Chapter 7 — Sydney’s Secret
Chapter 7 — Sydney’s Secret
By the time I returned to the hotel, the wedding reception had stopped feeling like a celebration.
It felt like a courtroom with flowers.
The band was still playing, but nobody was dancing.
The guests were whispering.
The police had blocked one of the service entrances.
My father was nowhere to be seen.
My mother sat alone at Table Thirty-One, staring at her phone.
Jason stood beside the ballroom doors with two officers nearby.
And Sydney was gone.
Terrence noticed first.
“Where is she?”
I looked toward the table.
Her chair was empty.
My heart tightened.
“She was in the medical room.”
“Not anymore.”
We crossed the ballroom.
My mother looked up.
“Where have you been?”
“Where's Sydney?”
She hesitated.
“She left.”
“With whom?”
“I don't know.”
I stared at her.
“You're her mother.”
“She said she needed air.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don't know.”
Terrence stepped forward.
“You're lying.”
My mother glared at him.
“You have no right to speak to me like that.”
“You knew.”
She froze.
“You knew about Jason.”
My mother looked away.
Terrence's voice became quieter.
“You knew the baby wasn't mine.”
My mother said nothing.
That silence was an answer.
Terrence stepped backward.
I put a hand on his arm.
“Don't.”
He looked at me.
“I need to know where she went.”
“We'll find her.”
“How?”
I looked around the ballroom.
Then I saw the security manager.
“Cameras.”
He immediately understood.
“We can check them.”
“Now.”
The security office was three floors below the ballroom.
The manager pulled up the footage.
“We have cameras covering every public area.”
“What about the private corridors?”
“Most of them.”
“Show me the medical room.”
He rewound the footage.
At 9:31 p.m., Sydney entered the medical room.
Terrence followed.
At 9:48 p.m., Terrence left.
At 9:53 p.m., my mother entered.
My stomach tightened.
“She went in alone.”
The footage continued.
My mother stayed for six minutes.
Then she left.
At 10:02 p.m., Sydney walked out.
She wasn't alone.
A man was beside her.
Black suit.
Gray hair.
Silver tie.
I froze.
The man from the ballroom.
The man who had been watching me.
Terrence leaned toward the screen.
“Who is that?”
“I don't know.”
The security manager enlarged the image.
The man's face became clearer.
I recognized him.
Not personally.
Professionally.
His photograph had appeared in an industry article three years earlier.
Victor Blackwell.
The founder of Blackwell Advisory.
The same company Jason had named.
My blood went cold.
“That's him.”
Terrence looked at me.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The security manager looked confused.
“Who is he?”
I didn't answer.
I was watching the screen.
Victor was saying something to Sydney.
She looked frightened.
Then she nodded.
He handed her something.
A small envelope.
Sydney put it inside her purse.
Then they walked toward the service elevator.
The footage ended.
I turned toward the manager.
“Where does that elevator go?”
“Parking garage.”
“Show me.”
He switched cameras.
The elevator opened.
Sydney stepped out.
Victor followed.
They walked toward a black sedan.
Then Sydney stopped.
She turned around.
Victor said something.
Sydney shook her head.
Then she got into the car.
Victor followed.
The car left the garage.
I looked at Terrence.
“He took her.”
Terrence shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“She went willingly.”
I stared at the screen.
He was right.
Sydney had walked beside him.
She had never tried to run.
Never screamed.
Never asked for help.
She had gone because she knew him.
Which meant this wasn't the first time they had met.
My attorney entered the security office.
“I found you.”
I turned.
“Blackwell.”
She frowned.
“What about him?”
I pointed at the screen.
“He took Sydney.”
She watched the footage.
Her expression changed.
“That's Victor Blackwell.”
“Yes.”
“Then we're in more trouble than I thought.”
“Why?”
She looked at me.
“Because Blackwell Advisory isn't a consulting company anymore.”
“What is it?”
“It's a shell network.”
“For what?”
“Asset acquisition.”
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of assets?”
“Companies.”
“Data.”
“Intellectual property.”
“Real estate.”
She paused.
“People.”
I stared at her.
“People?”
“They recruit executives.”
“Then compromise them.”
“Then use them to gain access to companies.”
I looked at the screen again.
“Jason.”
She nodded.
“Probably.”
“And Sydney?”
“Possibly.”
I felt sick.
“My family was working with them.”
“Yes.”
“Or they were being used by them.”
She looked at me.
“Maybe both.”
Terrence suddenly asked:
“What about the baby?”
My attorney looked confused.
I told her.
“Sydney is pregnant.”
She stared.
“Jason is the father.”
Her eyes widened.
“And Victor knows?”
“He took her.”
“Then the baby could be leverage.”
Terrence's face hardened.
“We need to find her.”
“We will.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“We need to find her now.”
My attorney nodded.
“I'll contact the police.”
“Do it.”
She left.
Terrence looked at me.
“I don't care what she did.”
I knew what he meant.
“She needs help.”
He nodded.
“She betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“But that doesn't mean I want her hurt.”
I looked at him.
“You're a better man than she deserves.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at the empty monitor.
“I'm just not going to become someone I hate.”
At 11:18 p.m., my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
Sydney's voice.
“Meline.”
I stood.
“Where are you?”
“Don't ask.”
“Are you safe?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“Is Victor with you?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
Terrence stepped closer.
I put the call on speaker.
“Sydney, listen to me.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“He knows.”
“Knows what?”
“Everything.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does he know?”
“The company.”
“The loan.”
“The trust.”
“And…”
Her voice broke.
“Dad.”
I closed my eyes.
“What about Dad?”
“He wasn't trying to steal your company.”
“What?”
“He was trying to get something from you.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
“Then why did he use the loan?”
“Because he needed access.”
“To what?”
Silence.
“Sydney?”
She whispered:
“Your first company.”
I looked at my attorney.
She wasn't there.
Only Terrence and me.
“What about it?”
“There's a server.”
My heart stopped.
“A server?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“Who does?”
“Dad.”
“What does it contain?”
Sydney began crying.
“Everything.”
“Everything what?”
“Every client.”
“Every transaction.”
“Every stolen file.”
I felt cold.
“Dad's data archive.”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“I don't know.”
“Why are you telling me?”
Her breathing became unsteady.
“Because Victor is going to kill me.”
Terrence stepped forward.
“Where are you?”
Sydney went silent.
Then whispered:
“Under the old courthouse.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“There is a tunnel.”
“Where?”
“Beneath the courthouse.”
I looked at Terrence.
“Stay where you are.”
“I can't.”
“Sydney—”
The call ended.
The old courthouse was fifteen minutes away.
We arrived at 11:34 p.m.
Police followed us.
My attorney arrived separately.
The building had been closed for years.
Its windows were boarded.
The entrance was locked.
But there was a side door.
Open.
I looked at Terrence.
“This is a trap.”
“I know.”
“Then we shouldn't go inside.”
He stared at me.
“Your sister is inside.”
I nodded.
“Let's go.”
We entered.
The hallway smelled like dust.
Our footsteps echoed.
A staircase descended beneath the building.
At the bottom was a steel door.
It was unlocked.
Behind it was a narrow tunnel.
I turned on my flashlight.
“Stay close.”
We moved forward.
Twenty yards.
Thirty.
Then we heard voices.
A man's voice.
Victor.
“You should have told me sooner.”
Sydney's voice answered.
“I was scared.”
“You were supposed to be loyal.”
“I am.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“You were supposed to be useful.”
Terrence clenched his fists.
We moved closer.
I held up my hand.
Wait.
Victor continued.
“Your father promised me the archive.”
Sydney whispered:
“He couldn't get it.”
“Then you were supposed to get it.”
“I tried.”
“You failed.”
“I can't access it.”
“You can.”
“No.”
Victor laughed.
“You're carrying the one thing that gives me leverage.”
Silence.
Then Sydney whispered:
“The baby?”
“Yes.”
My blood ran cold.
Terrence looked at me.
Victor continued:
“If you don't get the archive, the child disappears.”
Sydney began crying.
“You promised you wouldn't hurt my baby.”
“I promised nothing.”
Terrence started forward.
I grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
Victor continued.
“And if your sister refuses to cooperate…”
He paused.
“…she will learn what happens to people who protect the Harper family.”
I heard a click.
A gun.
Terrence pulled free.
We rushed around the corner.
“Police!”
Victor turned.
Sydney screamed.
The tunnel exploded into chaos.
Victor grabbed Sydney.
He pressed the gun against her stomach.
“Stay back!”
Everyone froze.
Terrence's face went white.
“Let her go.”
Victor smiled.
“This is the problem with decent men.”
He looked at me.
“They always think morality makes them strong.”
I stared at him.
“What do you want?”
“The archive.”
“I don't have it.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No.”
He laughed.
“You don't even know what you inherited.”
I looked at Sydney.
She was shaking.
“Let her go.”
“Give me access.”
“To what?”
“Your first company.”
I shook my head.
“I don't know where the server is.”
Victor smiled.
“Ask your father.”
“My father isn't here.”
“He doesn't need to be.”
He pointed the gun toward Sydney's stomach.
“He already told me.”
My heart stopped.
“Told you what?”
Victor smiled.
“The server isn't hidden in a building.”
He looked at me.
“It is hidden in a person.”
I stared.
“What person?”
Victor's eyes moved toward Sydney.
She closed her eyes.
I suddenly understood.
“No.”
Victor nodded.
“Yes.”
Sydney whispered:
“Meline…”
I looked at her.
“What?”
Her face was covered in tears.
“I've had it the whole time.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What do you mean?”
She touched her stomach.
“The access key.”
Silence.
“The key to your father's archive.”
I stared at her.
“Dad put it inside you?”
She nodded.
“Not physically.”
She swallowed.
“Genetically.”
My mind raced.
Victor smiled.
“Now you understand.”
I didn't.
Not completely.
But the pieces were connecting.
The pregnancy.
The secret.
Jason.
The loan.
The company.
The archive.
The family.
All of it.
Then Sydney said something that made my blood run cold.
“The baby isn't Jason's.”
Terrence froze.
I stared at her.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“I lied.”
“You said Jason was the father.”
“I needed everyone to believe that.”
“Then whose baby is it?”
Sydney looked toward Victor.
Victor smiled.
And Terrence whispered:
“No.”
Sydney began crying.
“The baby's father is…”
She stopped.
A gunshot echoed through the tunnel.
Victor collapsed.
Everyone screamed.
Sydney fell to her knees.
I ran toward her.
And somewhere in the darkness behind us, someone whispered:
“You should never have come here.”
I turned.
The tunnel was empty.
Except for one thing.
A small black envelope lying on the floor.
On it was my name.
May you like
And beneath my name, four words:
THE REAL FATHER KNOWS.
