Chapter 7 - The Man Adrien Buried Eleven Years Ago Walked Onto the Stage and Called Him SonThe world stopped.
Adrien couldn't move.
The man standing under the spotlight was older.
Much older.
His hair was almost entirely gray.
His face was thinner.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
Richard Vale.
Adrien's father.
Dead for eleven years.
Adrien whispered,
“No.”
Richard smiled.
“Hello, son.”
Elena looked between them.
“You're alive.”
Richard nodded.
“I was never officially alive.”
Adrien took a step forward.
“You died.”
“I disappeared.”
“You let me bury you.”
“I had to.”
Adrien's voice cracked.
“Why?”
Richard looked at Thomas.
“Because he would have killed you.”
Thomas suddenly tried to leave.
Federal agents blocked him.
Richard continued.
“Thomas built everything through fear.”
“But you let him.”
“I was trying to destroy him from inside.”
Adrien laughed bitterly.
“You destroyed your own family.”
Richard lowered his head.
“I know.”
Adrien's eyes filled.
“My mother.”
“She helped me.”
“You told me she was dead.”
“I needed you to stop looking.”
Adrien shook his head.
“I spent eleven years believing you were both gone.”
“I know.”
“You missed birthdays.”
“I know.”
“My graduation.”
“I know.”
“You missed everything.”
Richard said nothing.
Adrien turned away.
Elena approached him.
She touched his arm.
He looked at her.
For the first time, there was no billionaire standing there.
No ruthless investor.
Only a son who had spent half his life mourning a lie.
Richard said quietly,
“Adrien.”
He didn't turn.
“What?”
“You have to know something else.”
Adrien closed his eyes.
“Of course there is.”
“Your company isn't yours.”
Adrien looked back.
“What?”
“Not yet.”
Richard pointed to the drive.
“The original ownership structure was hidden.”
Adrien frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Thomas designed it.”
Richard walked forward.
“Your company was built on three trusts.”
“One for me.”
“One for Marco.”
“One for Isabella.”
Adrien stared.
“Three families.”
“Yes.”
“And Thomas?”
“He had no legal claim.”
Adrien looked at Elena.
“Then how did he control everything?”
“Through forged signatures.”
Richard looked toward Sabrina.
“She helped him.”
Sabrina began to cry.
“My father threatened my family.”
Richard nodded.
“I know.”
Adrien stared at her.
“You were going to marry me.”
“I loved you.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I did.”
Adrien's voice was quiet.
“But you chose him.”
Sabrina wiped her tears.
“I thought if I gave him the Calder transfer, he would leave us alone.”
“And after the wedding?”
“He promised I could leave.”
Adrien looked at her with exhausted disbelief.
“You believed Thomas?”
“No.”
She looked toward the floor.
“That's why I was sending the evidence to the FBI.”
Adrien froze.
“You?”
Sabrina nodded.
“I was helping them.”
Elena stared.
“Then why threaten me?”
“Because Thomas was watching me.”
“So the messages…”
“Were staged.”
Adrien looked at the phone.
A trap.
He had nearly judged her guilty.
Thomas laughed.
“You all really are pathetic.”
Richard turned.
Thomas continued.
“You think the drive matters?”
Adrien raised it.
“It does.”
“No.”
Thomas smiled.
“Because the ledger isn't the evidence.”
Adrien frowned.
“What is?”
Thomas looked at Elena.
“The witness.”
Elena went cold.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Thomas smiled.
“You were six years old when you saw everything.”
Images flashed through Elena's memory.
A warehouse.
Her father shouting.
Her mother crying.
A man wearing a dark coat.
A gun.
A red shipping container.
She grabbed her head.
Adrien caught her.
“Elena.”
“I remember.”
“What?”
She looked at Thomas.
“You killed someone.”
Thomas smiled.
“Who?”
“My father.”
“You saw it?”
She nodded.
“You were there.”
Thomas laughed.
“A child remembers what she's told.”
“No.”
Elena stepped forward.
“I remember your ring.”
Thomas's smile faded.
“You wore a black ring with a silver V.”
Adrien looked at Thomas.
“Where is it?”
Thomas instinctively touched his right hand.
The ring was there.
Federal agents seized him.
Adrien stared.
Eleven years of lies collapsed in one moment.
Thomas was taken away.
Richard remained.
Adrien looked at him.
“I don't know if I can forgive you.”
Richard nodded.
“You shouldn't.”
Elena stepped forward.
“But you can start telling the truth.”
Richard looked at her.
“You're your father's daughter.”
Adrien looked at Elena.
She smiled.
For the first time that night, he smiled back.
Then Daniel ran into the room.
“There’s a problem.”
Adrien turned.
“What?”
“The broadcast was intercepted.”
“By whom?”
Daniel held up the phone.
“Someone inside federal intelligence.”
Richard's face went pale.
“No.”
Adrien asked,
“What?”
Richard whispered,
“Thomas wasn't the head.”
The room went silent.
“Then who was?”
Richard looked toward the open doors.
“There is one person I never managed to identify.”
Elena stared.
“Who?”
Richard answered,
“The person who originally recruited Thomas.”
Adrien's phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Congratulations, Adrien. You found the violin.
Below it:
Now find the pianist.
Adrien looked at Elena.
“What does that mean?”
She slowly shook her head.
“I know.”
“Who?”
May you like
She whispered,
“My father.”
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