Chapter 3 - The Lawyer Who Answered the Phone

Damian called Samuel Voss immediately.

No answer.

Again.

Nothing.

Victor looked at him.

“He will not answer.”

Damian turned.

“You are sure it was Samuel?”

“Yes.”

“Ten years ago?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say exactly?”

Victor closed his eyes.

“That you wanted me to remain dead.”

Damian stared.

Victor continued.

“That contacting you would put you at risk.”

“That part might have been true.”

“Yes.”

“What else?”

Victor looked ashamed.

“He said you had asked the family never to mention me again.”

Damian laughed bitterly.

“I spent years asking why you disappeared.”

“I know that now.”

“How?”

“Theodore showed me interviews.”

Damian frowned.

“What interviews?”

“Old charity events.”

Victor looked at him.

“You spoke about me.”

Damian did not answer.

Victor continued.

“You said you wished you knew whether I had left by choice.”

Damian looked away.

Victor’s face tightened.

“That was when I understood Samuel lied.”

“When?”

“Three months ago.”

Damian looked back.

“The same time Bianca found out.”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Damian thought.

Then:

“How did Bianca know?”

Victor answered:

“Charles told her because I was coming back.”

Damian nodded slowly.

“And Charles wanted time.”

“Yes.”

“To do what?”

Victor looked at the papers.

“Move money.”

Damian’s expression hardened.

“From where?”

“Laurent Foundation accounts.”

“Why?”

“Because if I testified, investigators would freeze them.”

Damian laughed once.

“So Bianca lied to me while her father cleaned up.”

Victor looked toward the door.

“I do not know what she knew.”

“She knew enough.”

“Yes.”

Damian picked up the passport.

“Where is Theodore?”

“Lobby.”

Victor stood.

“We should leave.”

“Why?”

“Adrian knows I am here.”

Damian’s phone rang.

Theodore.

He answered.

The old archivist’s voice was low.

“Do not come downstairs.”

Damian looked at Victor.

“What happened?”

“Charles Laurent just arrived.”

Damian frowned.

“Alone?”

“No.”

“Who?”

Theodore paused.

“Samuel Voss.”

Damian went still.

Victor whispered:

“He came.”

Damian asked Theodore:

“Are they together?”

“Yes.”

“What are they doing?”

“Talking to hotel security.”

Damian looked at the door.

Victor moved toward his suitcase.

Damian stopped him.

“No.”

Victor stared.

“No more running.”

“Damian—”

“No.”

His son’s voice stayed calm.

“You ran from Adrian.”

“Yes.”

“Charles hid you.”

“Yes.”

“Samuel lied to you.”

“Yes.”

“And everyone decided I was too dangerous, too young, too watched, too angry, too something to know the truth.”

Victor lowered his eyes.

Damian continued.

“I am done being the last person informed about my own family.”

Victor slowly nodded.

Damian called Theodore.

“Send them up.”

Theodore hesitated.

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

Ten minutes later, Charles Laurent entered room 814.

Samuel Voss beside him.

Theodore followed.

I came too.

Damian looked at me.

“You stayed.”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

Bianca was not there.

Charles looked at Victor.

“Michael.”

Victor’s expression hardened.

“My name is Victor.”

Charles said nothing.

Damian looked at Samuel.

The lawyer was seventy-two.

Silver hair.

Perfect suit.

Calm.

Too calm.

Damian asked:

“Did my father call you ten years ago?”

Samuel looked at Victor.

Then Damian.

“Yes.”

“Did you tell him I wanted no contact?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Samuel folded his hands.

“To protect you.”

Damian laughed.

Theodore shook his head.

Samuel continued.

“Adrian still controlled security.”

“For three years.”

Samuel’s face changed.

Damian saw it.

“Theodore already told me.”

Samuel said nothing.

Damian stepped closer.

“What about the next seven?”

Samuel looked at Charles.

Charles looked away.

Damian understood.

“Charles asked you.”

Samuel finally answered.

“Yes.”

Victor stared at Charles.

“You told Samuel to keep me away.”

Charles nodded.

“For a time.”

“Ten years is not a time.”

Charles closed his eyes.

Damian looked at Samuel.

“Why did you agree?”

Samuel whispered:

“Because Charles had evidence against me.”

Silence.

Victor laughed once.

“There it is.”

Damian’s face hardened.

“What evidence?”

Samuel looked exhausted.

“I helped create shell companies for Adrian.”

Damian stared.

“You worked for my uncle.”

“Yes.”

“While advising me.”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Before Victor disappeared.”

Theodore whispered:

“My God.”

Samuel continued.

“I thought they were tax structures.”

Victor laughed.

“You knew.”

Samuel looked at him.

“I knew later.”

Damian said:

“And still stayed.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Samuel looked at him.

“Because once you are inside something like that, leaving is not a door.”

Damian stared.

“No.”

He shook his head.

“That is what cowards call a hallway.”

Samuel flinched.

Charles stepped forward.

“Damian.”

He turned.

Charles held out his phone.

A message.

From Adrian.

One line:

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BRING VICTOR TO THE LAURENT ARCHIVE OR BIANCA DIES.

Damian stopped breathing.