Chapter 5 - Elias Admitted He Had Been Watching Jake Since Birth—and the First Thing He Did Was Beg Me to Forgive the Son He Had Failed to ProtectElias showed me records.
Jake's childhood.
School.
Medical history.
Friends.
Trips.
Every major event.
Someone had watched him his entire life.
“Why?”
“To protect him.”
“From The Circle?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let Rebecca's family touch him?”
“I didn't know they were acting independently.”
“That's your excuse?”
“No.”
Elias lowered his eyes.
“I failed.”
That surprised me.
Men like Elias rarely admitted failure.
He showed me a photograph.
Jake as a baby.
Elias standing across the room.
Rebecca holding him.
My father in the background.
The three of them had known.
I hadn't.
That was hard to accept.
“You should have told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because your father believed the moment you knew the truth, you'd become their target.”
“I was already their target.”
“Yes.”
He looked at me.
“But now you know enough to fight back.”
We returned to the compound.
Jake was awake.
I showed him the letter.
He read it silently.
Then asked:
“Is Grandpa really alive?”
“No.”
“Then why did he write this?”
“He left it before he died.”
Jake swallowed.
“I miss him.”
I sat beside him.
“So do I.”
He looked at me.
“Dad?”
“What?”
“I'm sorry.”
“You don't apologize for being attacked.”
“I should have told you about the box.”
“Yes.”
He winced.
“But I understand why you didn't.”
He looked surprised.
“You do?”
“You thought you were protecting me.”
He nodded.
“That's what grown men always think.”
I smiled.
“Maybe.”
Then I asked:
“What exactly did your grandfather tell you?”
Jake thought.
“He said if anyone ever asked about the box, I should say I didn't have it.”
“Why?”
“Because the person asking would already know too much.”
I stared.
That line felt important.
“Who did he expect to ask?”
“Mom.”
That meant my father had expected Rebecca to betray Jake eventually.
Maybe he knew she would be forced.
Maybe he had planned around it.
Then Jake said:
“There was one more thing.”
“What?”
“He told me if anything happened to me, I should trust Dad.”
My chest tightened.
I touched his shoulder.
“I've got you.”
That night, the Circle sent a message.
Bring Jake to the old courthouse.
“No.”
The second message:
Or Rebecca dies.
I stared at the screen.
Rebecca was still inside my compound.
But when I checked the room, she was gone.
Her guards were unconscious.
The security system had been bypassed.
A third message arrived.
You have one hour.
Jake looked at me.
“Dad.”
“No.”
“I can help.”
“You're injured.”
“I know.”
“You're staying here.”
“I won't.”
I looked at him.
For a second, I saw myself at nineteen.
Stubborn.
Angry.
Convinced I could handle everything.
Maybe he really was my son.
He stood.
“I'm coming.”
I sighed.
May you like
“Fine.”
But if they wanted Jake, they would have to get through me first.
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