Chapter 12 - The Father Who Chose the Cage
Roman turned toward Sebastian.
“What does he mean?”
Sebastian did not answer.
That was answer enough.
“You could have left.”
“Yes.”
Roman’s face hardened.
“For ten years?”
“Yes.”
Caleb arrived through another corridor with Roman’s guards.
“You stayed willingly?”
Sebastian looked at both sons.
“I stayed because Vincent possessed something more dangerous than weapons.”
“What?”
“Evidence.”
Vincent had documented crimes committed under Sebastian’s leadership.
Real crimes.
Not fabricated.
If released indiscriminately, the files would destroy not only criminals but witnesses, informants, judges, police officers, and families who had secretly helped federal investigations.
Vincent’s insurance policy was chaos.
Sebastian stayed close enough to prevent him from releasing it.
Roman stared at him.
“You protected strangers by abandoning your sons.”
“I protected you too.”
“No.”
Roman stepped closer.
“You protected the empire.”
That struck Sebastian.
Good.
Then Lily squirmed in my arms and pointed toward an air vent.
“Papa.”
Everyone stopped.
She kept using the word.
Not for Vincent.
Not Sebastian.
Something associated with Caleb.
I crouched.
“What do you mean, sweetheart?”
She pointed toward the vent again.
“Papa song.”
We listened.
Faint music.
An old country melody.
Caleb went pale.
“I used to sing that to her before she was born.”
The sound was coming through the ventilation system.
Someone was signaling.
We followed it to a concealed service corridor.
At the end was a room.
Inside were monitors.
Hundreds of them.
Vincent had been recording everything.
Roman’s offices.
Callahan homes.
Hospitals.
Restaurants.
My apartment.
My stomach turned when I saw footage of myself sleeping beside newborn Lily.
Caleb punched the wall.
Then Sebastian noticed one monitor.
Vincent.
Walking toward an underground garage.
Escaping.
Roman pressed the intercom.
“Seal it.”
Nothing happened.
Vincent had overridden security.
Then I saw what he carried.
A black folder.
The same style as Caleb’s.
Sebastian’s face changed.
“What is that?”
Roman looked at him.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
Vincent entered a vehicle.
Before the feed disappeared, the folder opened briefly.
Inside was a photograph.
A woman holding a newborn.
Laura.
But not me.
Two babies.
Twins.
I stopped breathing.
“Mom told me she only raised one child.”
Sebastian stared at the screen.
“She did.”
“Then who is the other baby?”
For the first time, Sebastian looked genuinely terrified.
Roman zoomed in.
Writing was visible beneath the photograph.
One name:
Emily.
The second name was obscured by Vincent’s hand.
Then Caleb whispered:
“If Emily had a twin…”
May you like
Roman finished:
“Vincent may have spent thirty years following the wrong daughter.”
