Chapter 6 - THE SON THEY TOOK
I don't remember the drive back.
I remember Gabriel's hand around mine.
I remember telling Adrian to check every room again even though I knew he had.
I remember Eli crying when we arrived.
Lucas didn't cry.
That scared me more.
He sat on the staircase gripping Noah's soccer jersey.
“Mom?”
I dropped to my knees.
“I'm here.”
“Where's Noah?”
I couldn't answer.
Gabriel crouched beside us.
“We're bringing him home.”
Lucas looked at him.
“Promise?”
Gabriel froze.
Promises meant something to him.
I knew that.
“Yes.”
His voice didn't shake.
“I promise.”
Adrian explained what happened.
A maintenance van entered using valid credentials.
Two men in utility uniforms.
They cut power to the east wing for four minutes.
By the time security restored it, Noah was gone.
No alarm.
No struggle.
“They knew the property,” Gabriel said.
Adrian's face was grim.
“Yes.”
“Inside help.”
“Yes.”
The words were barely out before Gabriel grabbed Adrian's shirt.
“You were responsible for them.”
Adrian didn't resist.
“I know.”
I stepped forward.
“Gabriel.”
He didn't hear me.
“Gabriel.”
His fist tightened.
I touched his arm.
He looked at me.
“Not him.”
His breathing slowed.
Slowly, he released Adrian.
Growth could be ugly.
It still counted.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
“Noah?”
Victor's voice came through.
“Claire.”
I had never heard him speak.
Still, I knew.
“Let me talk to my son.”
“Interesting. No greeting.”
“Let me hear him.”
Victor sighed.
Then Noah came on.
“Mom?”
My knees weakened.
“Baby.”
“I'm okay.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No.”
His voice trembled.
“There's an old man who says he's my grandpa.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
I swallowed.
“Listen to me. We are coming for you.”
“Dad too?”
Gabriel's eyes opened.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Dad too.”
Victor returned.
“You've raised him well.”
“Don't talk about my child like you know him.”
“He's mine too.”
“No.”
“Blood says otherwise.”
“Blood doesn't own people.”
A pause.
Then a cold laugh.
“Elena taught you that?”
I frowned.
“Elena?”
Gabriel stared at me.
Victor continued.
“You don't even know, do you?”
“What?”
“Your mother wasn't Claire Bennett.”
My blood ran cold.
I had been born Claire Bennett.
Raised by Margaret Bennett.
She died when I was twenty.
“What are you talking about?”
Victor laughed.
“Ask Gabriel.”
I looked at him.
He looked confused.
Victor continued.
“Midnight. Cross Shipping Pier Seven.”
“What do you want?”
“My son.”
Gabriel stepped toward the phone.
“I'm here.”
Victor went silent.
Then,
“Gabriel.”
“Let Noah go.”
“Sign the trust transfer.”
“You'll have it.”
My head snapped toward him.
Victor laughed.
“Still impulsive.”
“You want the company? Take it.”
Gabriel didn't hesitate.
“You want the houses? Accounts? Shipping terminals? Take all of it.”
His voice hardened.
“You do not get my son.”
My heart stopped.
Victor was silent.
For the first time, I imagined he hadn't expected that answer.
“Midnight,” he repeated.
The line ended.
I stared at Gabriel.
“You'd give him everything?”
“Yes.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His expression broke.
“Claire.”
One word.
Of course.
Because Noah was his son.
Because all three were.
Because apparently Gabriel had spent five years losing a family he never knew he'd had, and he wasn't going to lose it again.
Then Daniel entered carrying a folder.
His face was pale.
“I heard the call.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“What did Father mean about Claire's mother?”
Daniel's expression changed.
I noticed.
“What?”
He handed me the folder.
Inside was a birth certificate.
My name.
Claire Marie Bennett.
But beneath it was another document.
Adoption sealed.
Original mother:
ELENA CROSS.
I looked up.
“That isn't possible.”
Gabriel went still.
“Cross?”
Daniel whispered,
“Our aunt.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
He looked at me.
“Claire, your biological mother was our father's younger sister.”
Silence.
The room tilted.
Gabriel backed away from me as if he'd been burned.
I couldn't breathe.
“No.”
Daniel continued quickly.
“Wait. Victor was adopted into the Cross family.”
Gabriel froze.
“What?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Father wasn't biologically related to Elena.”
My head spun.
“So Gabriel and I…”
“Are not biologically related.”
I exhaled shakily.
Then I realized something worse.
“Why does Victor care that I'm Elena's daughter?”
Daniel looked at the trust documents.
“Because Elena owned half the original Cross holdings.”
My blood went cold.
“And when she died?”
Daniel looked at me.
“They passed to you.”
Gabriel stared.
I whispered,
“So Noah isn't the only heir.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
May you like
He looked directly at me.
“You are.”
