Chapter 6 - The Secret Caroline Died ProtectingAndrew replayed the recording three times.
“They know about Alex.”
Nothing followed.
No explanation.
Only silence.
Detective Reed listened the next morning.
“What could that mean?”
Andrew shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Elizabeth stood by the window.
“Maybe Alex saw something before that night.”
Andrew looked at his son.
Alex sat at the table drawing.
For months, his therapist had asked him to draw his feelings.
Most pictures were dark scribbles.
Today he was drawing people.
A woman with yellow hair.
A little boy.
A man wearing a dark suit.
Another man beside a red car.
Andrew sat next to him.
“Who’s that?”
Alex pointed.
“Mom.”
“Me?”
The boy nodded.
Andrew touched the figure beside the red car.
“And him?”
Alex stopped drawing.
“Marcus.”
Reed moved closer.
“How do you know Marcus?”
Alex looked at her.
“He came before.”
“Before Mommy died?”
Alex nodded.
“How many times?”
He held up three fingers.
“Did Mommy know?”
Alex shook his head.
Andrew’s skin prickled.
“Where did you see him?”
Alex drew a small square.
Then another.
A window.
“Outside.”
“At the house?”
“Yes.”
“What was he doing?”
Alex drew a camera.
Reed’s eyes narrowed.
“He was watching the house.”
Alex nodded.
Then he pointed at the picture of himself.
“He took me.”
Andrew’s chair scraped backward.
“What?”
Elizabeth immediately knelt beside Alex.
“Alex, did Marcus take you somewhere?”
“Car.”
Andrew’s face went white.
“When?”
Alex struggled.
“Before Mom fell.”
“How long before?”
The boy did not understand.
Elizabeth tried another question.
“Was it after your birthday?”
Alex nodded.
His birthday had been three weeks before Caroline died.
Andrew fought to remain calm.
“Where did he take you?”
“Doctor.”
Reed and Andrew exchanged a look.
“Dr. Lang?”
Alex nodded.
Andrew’s stomach turned.
“Why?”
Alex touched his arm.
“Need blood.”
Andrew stood.
“No.”
Reed lifted a hand.
“Andrew.”
“He took my son without permission?”
Alex shook his head.
“Lucinda said okay.”
The room became silent.
Lucinda had been listed as an emergency contact.
She had told Alex they were going for ice cream.
Instead, she and Marcus had taken him to Lang.
“Why would they need Alex’s blood?” Elizabeth asked.
Reed frowned.
“We need records.”
The answer arrived hours later.
Lang’s clinic maintained an illegal private database.
DNA.
Blood work.
Medical vulnerabilities.
Family histories.
Information wealthy people would pay to keep secret.
But Alex’s record was unusual.
His DNA had been run against another sample.
The sample belonged to Andrew’s father.
Samuel Vaughn.
The billionaire founder of Vaughn Holdings.
Andrew stared at the report.
“Why compare Alex with my father?”
Reed read further.
“Because someone wanted to prove biological lineage.”
Andrew laughed in disbelief.
“He’s my son.”
“Obviously.”
“Then what was the point?”
Elizabeth suddenly spoke.
“Your father’s trust.”
Andrew looked at her.
“What?”
“You once mentioned that control of Vaughn Holdings passes to the oldest verified biological descendant if something happens to you.”
Andrew froze.
It was an old provision.
Samuel Vaughn had written it decades earlier after a bitter inheritance fight.
If Andrew died without a biological heir, controlling shares would pass to Andrew’s cousin.
But if Alex was confirmed as Andrew’s biological son, the shares were protected in trust for him.
Andrew whispered, “Marcus wanted to know who would inherit.”
Reed nodded slowly.
“And once the test proved Alex was unquestionably your heir…”
Andrew looked at the recording.
“They know about Alex.”
Caroline had discovered that Marcus was researching the inheritance.
Not just stealing money.
Planning something around succession.
Reed called the prosecutor handling Lucinda and Marcus.
Within an hour, Marcus requested a deal.
He wanted to speak.
Without Lucinda.
Without Lang.
Andrew watched through the observation window at the police station.
Marcus looked exhausted.
But not remorseful.
Reed sat across from him.
“Why did you test Alex?”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Because Samuel Vaughn’s trust is worth three billion dollars.”
Andrew’s stomach twisted.
“And?”
“Lucinda believed Andrew would eventually marry her.”
Reed’s expression did not change.
Marcus continued.
“But marriage meant nothing if Alex remained the heir.”
Andrew gripped the edge of the observation table.
Reed asked, “Were you planning to hurt Alex?”
Marcus looked toward the mirrored glass.
Andrew knew he was there.
“No.”
“Then why confirm the bloodline?”
Marcus leaned back.
“Because Lang had a client who was willing to pay an enormous amount for information about Vaughn succession.”
“Who?”
Marcus smiled.
“You think Lucinda is the villain.”
Reed stared at him.
“She helped kill Caroline.”
“She helped cover up Caroline’s death.”
“That distinction won’t save her.”
Marcus’s smile disappeared.
“But Lucinda didn’t start this.”
“Who did?”
Marcus leaned forward.
“Ask Andrew who benefits if both he and Alex disappear.”
Andrew felt cold.
There was only one person immediately after them in the Vaughn trust.
His cousin.
Nathaniel Vaughn.
A man Andrew had trusted since childhood.
A man who had stood beside him at Caroline’s funeral.
A man who had been named Alex’s guardian in Andrew’s original will.
Andrew whispered to himself.
“No.”
Marcus looked directly toward the glass.
Almost as if he could see him.
May you like
Then he said:
“Nathaniel paid Lang to find out whether Alex was really Andrew’s son.”
Related Stories
