Chapter 16 - Victoria’s Choice
Victoria recognized the building in the photograph.
“It belonged to my father.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Where?”
“Vermont.”
“Still owned by Laurent?”
“No.”
“Who owns it?”
She thought.
“After my father’s death, some private properties transferred into a preservation trust.”
“Which trust?”
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“Conrad created it.”
Adrian almost laughed.
They drove north before sunrise.
Lily remained with Grace.
Meredith was transferred to police custody.
Henri survived surgery but remained unable to speak.
Conrad remained guarded in hospital.
Elias surrendered.
Sebastian agreed to testify.
For the first time, the number of moving pieces was becoming smaller.
That made Marianne more dangerous.
The Vermont property looked abandoned.
Snow covered the long driveway.
No smoke rose from the chimney.
No vehicle tracks crossed the rear service road.
Adrian entered with Ortiz’s team.
The interior was immaculate.
Not dusty.
Not abandoned.
Someone lived there.
A cup sat beside the sink.
Fresh fruit rested in a bowl.
A book lay open on the table.
Victoria stared.
“My father kept someone here.”
Owen opened a closet.
Women’s clothing.
Small sizes.
Older styles.
Adrian found a photograph inside a drawer.
Claire at seventeen.
She stood beside Evelyn Price.
Claire’s mother.
The date was one year after Evelyn’s supposed death.
Adrian felt anger rising.
“Claire knew.”
Victoria shook her head.
“Maybe later.”
Another photograph showed Claire at twenty-three.
Evelyn again.
Then thirty.
Claire had visited her mother repeatedly.
“Why did she never tell Julian?”
Ortiz asked.
Adrian thought of Claire’s letter.
Do not let Julian become Lily’s guardian.
“Maybe Evelyn was afraid of him.”
A sound came from upstairs.
Everyone froze.
Marcus moved first.
They followed.
A bedroom door stood open.
An elderly woman sat beside the window.
She did not run.
She did not look surprised.
Adrian recognized her from photographs.
Evelyn Price.
Claire’s mother.
Alive.
She looked at him.
“You have Claire’s eyes when you are angry.”
Adrian stared.
“She had yours.”
Evelyn smiled sadly.
“Yes.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“Did my father hide you?”
Evelyn’s expression changed.
“Henri?”
“Yes.”
“He saved me.”
Victoria stopped.
“From whom?”
Evelyn looked at Adrian.
“Richard Vale.”
Adrian’s father.
The name landed like a blow.
“That is impossible.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
“My father barely knew Claire before I did.”
“He knew me.”
“When?”
“Long before.”
Adrian stared.
“Explain.”
Evelyn folded her hands.
“Richard invested in early versions of the medical identity program.”
“Trial Seventeen.”
“It had another name then.”
“Why?”
“To move people.”
“Criminals?”
“Sometimes.”
Her face tightened.
“Sometimes women running from powerful men.”
“Were you one of them?”
“Yes.”
Adrian frowned.
“Running from whom?”
Evelyn looked toward the snow.
“My husband.”
Julian and Claire’s father.
Adrian knew almost nothing about him beyond that he died when Claire was young.
Evelyn continued.
“He was violent.”
Adrian said nothing.
“Henri offered me a new identity.”
“And you left your children?”
Pain crossed her face.
“I thought I would return for them.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because Richard told me if I appeared again, my husband would find Claire and Julian.”
Adrian’s stomach tightened.
“My father helped hide you.”
“Yes.”
“Then why would Claire uncovering you get her killed?”
Evelyn looked confused.
“It didn’t.”
Adrian stared.
“Someone said it did.”
“Then someone lied.”
Victoria sat across from Evelyn.
“Did Claire visit you?”
“Every year.”
“Did Julian know?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Claire promised.”
Adrian’s anger rose.
“Claire told everyone different pieces.”
Evelyn looked at him gently.
“She was trying to keep all of you alive.”
Adrian looked away.
Evelyn continued.
“She discovered Henri was using the identity system for profit.”
“We know.”
“She discovered Conrad helped him.”
“We know.”
“She discovered Elias created the medical files.”
“We know.”
“And then she discovered Richard had left a ledger.”
Adrian turned.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I never saw it.”
“What was in it?”
“Names.”
“Trial Seventeen clients?”
“The original clients.”
Adrian felt cold.
“Why would that destroy me?”
“Because Vale money funded the program.”
Silence.
Adrian’s entire company had been built partly on inherited capital.
If that capital originated from criminal identity trafficking, the consequences could destroy the Vale empire.
Claire had protected him from that knowledge.
Or perhaps from the world knowing it.
Evelyn looked at Victoria.
“Henri feared Richard’s ledger more than Claire’s audit.”
Victoria whispered.
“Where is it?”
Evelyn’s eyes moved toward Adrian.
“Claire gave it to someone.”
“Who?”
“She said the safest person was the one nobody trusted.”
Adrian thought through every name.
Julian.
Sebastian.
Conrad.
Elias.
Meredith.
Marianne.
Then Victoria spoke.
“Marianne.”
Evelyn nodded.
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
Marianne had the ledger.
That explained why everyone chased her.
“Where is she?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
A phone vibrated.
Victoria looked at hers.
One message.
She read it.
Her face changed.
Adrian noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Victoria.”
She looked at him.
Then handed him the phone.
The message came from Marianne.
YOUR FATHER WAS NOT THE MAN CLAIRE FEARED MOST.
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT LILY TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO TURN FIVE.
A location followed.
Victoria looked at Adrian.
“She wants me.”
“No.”
“The message came to me.”
“You are not going alone.”
“If we ignore her—”
“No.”
Victoria’s eyes hardened.
“You have spent days telling everyone that Lily matters more than our feelings.”
“She does.”
“Then act like it.”
Adrian stared.
Victoria continued.
“Marianne thinks I will come alone because she thinks I want answers about my father.”
“You do.”
“Yes.”
“And that makes you vulnerable.”
“It also makes me useful.”
Adrian hated the logic.
Victoria touched his arm.
“I will wear a tracker.”
“No.”
“Owen can monitor.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
He looked at her.
“I am not Claire.”
The words struck him.
“You do not get to decide what risks I take because you could not save her.”
Adrian went still.
Victoria immediately regretted it.
Pain crossed her face.
“I’m sorry.”
Adrian looked away.
“No.”
She touched his sleeve.
“That was cruel.”
“It was true.”
“No.”
Victoria’s voice softened.
“You loved her.”
“She died alone.”
“You did not put her on that road.”
“My father’s money helped create everything that put her there.”
“You did not know.”
Adrian almost laughed.
“That excuse seems popular.”
Victoria said nothing.
Finally Adrian looked at her.
“You wear two trackers.”
She nodded.
“Marcus follows from distance.”
“Yes.”
“You do not enter any vehicle.”
“Yes.”
“If Marianne asks you to move locations, you stall.”
“I understand.”
“And the second I think you are in danger, we move.”
Victoria nodded.
The meeting location was an old churchyard.
Marianne appeared at dusk.
Victoria stood alone near the gate.
Adrian watched through a long-range camera from three hundred yards away.
Marianne approached.
No visible weapon.
“You look like Henri.”
Victoria’s voice remained steady.
“I heard that my whole life.”
Marianne handed her a small metal case.
“What is this?”
“Richard Vale’s ledger.”
Adrian’s pulse jumped.
Victoria looked at it.
“Why give it to me?”
“Because Adrian will destroy it.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
Victoria frowned.
“No.”
“He will.”
“You don’t know him.”
“I know what it can do.”
“What?”
“Destroy his father’s name.”
Victoria held the case.
“What does that have to do with Lily?”
Marianne’s expression changed.
“Everything.”
“How?”
“Claire made Lily the legal owner of the archive when she turns five.”
“And?”
“If Adrian destroys the ledger before that, the audit fails.”
“Why would he?”
“Because his father funded the original program.”
Victoria stared.
“You are trying to turn me against him.”
“No.”
Marianne stepped closer.
“I am trying to find out whether Claire was right about you.”
“What did she say?”
“That Victoria Laurent would eventually have to choose between the Laurent name and Lily.”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed.
“What choice?”
Marianne pointed toward the case.
“Open it.”
Victoria did.
Inside was a ledger.
And a pistol.
Adrian’s entire body tightened.
Marianne whispered.
“Henri is awake.”
Victoria looked up.
“He is being transferred tonight.”
“To where?”
“Federal custody.”
“What do you want?”
“Stop the transfer.”
“How?”
Marianne looked at the pistol.
Victoria stared at her in horror.
“You want me to kill my father.”
“No.”
Marianne’s expression remained cold.
“I want you to decide whether you are the kind of person Claire believed you were.”
Victoria removed the pistol.
She held it by two fingers.
Then dropped it into the snow.
“No.”
Marianne’s face changed.
Victoria picked up the ledger.
“I will take this.”
“You cannot.”
“I can.”
“And Henri?”
“He goes to prison.”
Marianne smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Victoria froze.
It had been a test.
Marianne stepped back.
“Claire chose correctly.”
Adrian’s pulse quickened.
“Move in.”
But Marianne raised both hands.
“Tell Adrian the ledger is incomplete.”
Victoria frowned.
“What is missing?”
“The last page.”
“Where is it?”
Marianne smiled sadly.
“With Lily.”
Adrian’s blood went cold.
Victoria stared.
“What does that mean?”
Marianne turned away.
“The wall man was never talking to Lily.”
She looked back.
“He was waiting for Lily to repeat what Claire taught her.”
May you like
Then she disappeared into the trees seconds before Marcus reached the churchyard.
And Adrian realized his four-year-old daughter might know the final secret without understanding a single word of it.
