Chapter 9 - The Woman Named VictoriaThey returned to the hotel before one in the morning.
Daniel Reed sat in a conference room under guard.
His coat had been removed.
His phone rested on the table.
Vivian waited in another room.
Adrian deliberately kept them separated.
Elena went directly to the children.
Oliver was asleep sideways across the bed.
Lucy was curled beside him with an empty space where Benny normally rested.
Elena brushed her daughter’s hair away from her face.
Adrian remained at the doorway.
He watched them for a long time.
“You can come in,” Elena whispered.
He hesitated.
Then stepped inside.
Oliver stirred.
His eyes opened halfway.
“Santa helper?”
Adrian crouched beside the bed.
“Go back to sleep.”
“Did you find Mom’s secret?”
Elena froze.
Adrian looked at Oliver.
“What secret?”
Oliver yawned.
“Mom cries at Christmas.”
Elena’s chest tightened.
Oliver closed his eyes.
“Don’t tell her I told you.”
Within seconds he was asleep again.
Adrian looked at Elena.
She stared at the floor.
“Every Christmas?”
“Not every.”
“Elena.”
She sighed.
“Their birthday was hard.”
“Christmas was different.”
“Why?”
“Because Christmas was ours.”
Adrian remembered.
Their first kiss had happened beneath cheap Christmas lights at a college party.
Their first apartment together had a crooked plastic tree.
Their last happy evening had been December nineteenth, five years earlier.
“I’m sorry.”
Elena shook her head.
“Not now.”
They returned to the conference room.
Mara placed Benny on the table.
Daniel looked at it.
“So Ava succeeded.”
Adrian sat opposite him.
“Why did you try to enter the suite?”
“To stop Vivian.”
“From?”
Daniel looked toward Elena.
“Taking the children to the estate.”
Elena’s expression hardened.
“She never tried.”
“She would have.”
“You expect me to trust you?”
“No.”
Daniel leaned back.
“I expect you to trust documents.”
Mara placed photographs of the contents of Box 417 on the table.
“We have plenty.”
Daniel saw Victoria Mercer’s name.
His face changed.
“Where did you find that?”
“Answer the question,” Adrian said.
Daniel looked at him.
“Victoria is Julian’s mother.”
Silence.
Adrian stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“Is it?”
“My father married Julian’s mother.”
“No.”
Adrian’s voice sharpened.
“I attended her funeral.”
“You attended the funeral of Catherine Moore Mercer.”
“Yes.”
“She raised Julian.”
Daniel folded his hands.
“She did not give birth to him.”
Adrian looked at Mara.
She was already searching family records.
Daniel continued.
“Your grandfather, Charles Mercer, had an affair late in life.”
“His daughter Victoria became pregnant.”
Elena frowned.
“His daughter?”
“Not by him.”
Daniel looked annoyed.
“Victoria was Charles Mercer’s daughter from his second marriage.”
“She had a relationship with a married political consultant.”
“The scandal threatened the family.”
“When Julian was born, Victoria suffered severe complications.”
“She disappeared from public life.”
“Catherine and Richard Mercer raised Julian as their son.”
Adrian stared.
“You’re telling me my father raised his own nephew as my brother?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect Victoria and the family name.”
Mara looked up.
“I found something.”
An archived court filing from thirty-one years earlier appeared.
VICTORIA LANE MERCER V. CHARLES EDWARD MERCER, TRUST DISPUTE.
Most files were sealed.
But the case existed.
Adrian’s entire understanding of his family had just shifted.
“Where is Victoria now?”
Daniel looked toward the door.
“Closer than you think.”
“Where?”
“Vivian knows.”
Adrian stood.
Vivian was brought into the room.
She saw Daniel.
Her expression turned cold.
“You.”
Daniel smiled without warmth.
“Vivian.”
Adrian looked at his mother.
“Who is Victoria Mercer?”
Vivian stopped.
There was no confusion.
Only resignation.
“So you found the ledger.”
“Who is she?”
Vivian sat.
“Julian’s biological mother.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because your father made me promise.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“Another family secret.”
Vivian looked at Daniel.
“And I assume he told you Victoria is some innocent victim?”
Daniel’s expression tightened.
“I told him the truth.”
“You wouldn’t recognize the truth if it arrived notarized.”
Mara raised a hand.
“Enough.”
She turned to Vivian.
“Was V.M. Consulting Victoria’s company?”
“Yes.”
“Why was Julian sending it money?”
Vivian hesitated.
“Because she has been blackmailing him for years.”
Daniel laughed.
“That’s your version?”
“What’s yours?” Adrian asked.
Daniel leaned forward.
“Victoria didn’t blackmail Julian.”
“She financed him.”
Vivian shook her head.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I processed the payments.”
Everyone turned toward Daniel.
He continued.
“Julian’s entire campaign to gain control of Mercer Holdings was funded by Victoria.”
Elena felt her pulse increase.
“Why?”
Daniel looked at Adrian.
“Because she believes the Mercer family stole Julian from her.”
“And she wants it repaid.”
“By taking the company?”
“By taking everything.”
Vivian stood.
“You were part of it.”
Daniel’s smile vanished.
“Yes.”
The admission silenced the room.
“For three years.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Why stop?”
Daniel looked toward Benny.
“Ava.”
“What about her?”
“She figured it out.”
Daniel’s voice changed.
“She came to me.”
“She said if anything happened to Elena or the baby, she would expose all of us.”
Elena whispered.
“She threatened you?”
“She gave me a choice.”
“Help her gather evidence or go down with Julian.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Did you help her?”
“Yes.”
“Then why keep lying to me?”
Daniel stared at him.
“Because Ava died before we finished.”
The room became still.
Adrian’s voice was almost inaudible.
“My sister died from an illness.”
Daniel did not answer.
Adrian moved closer.
“Say it.”
May you like
Daniel looked him directly in the eyes.
“I’m not sure she did.”
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