Maya finally understood why someone wanted both.
One ledger controlled people.
The other could destroy the man controlling them.
“Why did Samuel hide you here?”
Gabriel looked toward the hallway.
“He didn’t.”
Maya frowned.
“Then who pays the facility?”
Gabriel’s face became wary.
“You said Croft foundation money.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel slowly looked at Julian.
“I thought Elena paid.”
Maya froze.
“My mother?”
Gabriel nodded.
“She visits.”
The room went silent.
Maya’s voice barely came out.
“My mother is here?”
Gabriel looked confused.
“She was.”
May you like
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
