Chapter 10: The Son Hidden by a Lie
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
The message remained on Claire’s phone.
Six words.
Six words powerful enough to destroy everything Lucas believed about himself.
*Now tell him who his real father was.*
And beneath it—
*Eleanor Bennett.*
Lucas stared at the screen until the letters blurred.
"No.""
The word came out quietly.
Almost like a denial meant only for himself.
Claire slowly lowered the phone.
"Lucas...""
"No.""
This time louder.
He stepped away.
"My mother was Eleanor Bennett?""
Richard looked at him with pain in his eyes.
"Not your mother.""
Lucas turned sharply.
"What does that mean?""
The older man struggled to find the right words.
"Eleanor wasn't your biological mother.""
The confusion on Lucas's face was immediate.
"Then why did the message say that?""
Richard looked toward Claire.
Because he knew.
Claire knew too.
And neither wanted to say it first.
Finally, Claire spoke.
"My mother raised you.""
Lucas froze.
"What?""
Claire swallowed.
"Not officially.""
The room became unbearable.
"Explain.""
Richard closed his eyes.
"Fifteen years ago, Eleanor discovered your real identity.""
Lucas stared.
"My real identity?""
Richard nodded.
"You were never supposed to become an Everhart.""
The words cut deeper than anything else.
Lucas had spent his entire life carrying the Everhart name.
He built his company with it.
He defended it.
He believed it was his inheritance.
Now he was being told it was a carefully constructed illusion.
"Who am I?""
Richard looked at him.
"I don't know the entire truth.""
Lucas laughed bitterly.
"Of course you don't.""
The pain in his voice was impossible to ignore.
"You knew all of this.""
Richard looked ashamed.
"You knew I wasn't really your son.""
"Lucas—"
"No.""
He stepped closer.
"You let me grow up believing a lie.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"Everyone says that.""
His voice cracked.
"Everyone says they are protecting me.""
Silence.
Because he was right.
Every secret had been hidden behind the same excuse.
Protection.
But secrets did not protect people.
They trapped them.
Claire watched Lucas carefully.
She recognized that expression.
The look of someone whose entire foundation had collapsed.
"When did you find out?"" she asked Richard.
The question surprised him.
"What?""
"When did you find out Lucas wasn't an Everhart by blood?""
Richard looked away.
"Shortly after Daniel and his wife brought him home.""
Lucas stared.
"Home?""
Richard nodded.
"Your parents weren't your biological parents.""
The words felt strange.
Wrong.
"Who were they?""
Richard hesitated.
"That is the question Eleanor spent years trying to answer.""
Claire stepped closer.
"My mother knew.""
Richard looked at her.
"Yes.""
"How?""
"Because she helped hide him.""
Lucas looked between them.
"Why?""
Richard's expression changed.
"Because your biological parents were murdered.""
The room became silent.
Lucas felt cold.
"Murdered?""
Richard nodded.
"They were scientists.""
Claire added quietly:
"They worked on the original artificial intelligence project.""
Lucas looked at her.
The connection finally appeared.
His entire life.
His career.
His obsession with technology.
Was not coincidence.
"Who killed them?""
Richard didn't answer.
That was enough.
Lucas already knew.
"The same person who tried to destroy my mother.""
Richard looked at him.
"Yes.""
"But you don't know who.""
"No.""
A pause.
"Or at least, I didn't.""
Lucas looked confused.
"What does that mean?""
Richard reached into the drawer beside his bed.
He pulled out a small black notebook.
"I found this after the attack.""
Claire recognized it immediately.
"My mother's notebook.""
Richard nodded.
"Your mother gave it to me before she disappeared.""
Claire looked shocked.
"Why?""
Richard looked down.
"Because she knew I was weak.""
The admission was painful.
"She knew I loved the Everhart name more than the truth.""
Lucas stared.
"And now?""
Richard looked at him.
"Now I know she was right.""
He handed the notebook to Claire.
She opened it carefully.
Inside were pages of notes.
Names.
Locations.
Research.
Then she stopped.
One page had been marked.
At the top was a name.
*Lucas Everhart.*
Her hands tightened.
"What does it say?""
Claire didn't answer.
Lucas stepped closer.
She turned the notebook toward him.
The page contained one sentence.
*If anything happens to me, protect Lucas. He is the final piece.*
Lucas stared.
"The final piece?""
Claire turned another page.
More handwriting.
More information.
Then they found it.
A diagram.
A family tree.
Except Lucas wasn't connected to the Everhart family.
He was connected to Eleanor.
And beneath his name was another name.
His biological father.
Lucas whispered:
"That can't be.""
Because the name was impossible.
The person had been dead for years.
The person was someone every technology company in America knew.
Someone considered a genius.
Someone who changed the future of artificial intelligence.
*Nathaniel Bennett.*
Claire looked at him.
"My grandfather.""
Lucas looked at her.
"No.""
She nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
His biological father was Eleanor Bennett's brother.
Meaning Claire and Lucas weren't strangers.
They were family.
And suddenly, the entire mystery became even more dangerous.
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Because someone hadn't just tried to steal technology.
They had tried to erase an entire bloodline.
