Chapter 5 - Seven Years of Stolen Birthdays
Aldrich remembered Lucas as sunlight.
That was strange because his younger brother had died in winter.
But memory had preserved him running across summer lawns, knees scraped, hair too long, always laughing five seconds before something broke.
Lucas Ferrante had been nine.
Aldrich had been twelve.
The official story was simple.
A driver lost control on an icy road.
Lucas died.
The driver survived.
The family never discussed it again.
“What did Cosmo tell you?”
Riona looked toward the stairs.
“Not here.”
“Stop deciding what I can handle.”
“And stop forgetting my son is upstairs.”
Aldrich flinched.
My son.
Not yet our son.
He deserved that.
They moved to Cosmo's old library.
Marc stayed by the door.
Riona stood near the fireplace.
“About six months before I left Montreal, Cosmo asked me to help organize old financial records.”
Aldrich frowned.
“Why you?”
“Because I wasn't family.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It did to him.”
She took a breath.
“One folder contained payments connected to Lucas's accident.”
Aldrich's expression hardened.
“Medical bills?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Payments to the driver.”
Silence.
Marc looked at Aldrich.
Riona continued.
“Annual payments. For twenty years.”
Aldrich's hands curled.
“Why?”
“I asked Cosmo.”
“And?”
“He told me the accident wasn't an accident.”
Aldrich stared.
Riona spoke carefully.
“Someone had tampered with the vehicle.”
Marc whispered, “Jesus.”
“Who?” Aldrich asked.
“Cosmo didn't know at first.”
“At first?”
“He eventually believed the car had been intended for him.”
Aldrich sat.
Lucas had climbed into Cosmo's vehicle that morning because his own driver was late.
Aldrich remembered.
The detail returned with cruel clarity.
Lucas laughing as he stole their grandfather's scarf.
“If Lucas wasn't the target…”
“Cosmo was.”
Aldrich closed his eyes.
“And the driver?”
“Was paid to remain silent after discovering evidence of tampering.”
“By Cosmo?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he hide it?”
“To prevent retaliation.”
Marc laughed bitterly.
“Our grandfather preventing retaliation?”
“Apparently losing Lucas changed him,” Riona said.
Aldrich remembered the years after.
Cosmo had become quieter.
More cautious.
He stopped bringing children to family gatherings where business was discussed.
He forced Aldrich into university rather than family operations.
At the time Aldrich thought it was discipline.
Maybe it had been escape.
“Serafina knows?” Aldrich asked.
Riona nodded.
“I think so.”
“Why would she tell me to ask you?”
“Because she wants you angry at me instead of asking her questions.”
Aldrich stared.
“Did Cosmo suspect her?”
Riona said nothing.
That was answer enough.
“No.”
“Aldrich—”
“No.”
He stood.
“My aunt loved Lucas.”
“So did your grandfather.”
“You think Serafina tried to kill her own father and killed her nephew instead?”
“I think Cosmo considered it possible.”
Aldrich walked toward the window.
Marc spoke quietly.
“There were disputes back then.”
Aldrich turned.
“What disputes?”
Marc looked uncomfortable.
“My father mentioned them once.”
“About?”
“Control.”
The room changed.
“Serafina wanted expansion. Cosmo wanted to reduce exposure. There was an argument a week before the crash.”
Aldrich stared.
“You knew this?”
“I knew they argued. Not that anyone touched a car.”
Riona sat.
“This is why the ledger matters. The money wasn't only about proving my innocence. Cosmo tracked everything.”
Aldrich exhaled.
Then a small voice came from the doorway.
“What are stolen birthdays?”
Everyone froze.
Anel stood there.
Elise behind him looked apologetic.
“He heard Aldrich asking about his birthday earlier.”
Anel walked toward Riona.
“You said stolen birthdays.”
Riona crouched.
“We were talking about time.”
“Can time be stolen?”
Aldrich answered before she could.
“Yes.”
Anel looked at him.
“How?”
Aldrich's throat tightened.
“When you should have been somewhere important and you weren't.”
“Like missing a birthday?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
Aldrich couldn't answer.
Anel counted on his fingers.
“You missed seven of mine?”
Riona looked sharply at Aldrich.
He hadn't told the boy.
But children did math too.
Aldrich crouched.
“I didn't know about them.”
Anel studied him.
“Because Mama didn't tell you?”
Aldrich could have accepted the easy answer.
Instead he said, “Because I made a mistake before you were born.”
Riona's expression changed.
“What mistake?”
“I didn't believe your mother when I should have.”
Anel considered this.
“Did she lie?”
“No.”
“Then why didn't you believe her?”
The adults exchanged glances.
Marc quietly walked away.
Aldrich looked at the boy.
“Because sometimes adults are afraid, and they call it certainty.”
Anel frowned.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“No.”
Aldrich smiled sadly.
“It doesn't.”
Anel looked at Riona.
“Are we staying here?”
“No.”
Aldrich felt disappointment he had no right to show.
Anel turned back.
“Can he come eat with us?”
Riona blinked.
“Who?”
Anel pointed directly at Aldrich.
“Him.”
Aldrich almost laughed.
Riona seemed trapped.
“Anel…”
“He missed seven birthdays.”
“That does not mean—”
“He could have one dinner.”
Aldrich looked away to hide the smile.
Riona noticed.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You're enjoying this.”
“For the first time today.”
She sighed.
One hour later, the three of them sat inside a small Italian restaurant away from Ferrante territory.
Riona insisted.
Anel ordered macaroni with enough cheese to prove genetics had a sense of humor.
Aldrich watched him eat.
Every ordinary movement felt extraordinary.
The way he pushed hair away from his forehead.
The way he drank water.
The way he asked the waiter why Parmesan smelled strange.
Seven years.
Seven years of moments.
“You're staring,” Riona said quietly.
“I know.”
“You'll make him uncomfortable.”
“I don't know how not to.”
Her face softened briefly.
Anel looked up.
“Do you have kids?”
Aldrich stopped.
Riona looked horrified.
He answered.
“One.”
Anel frowned.
“Where?”
Aldrich looked directly at him.
“Sitting across from me.”
Anel froze.
Riona closed her eyes.
“Aldrich.”
“What?”
“You said we would wait.”
“He asked.”
Anel looked at Riona.
“So he is?”
She took his hand.
“Yes.”
The boy stared at Aldrich.
Aldrich had negotiated dangerous deals with less fear than he felt now.
Anel asked, “Do I have to call you Dad?”
“No.”
Aldrich answered immediately.
“You don't have to call me anything you don't want to.”
“Can I call you Aldrich?”
“Yes.”
“That's a weird name.”
Riona laughed.
She couldn't stop it.
Aldrich smiled.
“I've heard worse.”
For ten minutes they almost felt normal.
Then Riona's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Serafina's voice.
“Riona.”
Every muscle in her body tightened.
Aldrich saw it.
“Where are you?”
“Don't worry about where I am.”
“What do you want?”
“To tell you Cosmo lied.”
“About what?”
“Everything.”
Riona activated speaker.
Aldrich heard.
Serafina continued.
“You think he protected you in Vancouver?”
Riona's heartbeat accelerated.
“He did.”
“No.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He didn't stop the surveillance.”
Riona glanced at Aldrich.
Serafina's voice softened.
“He ordered it.”
Silence.
“That isn't true.”
“Check the invoices.”
Riona remembered.
Authorization code SF-17.
Serafina.
But some reports lacked codes.
Serafina continued.
“Cosmo wasn't protecting Anel from me.”
Riona gripped the phone.
“He was making sure Aldrich never discovered him.”
Aldrich's face changed.
“Why?” he asked.
Serafina heard him.
“Aldrich.”
“Answer.”
A pause.
Then:
“Because Cosmo knew exactly what you would do if you learned you had a son.”
“What?”
“You would leave the organization.”
Aldrich stared.
Serafina laughed softly.
“And that was what your grandfather wanted all along.”
The call ended.
Anel looked between them.
Riona lowered the phone.
Nobody spoke.
Then a message arrived.
A photograph.
Taken through the restaurant window.
The three of them sitting together.
Underneath:
You were watched in Vancouver. You are being watched now.
And suddenly the seven stolen birthdays no longer seemed like the greatest danger surrounding Anel.
May you like
Someone knew exactly where he was.
---
