Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Ledger
Julian sank onto the edge of the vinyl visitor's chair, burying his face in his hands. "Uncle Arthur died of leukemia in 1992. That’s what my mother told me my entire life. There’s a headstone in the family plot at Oakridge."
"There's a stone, yes," Clara replied, shifting Maya so the baby could nurse, shielding her with the hospital gown. "My father was an archivist for the county before he retired, Julian. When the clinic kept delaying our IVF paperwork three months ago, I asked him to pull the old incorporation files for the Vance Institute."
Julian looked up through his fingers. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were worshiping your mother’s business acumen," Clara said frankly. "Every decision about our marriage, our house, and our pregnancy had to go through Victoria's board. I felt like an incubator for her legacy. So I looked into how that legacy started."
She took a breath, letting the steady rhythm of the heart monitor ground her. "The Vance Institute wasn't founded by your father. It was registered under Arthur Vance in 1990. He was a geneticist specializing in stem-cell storage. In 1994, he was arrested for illegal embryo manipulation and tampering with medical records. Then, three days after his arrest, the courthouse burned down."
Julian felt the room tilting. "The fire... they said it was an electrical malfunction that wiped out half the municipal records."
"And the lead witness in Arthur’s trial," Clara continued, "was Victoria Vance. After the records burned, Arthur disappeared. Not dead. Missing. Three months later, Victoria presented you to the world as her newborn son by her late husband."
Julian’s breath turned shallow. "If I'm not her son... who am I?"
"The lab found a familial match to Arthur," Clara whispered. "Julian, you aren't Julian Vance, the heir to the real estate fortune. You’re Arthur’s biological child. And whoever Victoria used to fertilize my embryo at that clinic... she used Arthur's frozen line."
May you like
Julian’s phone buzzed sharply on the nightstand. The screen lit up with an unknown number. He swiped it on speaker.
A raspy, unfamiliar voice broke through the speaker: "Julian. If you want to survive what your mother is planning tonight, do not leave that hospital room."
