Chapter 8 — The Man Julian Was Ordered to Betray
Chapter 8 — The Man Julian Was Ordered to Betray
The photograph stayed open on my phone for almost a full minute.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
I could only stare at Lily.
My daughter was alive.
She was sitting beside a man with silver hair.
Gabriel.
My real father.
The man I had spent my entire life believing was either dead, fictional, or buried beneath someone else's name.
He was holding Lily's hand.
And Lily was smiling.
That smile destroyed me.
Not because she looked frightened.
Because she looked safe.
She had been taken from me.
Yet somehow, wherever she was, she wasn't crying.
I zoomed in.
Gabriel was looking directly at the camera.
His expression was calm.
Almost sad.
Like he had known for years that one day I would see this photograph.
Then I noticed something else.
A black orchid was pinned to his jacket.
My mother's symbol.
My blood ran cold.
“Where is she?”
Julian stood across from me.
He looked at the photograph.
Then at Richard.
Neither man answered.
I raised my voice.
“Where is my daughter?”
Richard looked toward Julian.
Julian finally spoke.
“I don't know.”
“You just told me Gabriel is alive.”
“Yes.”
“And now I have a picture of him with Lily.”
“Yes.”
“So someone knows where she is.”
“Yes.”
“Then why don't you?”
Julian's jaw tightened.
“Because Gabriel doesn't trust me anymore.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because I was ordered to betray him.”
We moved into a private conference room.
My grandmother remained under guard.
Richard stood beside the window.
Julian closed the door.
I placed the photograph on the table.
“Start at the beginning.”
Julian said nothing.
“Not the version you've been feeding me.”
He nodded slowly.
“The truth.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me who ordered you.”
“My father.”
I frowned.
“Daniel?”
“No.”
“Your biological father?”
“Gabriel.”
I stared.
“You were ordered by Gabriel to betray Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It will.”
Julian sat down.
“Six months ago, Gabriel contacted me.”
“Why?”
“He knew Daniel had discovered the Black Orchid account.”
“Did he know about me?”
“He knew everything about you.”
“And Lily?”
“Yes.”
My heart tightened.
“Why didn't he come to me?”
“Because he believed coming near you would put you in greater danger.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“I know.”
“And meanwhile my daughter was taken.”
Julian looked down.
“I know.”
“Where was Gabriel?”
“Moving between safe houses.”
“Doing what?”
“Trying to destroy Daniel's network.”
I stared.
“How?”
“By exposing the people who funded it.”
“Did he succeed?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because someone inside his organization betrayed him.”
I looked at Richard.
“Who?”
Julian shook his head.
“We never identified them.”
“Then how did Gabriel disappear?”
“He planned it.”
“Why?”
“To make Daniel believe he was dead.”
I frowned.
“And you helped him.”
“Yes.”
“So why would he think you betrayed him?”
Julian's eyes hardened.
“Because I was supposed to.”
Six months earlier.
Julian had received a call at 3:12 a.m.
No caller ID.
A single sentence.
Come alone.
He knew immediately who it was.
Gabriel Vale.
Julian drove to an abandoned warehouse near the Hudson.
The building had been empty for years.
No electricity.
No security.
No cameras.
Or so Julian thought.
He entered.
Gabriel was standing beside a wooden table.
Older than the photographs.
Silver hair.
A scar running beneath his left eye.
He looked at Julian for several seconds.
Then:
“You're late.”
Julian smiled faintly.
“You're supposed to be dead.”
“So are you.”
Julian stopped.
“What?”
Gabriel placed a folder on the table.
Inside were photographs.
Julian.
Maya.
Lily.
Richard.
Daniel.
“You've been watched for months.”
“By whom?”
“Everyone.”
Julian opened the folder.
“What do you want?”
Gabriel looked toward the window.
“I want you to betray me.”
Julian stared.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel believes you're loyal to me.”
“I am.”
Gabriel's expression softened.
“That is why you are useful.”
He pushed a second folder forward.
“Tomorrow, you're going to give Daniel this.”
Julian opened it.
Bank records.
Transfer documents.
Travel routes.
Security schedules.
“All false.”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“To convince Daniel I'm preparing to leave the country.”
“And then?”
“He'll come after me.”
Julian looked at him.
“And you want me to help him find you.”
“Yes.”
“That's suicide.”
Gabriel smiled.
“Only if I intend to be found.”
Back in the conference room, I stared at Julian.
“So you betrayed him.”
“On paper.”
“You gave Daniel his location.”
“A false location.”
“You gave him documents.”
“False documents.”
“You told him where Gabriel was going.”
“A place Gabriel had already abandoned.”
“And Daniel believed you?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Richard.
“Then why did Daniel order you to kill him?”
Richard answered.
“Because Daniel eventually discovered the deception.”
Julian nodded.
“He realized Gabriel had used me.”
“So he ordered you to kill him.”
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Julian looked at me.
“Because Gabriel wasn't the only person I was protecting.”
I already knew the answer.
“Me.”
“Yes.”
Julian continued.
“Daniel told me if I didn't kill Gabriel, he would release everything.”
“What everything?”
“Evidence tying your family to Black Orchid.”
I stared.
“And you refused.”
“Yes.”
“So Daniel targeted me.”
“He targeted Lily.”
My throat tightened.
“Why?”
“Because he knew you would come after her.”
“Then why is she with Gabriel?”
Julian hesitated.
“Because Gabriel took her first.”
I slammed my hand against the table.
“He took my daughter?”
“To protect her.”
“You don't get to call kidnapping protection.”
“I know.”
“Did Lily know who he was?”
“No.”
“Then why was she smiling?”
“Because Gabriel told her a story.”
“What story?”
“That he was an old friend of her mother's.”
I closed my eyes.
My daughter had been taken from me.
But she wasn't terrified.
That was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
Richard finally spoke.
“There is something else.”
I turned.
“What?”
He pulled out another photograph.
It showed Gabriel standing beside Lily.
But this time, someone else was visible behind them.
A woman.
My mother's face.
Older.
Alive.
I stared.
“No.”
Richard nodded.
“That's what I was trying to tell you.”
My hands began shaking.
“My mother is alive?”
“I don't know.”
“You said she was dead.”
“I said everyone believed she was.”
“Who is the woman?”
Richard looked at Julian.
Julian's expression became unreadable.
“That's Elena.”
I stared.
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
My heart stopped.
The woman in the photograph looked different from the mother I remembered.
Older.
Thinner.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
My mother.
She was standing beside Gabriel.
And Lily was between them.
I whispered:
“When was this taken?”
“Three days ago.”
I looked at Julian.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew.”
“I didn't know she was alive.”
“You helped Gabriel.”
“Yes.”
“And you never asked about my mother?”
“I did.”
“What did he say?”
Julian looked away.
“He said she was safe.”
I felt betrayed all over again.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Gabriel asked me not to.”
“And you obeyed.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he saved my life.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
Julian took a breath.
“Twenty years ago, I was sixteen.”
He looked toward the window.
“My father wanted me to become part of his organization.”
“Daniel?”
“No. Gabriel.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel had already begun manipulating the Vance family.”
Julian's voice became quieter.
“Gabriel wanted me away from that world.”
“What happened?”
“Daniel found out.”
Julian looked at me.
“He tried to kill me.”
Twenty years earlier.
Julian had been sixteen.
He remembered the smell of gasoline.
The warehouse.
The locked door.
The sound of footsteps outside.
Daniel's voice.
“You were always Gabriel's favorite.”
Julian had been terrified.
He had begged.
Daniel had laughed.
Then the door opened.
Gabriel entered.
He shot two men.
Dragged Julian out.
And carried him to safety.
That night, Gabriel made him promise something.
“Never become like me.”
Julian had asked:
“What are you?”
Gabriel answered:
“A man who waited too long to become good.”
Back in the present, Julian looked exhausted.
“He raised me after that.”
I stared.
“Then why did you help him disappear?”
“Because he asked.”
“And why did he trust you?”
“Because I had spent twenty years proving I would betray anyone except him.”
I didn't know whether to trust Julian anymore.
That was the worst part.
He had lied.
But perhaps every lie had been meant to protect someone.
Maybe.
Or perhaps that was exactly how people like Daniel survived.
They made lies sound noble.
At 3:40 a.m., the hospital lights flickered.
My grandmother woke suddenly.
She grabbed my wrist.
“Don't go.”
“Where?”
“Gabriel.”
I looked at her.
“What about him?”
“He isn't alone.”
“Who is with him?”
She whispered:
“Your mother.”
I stared.
“Where?”
My grandmother's eyes widened.
“Not where you think.”
“What does that mean?”
“He wants you to believe Lily is with him.”
“She is.”
“Yes.”
“Then where is my mother?”
My grandmother struggled to breathe.
“Your mother isn't with Gabriel.”
I froze.
“Then who is?”
She looked toward the door.
“Daniel.”
The lights went out.
Again.
This time, I heard footsteps.
Heavy.
Fast.
A security alarm began screaming.
Julian pulled his weapon.
Richard grabbed me.
“Stay down.”
The hallway erupted with shouting.
Then glass shattered.
A guard yelled.
Someone fired.
Julian pushed me behind the wall.
“Don't move.”
I looked at my grandmother.
She was still in bed.
A figure appeared in the doorway.
Black coat.
Mask.
Gun.
Julian fired.
The figure disappeared.
Then another appeared.
Richard fired.
The second man fell.
I stared at Richard.
He had never looked more serious.
“Richard.”
“Stay behind me.”
The words sounded strange coming from him.
But for once, I believed him.
Julian reached the bed.
“We're leaving.”
“My grandmother—”
“She's coming.”
We moved.
Then a voice came through the hospital speakers.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Almost amused.
“Maya.”
I froze.
Daniel.
“Your daughter is alive.”
My blood ran cold.
“Leave my family alone.”
A laugh echoed through the corridor.
“You still think this is about money.”
“What do you want?”
“Your ring.”
I looked down.
The orchid.
“Why?”
“Because your father hid something inside it.”
I stared.
“What?”
“The location.”
“Of what?”
“Your inheritance.”
I shook my head.
“I don't care about the money.”
Daniel laughed.
“You will.”
“Where is Lily?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Ask your real father.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me speak to him.”
Silence.
Then Daniel said:
“You already have.”
I froze.
“What?”
“The man beside you.”
I looked at Julian.
My heart stopped.
Daniel continued:
“Julian Vale.”
Julian's face changed.
“He is not Gabriel's son.”
I stared.
“What?”
Daniel laughed.
“He is Gabriel.”
The line went dead.
Nobody spoke.
The hallway seemed frozen.
I looked at Julian.
“Tell me he's lying.”
Julian didn't answer.
“Julian.”
He closed his eyes.
Then slowly removed the ring from his finger.
A second ring.
Identical to mine.
The same orchid.
The same engraving.
My stomach dropped.
“What is that?”
He looked at me.
“Your father gave it to me.”
“Why?”
“To prove who I was.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Who are you?”
Julian stepped closer.
His eyes were full of something I had never seen before.
Fear.
Regret.
Love.
Then he whispered:
“My name isn't Julian Vale.”
I stared.
“My name is Gabriel.”
Everything inside me stopped.
The man I had trusted.
The man who had protected me.
The man who had stood beside me through every secret.
Was the man I had spent twenty-nine years searching for.
My father.
And before I could speak, my phone vibrated.
A new message.
A photograph.
Lily.
Still alive.
Standing beside my mother.
And beneath it:
COME HOME, MAYA.
YOUR FAMILY IS WAITING.
I looked up at Gabriel.
He was crying.
May you like
For the first time, the man who had spent his life hiding from me had nowhere left to run.
And neither did I.
