Chapter 13 - The Loyalty Test
Daniel stared at his father.
Five years of grief disappeared into shock.
“You’re alive.”
Luis Reyes kept his weapon steady.
“I am.”
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“Why?”
“Because Vincent needed me.”
Adrian watched Daniel.
He could see the betrayal landing one piece at a time.
Luis had not just faked his death.
He had abandoned his son willingly.
Vincent spoke.
“Open the door.”
Adrian remained beside Eleanor’s portrait.
“No.”
Luis shifted his weapon toward Claire.
Thomas stepped in front of her.
Luis smiled.
“Still pretending to be brave.”
Thomas answered.
“Still pretending you’re important.”
Luis’s face tightened.
Adrian used the distraction.
He looked at Daniel.
“Your choice.”
Daniel’s eyes moved between his father and Adrian.
Luis spoke.
“Son.”
“Lower your weapon.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You disappeared.”
“I protected you.”
“You let me bury an empty coffin.”
“It was necessary.”
Daniel laughed once.
It sounded painful.
“For who?”
Luis did not answer.
Daniel slowly lowered his weapon.
Vincent’s expression changed.
Luis shouted.
“Daniel.”
Daniel turned the gun toward his father.
“No.”
Adrian moved instantly.
Thomas pulled Claire behind the stair railing.
Marcus knocked Vincent sideways.
Luis fired.
The shot hit the wooden frame beside Adrian.
Daniel returned fire.
Luis disappeared into the hallway.
Chaos filled the upper landing.
Adrian grabbed Vincent by the collar.
“Call him off.”
Vincent laughed.
“You still think I control everyone.”
Marcus held Vincent against the wall.
“You control enough.”
Daniel pursued his father.
Adrian shouted.
“Daniel, stop.”
Too late.
He vanished around the corner.
Adrian looked toward Claire.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
Thomas nodded.
“Go.”
Adrian followed Daniel.
The corridor led toward old guest rooms.
One door slammed.
Adrian reached it.
Locked.
Daniel kicked it open.
The room was empty.
A window stood open.
Luis had escaped onto the roof.
Daniel moved toward it.
Adrian grabbed him.
“Don’t.”
“That’s my father.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel looked furious.
“He lied to me for five years.”
“And he wants you emotional.”
Daniel stared outside.
Then slowly stepped back.
“You’re right.”
Adrian returned to the staircase.
Vincent was sitting calmly in a chair.
Marcus stood over him.
Claire remained beside Thomas.
Adrian looked at the hidden steel door.
“Why does Luis want it open?”
Vincent smiled.
“He doesn’t.”
“What?”
“He wants what’s behind it.”
“That sounds identical.”
“It isn’t.”
Vincent leaned back.
“Eleanor hid two things in there.”
“The archive.”
“And?”
Vincent looked at Claire.
“A confession.”
Claire’s face changed.
“Whose?”
Vincent’s smile disappeared.
“Mine.”
Adrian stared.
“You recorded a confession?”
“No.”
“Eleanor did.”
Marcus frowned.
“To what?”
Vincent looked at him.
“You know.”
Marcus became pale.
Adrian noticed.
“What does Marcus know?”
Vincent said nothing.
Adrian turned toward Marcus.
“What did my father confess?”
Marcus looked away.
“Marcus.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“What did he confess?”
Marcus finally spoke.
“The night Eleanor died, Vincent called me.”
“And?”
“He said the car had been followed.”
Adrian’s heartbeat accelerated.
“He told me to find her.”
“I arrived after the crash.”
“You saw her?”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Adrian froze.
“My mother was alive after the crash?”
Marcus nodded.
“For a few minutes.”
Adrian felt anger like heat behind his eyes.
“You never told me.”
“She made me promise.”
“What did she say?”
Marcus’s voice lowered.
“She said Vincent hadn’t ordered the crash.”
Adrian looked at his father.
Vincent’s eyes were unreadable.
“Who did?”
Marcus shook his head.
“She didn’t know.”
“But she recorded something earlier that night.”
Adrian looked toward the steel door.
“The confession.”
Vincent spoke.
“She recorded me admitting to financial crimes.”
“Nothing about her death.”
Adrian did not believe him.
Claire approached the door.
“There’s a keypad.”
Adrian looked.
The blackbird symbol contained small buttons.
Claire touched one.
A screen activated.
VOICE AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.
A recording played.
Eleanor’s voice.
Adrian had not heard it in more than twenty years.
He almost stopped breathing.
“Adrian.”
“If you are here, then you finally chose truth over comfort.”
His eyes closed briefly.
The recording continued.
“Say the words I taught you.”
Adrian remembered.
A phrase from bedtime.
Something she said every night.
He faced the panel.
“Blackbirds always find home.”
The door clicked.
Vincent stood suddenly.
“Adrian, wait.”
Adrian looked at him.
For the first time, his father seemed afraid.
That was enough.
He opened the steel door.
Inside was a small archive room.
Shelves held sealed boxes.
A single old video camera sat on a desk.
Beside it was a cassette marked:
VINCENT BLACKWOOD - OCTOBER 17.
The date.
The night Eleanor died.
Adrian inserted the tape into the attached player.
The screen flickered.
Vincent appeared twenty years younger.
Eleanor’s voice came from behind the camera.
“Say it again.”
Vincent looked exhausted.
“I paid Marcus to make Rachel disappear.”
Marcus stepped backward.
Claire stared at him.
Thomas’s face hardened.
The recording continued.
Vincent said:
“But Marcus betrayed me.”
“He helped Rachel escape.”
Adrian looked at Marcus.
Vincent’s younger image continued.
“So I sent Luis Reyes after them.”
Daniel had returned to the hallway.
He heard his father’s name.
The tape played on.
Eleanor asked:
“And if Luis fails?”
Vincent responded.
“Thomas will finish it.”
Thomas stared at the screen.
“No.”
His face went white.
“That never happened.”
The video froze.
Then the power went out.
In the darkness, Vincent laughed.
“You finally understand.”
Adrian’s voice was cold.
“No.”
“I finally understand why everyone has been lying.”
A red emergency light switched on.
May you like
Vincent’s chair was empty.
He was gone.
