Chapter 4 - The Money Julian’s Mother Paid
Julian took the satellite call in the yacht’s private conference room.
Elena entered with him.
Serena was asked to remain outside.
She refused until the captain, now aware of a personal dispute escalating aboard his vessel, politely but firmly told her the guest-relations director had requested separation for the moment.
Michael Grant spoke through the conference speaker.
“I should have told you years ago.”
Julian’s hands flattened against the table.
“How much did my mother pay you?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“For what?”
Michael answered:
“To handle what she called a reputational emergency.”
Julian’s voice hardened.
“You were my attorney.”
“Yes.”
“Which means you had duties to me.”
“Yes.”
“And you took money from my mother to conceal information from me.”
“Yes.”
The admission was so clean Julian almost wished Michael would lie.
“Why?”
“Because I convinced myself I was helping you survive a vicious divorce.”
Julian laughed without humor.
“You helped erase my son.”
Michael fell silent.
Elena spoke next.
“Did you know Serena was involved?”
“Yes.”
Julian’s eyes shut.
“How?”
“She delivered several documents from your office. She also told your mother Elena was planning to use the pregnancy to force a reconciliation.”
“I never said that,” Elena whispered.
“I know.”
Michael continued.
“By the time I realized how much had been fabricated, the divorce was final and Elena had left Illinois.”
“Fabricated by whom?”
“I can prove Serena altered at least two email chains.”
Julian stared at the speaker.
“How?”
“Metadata. I kept copies.”
“Why?”
“Because I got scared.”
“Not scared enough to tell me.”
“No.”
Julian could barely look at Elena.
Michael continued.
“Your mother also instructed me to return any correspondence Elena sent after the divorce as unwanted contact.”
“I never authorized that.”
“I know.”
“Did you return letters?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“Five.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Julian looked at her.
Five letters.
Not one desperate attempt.
Five.
Michael said:
“There was also a courier packet after Ethan’s birth. I intercepted it before your office logged it.”
Julian’s voice lowered.
“What was inside?”
“A birth announcement. Hospital information. A request for voluntary paternity testing.”
Elena turned away.
Julian wanted to smash something.
Instead he asked the question that mattered.
“Why are you telling me now?”
Michael was silent for several seconds.
Then:
“Because Celeste died three months ago.”
Julian stiffened.
His mother had died after a short illness. Serena had organized much of the funeral.
“And after her death,” Michael continued, “I received instructions from the executor to release certain sealed personal files.”
“What files?”
“Correspondence she kept regarding your divorce.”
“Where?”
“My office.”
“What’s in them?”
“I haven’t reviewed everything.”
“Review them now.”
“I already started.”
Michael paused.
“There’s a handwritten letter from your mother to Serena.”
Julian looked toward the conference-room door.
“What does it say?”
Michael answered carefully.
“Your mother told Serena that if Elena disappeared quietly, Serena would eventually have the life Elena was ‘wasting.’”
Julian’s stomach turned.
Elena whispered:
“She planned your replacement.”
Michael continued.
“But there’s more. Your mother apparently became frightened later.”
“Of what?”
“Serena.”
Julian went still.
Michael read one short line from Celeste’s letter:
You were supposed to separate them, not become obsessed with controlling what happened afterward.
Elena looked at Julian.
“What happened afterward?”
Michael answered:
“I don’t know yet. But your mother kept a sealed flash drive with the letters.”
“Can you access it?”
“Yes.”
“Do it.”
Michael hesitated.
“There’s one additional problem.”
“What?”
“The drive includes records of payments made after Elena left Chicago.”
“To whom?”
Michael’s voice dropped.
“To a private investigator who was following Elena.”
Julian looked at Elena in horror.
“You were followed?”
She whispered:
“I didn’t know.”
Michael then said the name of the person who authorized the continuing payments.
Not Celeste.
May you like
Serena.
Cliffhanger: Celeste had initially helped Serena break apart Julian’s marriage—but after Elena vanished, Serena continued paying a private investigator to follow Elena without Celeste’s approval.
