Chapter 14 - The Last Secret Eli’s Mother Left Behind
Her name was Grace Mercer.
Rachel’s older sister.
Eli’s aunt.
Vincent stared at the document.
“She’s alive?”
Daniel nodded.
“According to records.”
“Where?”
“Seattle.”
“Why didn’t she take Eli after Rachel died?”
“That’s the question.”
Claire arrived an hour later.
She knew part of the story.
Rachel and Grace had not spoken for nearly eight years.
Family dispute.
Victor’s threats had contributed.
Rachel apparently believed distance protected her sister.
Grace had never known Rachel had a child.
Vincent sat back.
“She doesn’t know Eli exists?”
“She may now.”
Daniel placed his phone on the desk.
“She was contacted this morning.”
Vincent’s stomach tightened.
“What did she say?”
“She’s flying here.”
Eli learned that evening.
“I have an aunt?”
“Yes.”
“Like family?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t Mom tell me?”
Vincent chose his words carefully.
“She was trying to keep people safe.”
Eli frowned.
“Adults do too many secrets.”
Vincent could not disagree.
“Is she going to take me?”
There it was.
The question Vincent feared.
“I don’t know.”
Eli’s face changed.
“You said you’re my dad.”
“I am.”
“Then why can she take me?”
“Because your mother wrote that she wanted Grace to care for you.”
Eli stood.
“But Mom didn’t know you.”
Vincent swallowed.
“No.”
“If she knew you, maybe she’d pick you.”
Vincent looked away.
That was impossible to answer.
Grace arrived the next afternoon.
She looked like Rachel.
Same eyes.
Same brown hair.
Older.
More guarded.
Vincent disliked her immediately for one unfair reason.
She had a legitimate connection to Eli that he did not.
Grace disliked Vincent for several fair reasons.
“You’re the man they call the Wolf.”
“Yes.”
“You expect me to believe my nephew is safe here?”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“He is safer now than he was before I found him.”
“You found him homeless.”
“Yes.”
“And nobody contacted me.”
“We didn’t know you existed.”
Claire stepped between them emotionally before either moved physically.
“This is not about either of you.”
Grace’s eyes filled.
“My sister died and I didn’t know.”
Her voice broke.
“I didn’t know she had a son.”
Vincent’s anger faded.
Grace sat.
“She stopped calling me.”
“Why?” Claire asked.
“Because of Victor.”
Grace wiped her face.
“I begged her to go to police. She said if she stayed away from me, he wouldn’t look at my family.”
“Did you know she was sick?”
“No.”
The word came out as a whisper.
Eli entered slowly.
Everyone stopped.
Grace looked at him.
Her hand covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.”
Eli stood near Vincent.
Grace began crying.
“You look like her.”
Eli looked at Vincent.
He nodded gently.
The boy approached.
“You’re my aunt?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know my mom?”
Grace laughed through tears.
“She was my little sister.”
“Was she funny?”
Grace smiled.
“Very.”
Eli sat beside her.
For the next hour, Grace told stories Vincent could never give him.
Rachel at ten years old stealing cookies.
Rachel learning to drive.
Rachel singing badly.
Rachel refusing to eat peas.
Eli laughed.
Vincent watched.
Jealousy surprised him.
Then shame followed.
This was not competition.
This was a missing piece of Eli’s mother being returned.
That evening, Grace asked to speak privately.
“I came here thinking I would take him.”
Vincent’s chest tightened.
“And now?”
“I don’t know.”
Vincent remained silent.
Grace looked toward the hallway.
“He calls you Dad.”
“Yes.”
“Does he always?”
“Yes.”
“When did that start?”
“The first day.”
She smiled faintly.
“Rachel used to trust people quickly.”
Vincent shook his head.
“Eli doesn’t.”
Grace studied him.
“Then you must have earned something.”
Vincent looked at her.
“If you challenge the adoption—”
“I haven’t decided.”
His jaw tightened.
Grace raised one hand.
“I’m not Victor. Don’t threaten me.”
Vincent immediately stepped back.
“You’re right.”
That surprised her.
He continued.
“I will not threaten you.”
“Good.”
“But I will fight for him.”
“I know.”
Grace nodded.
“That’s part of why I’m not sure I should.”
Vincent frowned.
“What?”
“My husband and I have two children. A good home. A yard. Schools. Normal life.”
She looked around the penthouse.
“You have security guards.”
“Because of Victor.”
“You have enemies.”
“Fewer every day.”
“You have a past.”
“Yes.”
Grace looked toward Eli’s room again.
“But he loves you.”
Vincent said nothing.
“And you love him.”
“Yes.”
The answer came immediately.
Grace noticed.
The next day she spent time alone with Eli.
Vincent hated it.
Claire forced him to leave the room.
“You need to let them talk.”
“What if she asks him to move?”
“Then he answers.”
“He’s six.”
“He still has feelings.”
Vincent paced outside.
Marcus watched.
“You could buy the building.”
Vincent glared.
Marcus smiled.
“Just trying to help.”
After an hour, Eli emerged.
Vincent crouched.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Mom.”
“Anything else?”
Eli looked suspicious.
“You want to know if she asked me to live with her.”
Vincent said nothing.
“She did.”
His stomach dropped.
“And?”
“I said maybe I can visit.”
Vincent exhaled.
Eli touched his face.
“I told her I already have a dad.”
Vincent closed his eyes for one second.
Grace emerged.
Her eyes were red.
She walked toward Vincent.
“I’m not challenging you.”
He looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Rachel wanted him safe.”
She glanced at Eli.
“He feels safe with you.”
Vincent held out his hand.
Grace ignored it.
She hugged him.
Vincent stood awkwardly.
Marcus looked away, smiling.
Grace stepped back.
“But I want to be in his life.”
Vincent nodded.
“Yes.”
“Holidays.”
“Yes.”
“Video calls.”
“Yes.”
“Visits.”
“Yes.”
“And I’m going to tell him embarrassing stories about his mother.”
Eli shouted, “Yes!”
Vincent sighed.
“Apparently that too.”
Grace signed a statement supporting the adoption.
It should have cleared the final obstacle.
Instead, two days before the hearing, Daniel received notice that prosecutors wanted Vincent to testify in Victor’s criminal case.
The testimony could expose everything.
Every questionable business relationship.
Every compromise.
Every mistake.
And if Vincent lied, he could lose Eli.
If he told the truth, he could lose his empire.
Daniel placed the subpoena on the desk.
“You have one choice.”
Vincent looked toward the family photograph Eli had insisted they take.
Him.
Eli.
Bruno.
Lightning.
Vincent picked up a pen.
“No.”
He signed acknowledgment of the subpoena.
“I have two.”
Daniel frowned.
Vincent looked at the photograph.
May you like
“I can choose who I want my son to see when he looks at me.”
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