Chapter 9 - THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TWINS
The next morning, the police found the abandoned warehouse.
Inside was a laptop.
On it were hundreds of photographs.
The twins.
Claire.
Me.
My mother.
Even Victor.
Someone had been tracking all of us.
For years.
The detective looked at me.
“This isn't random.”
“I know.”
“Do you recognize the encryption?”
Victor did.
He stared at the screen.
“Military.”
I looked at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because I designed it.”
Silence.
“You?”
Victor nodded.
“Before I disappeared.”
The detective stepped closer.
“Then whoever is behind this has access to government-level technology.”
Victor didn't answer.
My phone rang.
A video call.
I answered.
Noah appeared.
He was smiling.
“Daddy.”
“Where are you?”
“Safe.”
“Where's Mommy?”
“She’s here.”
Claire's voice came from off-camera.
“Julian!”
I heard her.
Alive.
The twins were alive.
“Who took you?”
Noah shrugged.
“A nice lady.”
“What lady?”
He pointed the camera.
A woman appeared.
My mother.
Alive.
Sitting beside Claire.
My heart stopped.
“Mom?”
She smiled weakly.
“I'm sorry.”
I stared at her.
“You took them?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
She looked toward the camera.
“Your grandfather.”
I felt cold.
“My grandfather is dead.”
She shook her head.
“That's what your father wanted everyone to believe.”
The video ended.
I stood frozen.
Victor whispered,
“Your grandfather?”
I nodded.
“My mother's father.”
Victor looked at the detective.
“We need to find him.”
Hours later, we found the location.
A private estate outside Seattle.
My grandfather was waiting.
He looked ninety.
But his eyes were sharp.
“You finally came.”
I stood across from him.
“You ruined my life.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“You separated me from my wife.”
“Yes.”
“You stole five years from my children.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because your father was going to destroy all of you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You were protecting me?”
“No.”
He paused.
“I was protecting the family name.”
I stared at him.
“There it is.”
The real truth.
Money.
Power.
Legacy.
Always the same.
He continued.
“Your father became obsessed with control.”
“So you manipulated him.”
“Yes.”
“You faked Victor's death.”
“Yes.”
“You forged the DNA report.”
“Yes.”
“You watched Claire.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed my marriage.”
He looked away.
“Yes.”
My fists clenched.
“And you expect me to forgive you?”
“No.”
“Then what do you want?”
He smiled.
“The ledger.”
I laughed.
“You don't have it.”
“I know.”
“Then why bring me here?”
“Because I have Claire.”
My blood froze.
“Where?”
He pointed toward the house.
A door opened.
Claire walked out.
Noah and Eli beside her.
I ran.
Claire rushed into my arms.
I held her so tightly she laughed through tears.
“I told you I'd find you.”
She whispered,
“I knew you would.”
Noah wrapped his arms around my waist.
Eli joined him.
For the first time in five years, I held my sons.
Both of them.
Mine.
I cried.
I didn't care who saw.
Then my grandfather spoke.
“You have one choice.”
I turned.
“What?”
“Give me the ledger.”
“No.”
“Then the FBI gets nothing.”
I frowned.
“What?”
He smiled.
“Because I control the evidence.”
“You don't control me.”
“No.”
He pointed toward the twins.
“But I control what happens next.”
A gunshot exploded.
My grandfather collapsed.
Claire screamed.
Everyone scattered.
I pulled the boys behind me.
Victor raised his weapon.
The shooter was gone.
My grandfather lay bleeding.
I ran toward him.
He grabbed my wrist.
“Julian…”
“Who shot you?”
He whispered,
“Your father.”
Then his eyes closed.
The detective checked his pulse.
“He's alive.”
I looked at the house.
My father was still out there.
But now I knew something else.
He wasn't trying to hide anymore.
He wanted us to chase him.
And I finally understood why.
He wanted the ledger.
Because it didn't just contain his crimes.
May you like
It contained the names of everyone who had helped him.
Including someone inside the federal investigation.
