Chapter 4 - The Man Who Disappeared Twice

Damian did not call Charles’s security.

He called his own.

Then the police.

Charles looked furious.

“You are turning a private matter into a spectacle.”

Damian stared at him.

“You made a birth into a private matter.”

Claire stood beside Damian.

For the first time.

Not beside Charles.

Damian noticed.

So did Charles.

Marco opened his phone.

“Vincent texted me when he landed.”

He showed Damian.

One sentence.

I HAVE THE ORIGINAL.

Damian frowned.

“Original what?”

Marco shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

Dr. Lang did.

His face changed.

Claire saw it.

“You know.”

The old doctor sat down slowly.

“Peter,” Marco said.

Dr. Lang looked at Charles.

Then at the twins.

“The hospital kept a delivery ledger.”

Damian waited.

“Every birth.”

“Yes.”

“Every attending doctor.”

“Yes.”

“Every transfer.”

The doctor nodded.

“And?”

Dr. Lang whispered:

“Claire’s entry was altered.”

Damian stared.

“But the original page existed.”

Charles said:

“It was destroyed.”

Dr. Lang looked at him.

“No.”

Charles turned.

“What?”

“I gave it to Vincent.”

Silence.

Bianca whispered:

“When?”

“Thirty-three years ago.”

Charles’s face changed completely.

Dr. Lang continued.

“I was afraid.”

Damian laughed without humor.

“You were afraid after helping steal her?”

“Yes.”

“So you made a copy?”

“No.”

The doctor looked at Claire.

“I removed the original page.”

Claire stared.

“Why?”

“Because I wanted one thing Charles could never erase.”

Charles stepped toward him.

“You told me it burned.”

“I lied.”

Damian looked at Marco.

“Vincent has the only original record proving Claire left the hospital alive.”

Marco nodded.

“And proving who authorized it.”

Everyone looked at Charles.

He went still.

Damian asked:

“Whose signature?”

Dr. Lang answered.

“Charles Morel.”

Bianca closed her eyes.

Claire looked away.

Charles said:

“My wife signed too.”

Dr. Lang shook his head.

“No.”

Charles stared at him.

“She never knew.”

Bianca opened her eyes.

“What?”

Dr. Lang looked at her.

“Your mother believed Claire came through a legal private adoption.”

Claire whispered:

“Mom didn’t know?”

“No.”

Charles’s voice hardened.

“Leave my wife out of this.”

Claire turned on him.

“You used her too.”

“She loved you.”

“I know.”

Claire’s voice broke.

“And you built that love on a lie.”

A detective called Damian.

Vincent’s rental car had been found.

No blood.

No signs of struggle.

His luggage was still inside.

But the passenger door was open.

Damian asked:

“Cameras?”

The detective answered.

“One vehicle followed him from the airport.”

“What vehicle?”

A pause.

Then:

“A black sedan registered to Morel Holdings.”

Every face turned toward Charles.

Bianca whispered:

“Dad?”

Charles looked confused.

“I did not send anyone.”

Damian watched him.

For the first time, he believed that sentence might be true.

Marco noticed too.

“Who has access to your company vehicles?”

Charles hesitated.

“My executive staff.”

“Names.”

Charles did not answer.

Bianca did.

“Julian Cross.”

Damian frowned.

Charles’s chief legal officer.

Fifty-eight.

Quiet.

Always present.

The man who had handled every Morel family trust.

Claire looked at her father.

“Julian knows?”

Charles sat down.

“He knows everything.”

Marco’s expression sharpened.

“Everything?”

Charles nodded.

“Vincent’s payment.”

“Claire?”

“Yes.”

“The false death record?”

“Yes.”

Dr. Lang whispered:

“Then he knows the ledger destroys him too.”

Damian looked at the doctor.

“Why?”

Dr. Lang answered:

“Because the hospital administrator who approved the transfer was Julian’s father.”

Silence.

Another family.

Another lie.

Damian’s phone rang again.

This time it was Rachel.

Me.

I had returned to the gala because Damian’s security chief asked me to collect Bianca’s coat and Claire’s purse.

I was standing near the service corridor.

Julian Cross was there.

He had changed clothes.

Dark coat.

Gloves.

And he was carrying a yellow hospital folder.

Damian answered.

“Rachel?”

I whispered:

“Mr. Cross is leaving through the kitchen.”

Damian’s voice changed.

“Do not follow him.”

I looked through the doorway.

Julian stopped.

He turned his head.

He had heard me.

I stepped back.

Too late.

He looked directly at me.

Then smiled.

“Rachel.”

Damian heard him through the phone.

“Move,” he said.

I ran.

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Behind me, Julian called:

“You really should have escorted the doctor out when Bianca asked.”