CHAPTER 7 — THE RECORDING
CHAPTER 7 — THE RECORDING
For several seconds, Julian could not move.
He stared at Martha.
She stared back.
The woman who had raised him.
The woman who had held him when he was sick.
The woman who had taught him to ride a bicycle, sign his name, and never trust a stranger who smiled too quickly.
His entire life suddenly felt like a story someone else had written.
“You said…” Julian swallowed. “You said I wasn't Victor's son.”
Martha closed her eyes.
“I said you weren't his biological son.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“No.”
“Then who is?”
Martha's hands began trembling.
“I don't know.”
Julian's voice hardened.
“You don't know?”
“I know who your biological father was.”
“Who?”
She looked toward the study.
“Your father recorded everything.”
Julian frowned.
“Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Martha didn't answer.
Then the piano clicked again.
Everyone turned.
The hidden compartment had opened wider.
A small red light blinked beneath the keyboard.
Julian walked toward it.
“What is that?”
Martha whispered:
“A recorder.”
Julian removed the device.
It was old.
A small digital recorder encased in black metal.
There was a single button.
PLAY.
He pressed it.
Static filled the room.
Then a man's voice emerged.
Julian recognized it instantly.
His father's voice.
Older than he remembered.
Tired.
Afraid.
“If you're hearing this, Julian, then I failed to protect you.”
Julian's breath caught.
Martha covered her mouth.
Richard was not there to interrupt them.
For once, there was nothing between Julian and the truth.
Victor continued.
“I need you to understand something before you hear the rest. Your mother loves you. Whatever she tells you tonight, remember that.”
Julian looked at Martha.
She was crying silently.
“The man you believe is your father is not your biological father.”
Julian closed his eyes.
The words still hurt even though Martha had already told him.
But hearing them from Victor made them real.
“I discovered this when you were six months old.”
Julian's eyes opened.
Six months.
He had been raised under a lie almost from birth.
Victor continued.
“Martha had been threatened. Someone had information about her pregnancy. They wanted her to give up the child.”
Julian turned toward his mother.
“Who?”
She couldn't answer.
The recording continued.
“I agreed to raise Julian as my own because the alternative was worse.”
Static crackled.
Then Victor spoke again.
“The truth about his biological father is dangerous.”
Julian leaned closer.
“His name is Daniel Laurent.”
Bianca's father.
Julian froze.
Evelyn stepped backward.
“No…”
Martha whispered:
“Victor never told me he had recorded that.”
Julian stopped the recording.
The room exploded into silence.
Bianca's father.
The man everyone believed was dead.
The man whose name had appeared in the family records.
The man connected to Evelyn.
The man whose daughter had just tried to manipulate Julian into marriage.
Julian looked at Evelyn.
“You knew.”
She shook her head.
“I knew Daniel was connected to your father.”
“But you didn't know he was my biological father?”
“No.”
Julian looked toward Martha.
“Did you?”
Martha cried.
“Yes.”
Julian stepped back.
“You knew my entire life.”
“I was protecting you.”
“You keep saying that.”
His voice cracked.
“Everyone keeps saying they're protecting me.”
Martha reached for him.
He stepped away.
“I deserved the truth.”
“Yes.”
“You should have told me.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
Martha looked down.
“When you turned eighteen.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because Victor disappeared.”
Julian stopped.
“What does Dad disappearing have to do with my birth?”
Martha looked at the recorder.
“Everything.”
Julian pressed play again.
Victor's voice returned.
“Daniel Laurent knew about Julian.”
Julian's face hardened.
“He wanted his son back.”
The word echoed through the room.
His son.
“I refused.”
Static.
“Daniel threatened to expose everything.”
Julian looked at Evelyn.
She was crying now.
“He said he would destroy Martha, Julian, and everyone connected to the Hale family.”
Victor's breathing became heavier.
“I made a decision I regret.”
The recording paused.
Then:
“I paid Daniel to disappear.”
Julian stared at the recorder.
“You paid him?”
Martha nodded slowly.
Victor continued.
“The money came from Horizon Trust.”
Julian's stomach tightened.
The same account.
The same fortune.
The same hidden money everyone had been fighting over.
“But Daniel didn't disappear.”
Static.
“He took the money and went underground.”
Julian whispered:
“That's why he's alive.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
Julian looked at her.
“My father is dead.”
“Which father?”
Her question stopped him.
Evelyn's voice was barely audible.
“Daniel Laurent died twelve years ago.”
Julian frowned.
“Then who was Victor paying?”
She looked at the recorder.
“I don't know.”
The recording suddenly changed.
The sound quality became clearer.
Victor was no longer alone.
Another man was speaking.
Julian didn't recognize the voice.
“You should have killed him.”
Victor answered:
“I couldn't.”
“Then your son will eventually pay for your weakness.”
“Leave Julian out of this.”
The other man laughed.
“He's already in it.”
A chair scraped against the floor.
Then Victor said:
“What do you want?”
The answer came slowly.
“The account.”
Julian's blood ran cold.
Horizon Trust.
Again.
“It's not yours.”
“It belongs to the boy.”
“Julian doesn't even know it exists.”
“He will.”
Victor's voice became angry.
“If you touch him—”
The other man interrupted.
“Then give me the account.”
A pause.
Then:
“No.”
The recording ended.
Julian stared at the device.
“Who was that?”
Nobody answered.
Evelyn looked terrified.
Martha was shaking.
Julian turned to her.
“Mom.”
She looked up.
“Do you know that voice?”
Martha hesitated.
Then nodded.
Julian's stomach dropped.
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Richard.”
The door slammed open.
Everyone spun.
Richard stood in the entrance.
He looked calm.
Too calm.
Julian immediately moved in front of Martha.
“You heard it.”
Richard didn't answer.
“You were there.”
Richard looked at the recorder.
“Turn it off.”
Julian laughed.
“You don't get to give orders anymore.”
Richard stepped inside.
“You don't understand what you've found.”
“Then explain it.”
“You're playing with something bigger than you.”
Julian held up the recorder.
“My father knew.”
“Yes.”
“He knew you were threatening him.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about Horizon.”
“Yes.”
“And you knew I was his son.”
Richard's expression changed.
“Not biological.”
Julian froze.
Richard continued:
“I knew.”
Martha whispered:
“Richard, please.”
He looked at her.
“You should have told him years ago.”
“You promised.”
“I promised Victor.”
“Then keep your promise.”
Richard laughed.
“Victor is dead.”
Julian's eyes narrowed.
“Is he?”
Richard stopped.
A dangerous silence followed.
Julian stepped closer.
“Is my father really dead?”
Richard's eyes met his.
“I don't know.”
That answer was worse than a confession.
Richard sat down.
For the first time, he looked old.
Not powerful.
Not dangerous.
Just exhausted.
“Victor discovered something,” he said.
“What?”
“The family fortune wasn't stolen by your grandfather.”
Julian frowned.
“What?”
Richard continued.
“Your grandfather was framed.”
Martha closed her eyes.
Julian stared.
“You're saying the entire story is false?”
“Yes.”
“Then who stole the money?”
Richard looked at him.
“Your father.”
Julian felt as though someone had struck him.
“Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
Julian shook his head.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
Richard looked toward the window.
“Victor discovered that Daniel Laurent was planning to use you.”
“For what?”
“To access Horizon.”
Julian frowned.
“Why would Daniel need me?”
“Because the account was created in your name.”
Julian remembered the documents.
The beneficiary.
JULIAN VICTOR HALE.
Richard continued.
“Only you can legally activate it.”
Julian's voice dropped.
“So everyone has been waiting for me.”
“Yes.”
“For twenty-seven years.”
Richard nodded.
“Your birth was the key.”
Martha suddenly stood.
“That's enough.”
Julian looked at her.
“No.”
“Julian—”
“I want everything.”
Martha's eyes filled with tears.
“Some truths destroy families.”
Julian answered:
“Then maybe the family was already destroyed.”
She flinched.
Richard looked at him.
“You're becoming like Victor.”
“I hope so.”
“You don't know what that means.”
“I know exactly what it means.”
Julian turned toward the piano.
He reached inside the hidden compartment.
There was another object beneath the recorder.
A small silver cassette.
He picked it up.
On the label were two words.
FOR JULIAN.
He inserted it.
The recording began.
Victor's voice was softer this time.
“My son.”
Julian closed his eyes.
“If you've reached this recording, then the people around you have already begun turning against one another.”
A pause.
“There is one thing I need you to know.”
Julian leaned closer.
“Your mother did not betray me.”
Martha began crying.
“She was forced.”
Julian looked at her.
“Someone threatened to take you from her.”
Static.
“And that person is still alive.”
Julian's heart raced.
Victor continued.
“His name is not Richard.”
Richard looked up sharply.
Julian froze.
“Richard was only a messenger.”
A long pause.
Then Victor said:
“The person behind everything is someone you already trust.”
The recording ended.
Nobody moved.
Julian looked at Martha.
Then Richard.
Then Evelyn.
Then toward the hallway.
The mansion suddenly felt full of ghosts.
Someone he trusted.
Someone close.
Someone who had access to the house.
The family.
The money.
The accounts.
The engagement.
The fake pregnancy.
The attempted murder.
Julian's mind raced through every possibility.
Then he remembered something.
Bianca.
She had known too much.
She had access to the family.
She knew about the account.
She knew about the succession documents.
She knew about the hidden nursery.
And she had disappeared.
Julian grabbed his phone.
“Where is Bianca?”
Richard didn't answer.
Martha looked frightened.
Evelyn whispered:
“She wasn't working alone.”
Julian turned.
“What?”
Evelyn reached into her coat.
She pulled out a photograph.
It showed Bianca standing beside a man.
Julian recognized him.
His blood turned cold.
It was the man whose voice had appeared on the recording.
The man Victor had feared.
The man Richard had served.
Julian stared at the photograph.
“Who is he?”
Evelyn answered:
“Your father's lawyer.”
Julian frowned.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“He died twenty years ago.”
Julian looked closer.
The photograph had been taken recently.
The timestamp was from six months earlier.
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten name.
Samuel Hale.
Julian's grandfather.
Dead for twenty-seven years.
Yet standing beside Bianca.
Alive.
Julian's phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice spoke.
“Julian.”
He knew the voice.
The same voice from the recording.
Julian's entire body went rigid.
“Who are you?”
The man laughed softly.
“You're asking the wrong question.”
“Where is Bianca?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“She has something you need.”
“What?”
“Your mother's medical file.”
Julian looked toward Martha.
The man continued:
“Because the pregnancy was fake.”
A pause.
“But the diagnosis wasn't.”
Julian's face went pale.
“What diagnosis?”
The man whispered:
“Ask your mother why she was told she couldn't have children.”
The call ended.
Julian slowly lowered the phone.
Martha looked at him.
She knew.
He could see it in her eyes.
“Mom…”
She began to cry.
Julian's voice broke.
“What did the doctors tell you?”
Martha whispered:
“They told me you were never supposed to exist.”
And from somewhere beneath the mansion came a loud metallic sound.
CLANG.
The hidden vault had opened.
A red light appeared beneath the floor.
Then another message appeared on Julian's phone.
COME ALONE.
May you like
VAULT 714.
YOUR FATHER IS WAITING.
