Chapter 7 - Robert Hayes Had Kept One Final Promise to Adrian’s Father
Robert sat in the hotel office.
Adrian stood across from him.
Evelyn beside him.
Camille and Helena remained near the door.
Victor and Lawrence were gone.
For now.
Adrian placed the ledger on the desk.
“My father found this.”
Robert nodded.
“Yes.”
Evelyn stared.
“You told me it stayed in the wall.”
“It did.”
“Then how?”
Robert looked at Adrian.
“Your father came to Room 317 after Evelyn escaped.”
“He knew she was gone?”
“Yes.”
“He searched the room.”
“Yes.”
“He found the case.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Robert continued.
“He opened it.”
“With what key?”
“My key.”
Adrian stared.
“You were here.”
“Yes.”
“Why help him?”
“Because he was crying.”
Silence.
Robert looked at Evelyn.
“He said he had made the worst mistake of his life.”
Evelyn’s face changed.
Robert continued.
“He saw the ledger.”
“He understood Victor.”
“Lawrence.”
“Charles Russo.”
“And himself.”
Adrian asked:
“What did he do?”
“He asked to take it.”
Evelyn stared.
“You let him?”
“No.”
Robert shook his head.
“I told him the ledger belonged to the woman he had failed.”
Silence.
Adrian’s jaw loosened slightly.
Robert continued.
“He copied three pages.”
“Which?”
“The ones with his own signatures.”
Adrian frowned.
“Why only those?”
Robert looked at him.
“Because he was not trying to save himself.”
“He was trying to document his guilt.”
Evelyn sat down.
Adrian asked:
“What happened to the copies?”
Robert opened a drawer.
One envelope.
Never mailed.
Addressed to Adrian.
Adrian stared.
“My father wrote to me.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“That night.”
Adrian opened it.
The paper was old.
His father’s handwriting.
SON,
IF YOUR MOTHER IS GONE, IT IS BECAUSE I FAILED HER.
Adrian stopped.
Evelyn began crying.
He continued.
I BELIEVED MEN WHO TOLD ME FEAR WAS EVIDENCE.
I SIGNED PAPERS I DID NOT QUESTION.
I CALLED CONTROL PROTECTION.
IF SHE NEVER RETURNS, DO NOT HATE HER FOR LEAVING.
HATE ME FIRST.
Adrian’s eyes closed.
Robert whispered:
“There is more.”
Adrian read.
VICTOR KNOWS PART OF THE TRUTH.
LAWRENCE KNOWS TOO MUCH.
CHARLES RUSSO KNOWS WHERE THE MONEY MOVES.
ROBERT KNOWS WHERE THIS LETTER IS.
IF I DIE BEFORE I CAN FIX THIS, GIVE ADRIAN THE CHOICE I TOOK FROM EVELYN.
THE TRUTH.
Adrian folded the letter.
Carefully.
He looked at Robert.
“You waited eighteen years.”
Robert nodded.
“Why?”
“Because Victor threatened Sophie.”
Silence.
Adrian turned.
“Sophie?”
The maid from the ballroom.
Robert looked ashamed.
“My granddaughter.”
Adrian stared.
“Sophie Lane is your granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
“She does not use Hayes?”
“Her mother’s name.”
Evelyn whispered:
“Victor knew.”
Robert nodded.
“He told me if I ever gave Adrian the letter, Sophie would disappear the way Evelyn had.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“So you waited until tonight.”
“Yes.”
“Why now?”
Robert looked toward the ballroom below.
“Because Sophie is leaving the country tomorrow.”
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“She accepted a job in Paris.”
Robert smiled sadly.
“For the first time, Victor could not reach her easily through me.”
Adrian stared.
“You came to the dinner because she was finally safe.”
“Yes.”
Camille whispered:
“And I tried to send you away.”
Robert looked at her.
“You were afraid.”
She lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at the letter.
Then at Robert.
“You should have trusted me sooner.”
Robert nodded.
“Yes.”
No excuse.
That mattered.
Evelyn touched the letter.
“Your father knew.”
Adrian looked at her.
“He knew enough.”
She whispered:
“He tried to fix it.”
Adrian nodded.
“And failed.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Adrian looked at Camille.
Her face was tired.
Red gown wrinkled now.
Mascara gone.
Nothing glamorous left.
He said:
“Your mother knew my father came here?”
Helena shook her head.
“No.”
Robert answered:
“She did not.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Who did?”
Robert hesitated.
“Sophie.”
Everyone froze.
Adrian stared.
“She knows?”
Robert nodded.
“Not everything.”
“What does she know?”
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