Chapter 32 - The Hidden Name
Thomas's voice disappeared.
I stared at the dead speaker.
“The fourth heir has my son.”
Nobody moved.
Then Bennett said quietly, “We need to assume Thomas is telling the truth.”
I looked at him.
“Assume?”
“He could be manipulating us.”
“He knew where this room was.”
“So did Eleanor.”
“Then we find out which one is lying.”
Daniel was already examining the terminal beside the crib.
“Something's wrong.”
“What?”
“The transfer should have locked every beneficiary channel.”
“But it didn't.”
“No.”
He pointed at the screen.
One account was still active.
A single line of text blinked beneath it.
ROOT AUTHORITY.
I felt a chill.
“Blackwell still has an owner.”
Daniel nodded.
“The system locked every account under the succession tree.”
“Except the root.”
“Exactly.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“Who controls it?”
Daniel didn't answer.
“Daniel.”
“I don't know.”
“That isn't good enough.”
“I've never seen this access level.”
Bennett looked over his shoulder.
“How do we trace it?”
“We can't.”
“Why not?”
“Because the root authority doesn't exist in the network.”
“Then where is it?”
Daniel looked at me.
“In the original paper records.”
My mother whispered, “The church.”
I turned.
“You said the church was a trap.”
“It is.”
“Then why is everyone mentioning it?”
“Because Blackwell never began in the archive.”
She pointed at the baby.
“It began with the first family agreement.”
“What agreement?”
“The one your father signed.”
I stared at her.
“My father is dead.”
She looked at Arthur.
Arthur lowered his head.
“Claire…”
“You knew.”
He didn't deny it.
I felt something inside me crack.
“You all knew.”
Arthur looked at me.
“We knew pieces.”
“You let me walk into that church.”
“We were trying to get your son back.”
“You knew there was another heir.”
“We suspected.”
“Suspected?”
My voice rose.
“Someone called me and told me he was the fourth heir.”
“I know.”
“How?”
Arthur looked exhausted.
“Because I heard that voice twenty years ago.”
The baby began crying again.
I held him closer.
“Whose voice?”
Arthur shut his eyes.
“Adrian.”
Nobody spoke.
“Adrian who?”
“Adrian Blackwell.”
Daniel went still.
Bennett's face hardened.
“That's impossible.”
Arthur nodded.
“Yes.”
“Because Adrian Blackwell died.”
“He was reported dead.”
I stared at him.
“You knew him.”
“I knew the boy.”
“How old was he?”
“Seven when I last saw him.”
“And now?”
Arthur looked at me.
“Twenty-seven.”
My mouth went dry.
“He's Eleanor's son?”
Arthur didn't answer immediately.
Finally he said, “Yes.”
I looked at my mother.
“You knew?”
She nodded.
“Eleanor's child.”
“How did everyone think he died?”
“Because Eleanor needed him to disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because your father tried to remove him from the succession.”
“Why would he do that?”
Arthur's eyes filled.
“Because Adrian was never supposed to inherit Blackwell.”
“Then why does he call himself the fourth heir?”
“Because after your father's death, the original clause became active.”
Daniel stepped toward us.
“What clause?”
Arthur said, “The founder's first living descendant.”
Bennett frowned.
“And Claire, Natalie, and Daniel?”
“Secondary beneficiaries.”
I felt sick.
“So this whole transfer…”
“Was never complete.”
“What about the system?”
“It recognized the three of you.”
“But legally?”
“Adrian can challenge it.”
“With what?”
Arthur answered:
“The original succession agreement.”
The same document Eleanor had placed beside my son's crib.
My hands started shaking.
“She wanted my signature.”
“Yes.”
“To make the transfer valid.”
“Yes.”
“But if Adrian is the original heir…”
“Then Eleanor was using your signature to create a competing succession structure.”
I looked at the baby.
“And my son?”
Arthur's expression changed.
“He's more complicated.”
“Why?”
“Because Adrian's existence makes the child valuable in a way Eleanor never anticipated.”
Daniel turned.
“Because the child can inherit from both structures.”
“Exactly.”
The door behind us opened.
A police officer stepped in.
“Ms. Williams?”
“Yes?”
“We found a vehicle outside.”
“What about it?”
“Empty.”
“Whose?”
“Thomas Vale's.”
My heart sank.
“Any sign of my son?”
“No.”
“Eleanor?”
“No.”
“Samuel?”
“No.”
The officer hesitated.
“There was something else.”
“What?”
He handed me a photograph.
It was a picture of Thomas's car.
A man stood behind it.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Face partially hidden.
But I knew him.
I'd seen him at the edge of the church feed.
I'd seen him in one of the old photographs.
I looked at Arthur.
He went pale.
“That's Adrian.”
A cold voice came from the doorway.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
A man stood there.
Not Adrian.
Thomas.
His shirt was torn.
Blood covered one side of his face.
He looked at me.
“I came to get you before he did.”
Bennett raised his weapon.
Thomas lifted both hands.
“Don't.”
“You've got ten seconds.”
Thomas looked directly at me.
“Your son isn't in Adrian's custody.”
I stepped forward.
“Then where is he?”
Thomas swallowed.
“He's with someone you trust.”
My blood ran cold.
“Who?”
Thomas looked at my mother.
Her face collapsed.
“Evelyn.”
I stared.
My mother whispered:
“No.”
Thomas shook his head.
“Not your mother.”
He looked at me.
“Daniel.”
Daniel froze.
“No.”
May you like
Thomas pointed at him.
“He took the baby.”
