Chapter 6 - The Last Thing Victor Expected
Roman wanted Nora and Caleb moved immediately.
Nora agreed on one condition.
“No more decisions without me.”
Roman looked at her.
“Agreed.”
“No pretending you know what’s best.”
“Agreed.”
“No secrets.”
Roman hesitated.
Nora noticed.
“What?”
“There’s one.”
She folded her arms.
“Tell me.”
Roman removed an envelope from his jacket.
Inside was a legal document.
Nora read it.
Three years earlier, two months after she disappeared, Roman had signed control of several companies into an independent trust.
Beneficiary:
Nora Ellison.
She stared.
“Why?”
“Because I thought you left because of what I was.”
“You were right.”
“I wanted to become something different.”
Nora looked at him.
“Did you?”
“I’m trying.”
That was the first answer she believed completely.
They planned carefully.
Victor expected Roman at Pier 17.
He expected anger.
He expected Roman to arrive surrounded by men.
Instead, Roman arrived alone.
At least, that was what Victor believed.
Nora watched remotely from a secured vehicle while Tommy coordinated with federal investigators Evelyn had contacted using the evidence.
Victor appeared inside an abandoned waterfront office.
Older.
Thin.
Smiling.
Roman entered.
“Where’s my son?”
Victor laughed.
“Straight to the point.”
“You mentioned Caleb.”
“I wanted your attention.”
“You have it.”
Victor poured himself a drink.
“You know, your father had the same expression when he realized I’d beaten him.”
Roman said nothing.
Victor smiled.
“You want revenge.”
“No.”
Victor looked surprised.
“I want this finished.”
“That’s disappointing.”
Victor approached.
“I spent years teaching you power.”
“You taught me fear.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
Roman glanced toward the window.
“Fear makes people obey while you’re standing in the room. Trust determines what they do after you leave.”
Victor’s smile disappeared.
Roman’s father’s words.
Victor recognized them.
“You found the recording.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know your father was weak.”
“He trusted the wrong brother.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“That was his weakness.”
“No. It was yours.”
Victor stepped closer.
“You think Nora changed you?”
Roman remained still.
“She reminded me I had a choice.”
Victor laughed.
“Nora ran from you.”
“She had reason to.”
That answer confused Victor.
He had expected Roman to defend his pride.
Roman no longer needed to.
Victor’s phone buzzed.
He checked it.
His expression changed.
Accounts frozen.
Another message.
Search warrants.
Another.
Three executives detained.
Victor looked at Roman.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Nora entered through the side door.
Victor turned.
She held the original financial ledger.
“I did.”
Evelyn appeared behind her with two federal agents.
Victor stared at his former accountant.
“You.”
Evelyn smiled sadly.
“Hello, Victor.”
For the first time, Victor Vale looked afraid.
His empire had not collapsed because Roman had become more ruthless.
It collapsed because the people Victor had underestimated finally trusted one another.
Victor backed toward the door.
Tommy stood there.
Victor laughed bitterly.
“The traitor.”
Tommy shook his head.
“No. Just someone who got tired of being afraid of you.”
Victor was taken into custody without spectacle.
No gunfire.
No dramatic battle.
Only handcuffs clicking around the wrists of an old man who had spent decades believing fear made him untouchable.
Outside, Nora stood beside Roman overlooking the river.
“It’s over?”
“Almost.”
“What does almost mean?”
Roman looked at her.
“I still have something to do.”
They drove to the safe house.
Caleb was asleep.
Roman stopped outside the bedroom.
He looked nervous.
Nora almost smiled.
“I’ve never seen you afraid before.”
“I’m about to meet my three-year-old son.”
“Fair.”
She entered first.
Caleb stirred.
“Mommy?”
“I’m here.”
Roman remained in the doorway.
Caleb noticed him.
“Who’s that?”
Nora’s heart tightened.
She sat beside her son.
“This is Roman.”
Caleb studied him seriously.
Roman crouched so they were at eye level.
“Hi, Caleb.”
Caleb stared at Roman’s tattoos.
“Did somebody draw on you?”
Nora covered her mouth.
Roman looked at his hands.
“Something like that.”
“Why?”
“I made questionable artistic decisions.”
Caleb frowned because he had no idea what that meant.
Then he held up his wooden train.
“You like trains?”
Roman nodded solemnly.
“I do now.”
Caleb handed him the train.
Nora watched Roman accept it as though the child had handed him the most valuable object on earth.
Then Caleb asked the question neither adult was ready for.
“Are you my daddy?”
Roman looked at Nora.
He did not answer until she nodded.
“Yes.”
Caleb considered this.
“Where were you?”
Roman’s face broke.
He could have lied.
He didn’t.
“I didn’t know where you were.”
“Mommy knew.”
“Yes.”
“Mommy knows everything.”
Roman glanced at Nora.
“She usually does.”
Caleb moved closer.
“You staying?”
Roman’s eyes filled.
“If your mom lets me.”
Caleb looked at Nora.
“Can he?”
Nora could not answer immediately.
Roman stood.
“You don’t have to decide tonight.”
That mattered.
The old Roman would have demanded an answer.
This Roman waited.
Nora nodded.
“You can stay tonight.”
Caleb smiled.
Roman sat beside him.
Twenty minutes later, Caleb fell asleep against Roman’s chest.
Nora stood in the doorway.
Roman looked down at the little boy.
Then at her.
“I missed everything.”
“Not everything.”
Roman’s eyes met hers.
Nora continued.
“He’s three.”
Roman understood.
There was still time.
Then Tommy entered quietly.
His expression was serious.
“Roman.”
Roman carefully placed Caleb in bed.
“What?”
Tommy handed him a document recovered from Victor’s private safe.
Roman read it.
His expression changed.
Nora approached.
“What is it?”
Roman gave her the paper.
It was a DNA report.
Her name appeared at the top.
Nora Ellison.
Below it was another name.
The listed biological father was not the man Nora had believed was her father.
It was Roman’s father.
Nora stared at the page.
Then at Roman.
“No.”
Roman looked equally stunned.
Evelyn entered behind them.
Nora held up the report.
“Tell me this is fake.”
Evelyn’s face went pale.
“It is.”
Nora froze.
“What?”
Evelyn took the document.
“Victor fabricated this years ago.”
“Why?”
“To destroy you both if everything else failed.”
Roman stared.
Evelyn pointed to the testing laboratory.
“It didn’t exist when this report was supposedly created.”
Tommy checked.
She was right.
Nora exhaled.
Even from custody, Victor had left one final trap.
But this time, they had not believed the first frightening thing placed in front of them.
They had checked the truth together.
Roman looked at Nora.
That, more than anything, showed how much had changed.
But Victor had left something else in the safe.
A letter.
Addressed to Caleb.
May you like
And nobody knew what it contained.
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