Chapter 9 - THE FATHER WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
The doctors stabilized Lucas after twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes that felt like an entire lifetime.
Dominic remained outside the room.
He could not sit still.
He could not leave.
He could not think.
Evelyn stood beside him.
The twins were with Marcus in another room.
Victor watched Dominic from across the hallway.
Finally, Dominic turned.
“Start talking.”
Victor did not move.
“About what?”
“Everything.”
“You have always been impatient.”
“And you have always been a liar.”
Victor smiled faintly.
“That is fair.”
Dominic rolled closer.
“Are you my father?”
Victor looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you fake your death?”
“Because I was dying.”
“You died four years ago.”
“No.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“I attended your funeral.”
“A body was buried.”
“Whose?”
Victor did not answer.
Dominic stared at him.
“You replaced your body.”
“Yes.”
“With whose?”
“A man who looked enough like me.”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“You arranged your own funeral?”
“I arranged my disappearance.”
“Why?”
Victor looked toward the bedroom.
“Because people were coming for Lucas.”
Dominic's expression changed.
“Who?”
“Your enemies.”
“You had enemies?”
Victor laughed.
“Dominic, I built an empire.”
“You built a criminal empire.”
“And you inherited it.”
“I never asked for it.”
“No.”
Victor's voice became quiet.
“You asked for love.”
Dominic froze.
Victor continued.
“That was your mistake.”
Dominic looked away.
For most of his life, he had wanted his father's approval.
He had never received it.
Now, standing before the man he had buried, he realized he no longer wanted it.
“What happened to Lucas?”
Victor looked toward the bedroom.
“Your mother died giving birth to you.”
Dominic said nothing.
“Your father before me died when I was young.”
Victor continued.
“Our family has carried a rare heart condition for generations.”
Dominic's expression changed.
“You have it?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you alive?”
“I am not.”
Victor lifted his hand.
It was shaking.
Dominic stared.
“I have less than a year.”
The words did not affect him the way Victor expected.
Dominic only looked toward Lucas.
“And you took my son because you thought he could save you?”
Victor's expression hardened.
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because he carried a mutation that might allow him to survive.”
“Survive what?”
“The disease.”
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“You experimented on him.”
Victor did not deny it.
“I studied him.”
“You took a baby.”
“I protected him.”
“You stole him from his mother.”
“I saved his life.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“You stole my son.”
Victor looked at her.
“I gave him a life.”
“You gave him a cage.”
Victor's face became hard.
“You have no idea what I did to keep him alive.”
“No.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“I only know that I spent three years believing my child was dead.”
Victor looked away.
For the first time, he seemed to feel something.
Regret.
Dominic saw it.
But regret did not erase anything.
“Why did you lie to us?”
Victor looked at him.
“Because if you knew Lucas was alive, your enemies would have found him.”
“You could have told me.”
“You were going to marry Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
“You were going to leave the empire.”
Dominic stared.
Victor continued.
“I knew if you left, you would take the children with you.”
“And?”
“I needed you to stay.”
Dominic's face became cold.
“So you destroyed my life.”
“I believed I was protecting the family.”
“You destroyed my relationship.”
“Yes.”
“You caused the accident?”
Victor looked at him.
“No.”
Dominic stopped.
Victor continued.
“I did not cause the accident.”
“Then who did?”
“I don't know.”
Dominic stared.
For three years, he had believed his father was responsible.
Now the man was telling him he wasn't.
“Your car was sabotaged.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“The brakes.”
“Who?”
Victor shook his head.
“I never found out.”
Dominic's voice dropped.
“You knew?”
“I knew after the accident.”
“And you let me believe Evelyn abandoned me?”
Victor looked away.
“Yes.”
Dominic felt something inside him break.
“You let me hate her.”
“I thought it would keep you focused.”
Dominic stared.
“Focused on what?”
“The empire.”
Dominic laughed.
The sound was empty.
“You destroyed my life so I would run your business.”
Victor's face remained still.
“Yes.”
Dominic looked at him.
“I hate you.”
Victor nodded.
“I know.”
“No.”
Dominic moved closer.
“You don't know.”
Victor looked at him.
“You have no idea what I lost.”
Victor's voice was quiet.
“I know exactly what you lost.”
Dominic stopped.
Victor continued.
“Because I lost the same things.”
For a moment, father and son stared at each other.
Then the door to Lucas's room opened.
A doctor stepped out.
“He's stable.”
Evelyn immediately entered.
Dominic followed.
Lucas was awake.
He looked at Eli and Noah.
The three boys stared at each other.
Lucas pointed.
“Little moon.”
Eli smiled.
Noah looked confused.
“Why do you call him that?”
Lucas looked at Eli.
“Because his heart sounds different.”
Dominic froze.
The doctor turned.
“What did he say?”
Lucas placed one hand on Eli's chest.
Then on Noah's.
He frowned.
“Not him.”
The doctor stared.
“What?”
Lucas pointed at Eli.
“Little moon.”
Then Noah.
“Sun.”
Evelyn looked at Dominic.
Dominic felt the blood drain from his face.
Lucas had known.
For three years.
He had known which twin was different.
The doctor examined the boys.
Then his expression changed.
He looked at Dominic.
“We need to run tests.”
Dominic's voice became cold.
“Why?”
The doctor looked toward Eli.
“Because the child may have the same genetic marker as Lucas.”
Victor appeared in the doorway.
His eyes moved to Eli.
And for the first time, Dominic saw something dangerous in his father's face.
Not love.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Victor whispered:
“That is the child I was looking for.”
Dominic immediately moved between Victor and Eli.
“No.”
Victor looked at him.
“You don't understand.”
Dominic's voice became cold.
“I understand enough.”
Victor's expression hardened.
“Your son may be the only person who can save his brother.”
Dominic stared.
“What?”
Victor pointed toward Lucas.
“Lucas is dying.”
Then toward Eli.
“And Eli may be the only one who can save him.”
Dominic looked at his two sons.
The truth was beginning to emerge.
The missing child had been taken because of a rare condition.
But the child Victor had truly wanted—
May you like
Had been beside Evelyn the entire time.
And now, to save one son, Dominic might have to risk another.
