Chapter 29 - Leonard's TruthLeonard finally agreed to speak to Adrian privately.
No attorneys.
No cameras.
“I didn't know Charles intended to kill her,” Leonard said.
Adrian remained standing.
“You knew she was being threatened.”
“Yes.”
“You approved surveillance.”
“Yes.”
“You helped cover up the poisoned schools.”
Leonard looked away.
“Yes.”
“And after the crash?”
Leonard's voice became weak.
“Graham told me Julianne had died.”
“You arranged the false funeral.”
“I agreed to it.”
“Why?”
“Because Charles said if investigators discovered she was alive, everything would collapse.”
Adrian stared at his father.
“So you let me bury Donna Pike.”
Leonard nodded.
“And my child?”
“I was told the baby didn't survive.”
“Did you believe that?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
Leonard began crying.
Adrian had never seen him cry.
“Years later Graham told me Miriam Shaw had disappeared with a child.”
Adrian went perfectly still.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“For how long?”
Leonard whispered:
“Eighteen years.”
Adrian felt something inside him close forever.
“You knew I had a daughter.”
“I didn't know for certain.”
“You chose not to know.”
Leonard covered his face.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“No.”
Adrian stepped toward the door.
“You were protecting yourself.”
Leonard called his name.
Adrian stopped.
“I loved you,” Leonard said.
Adrian looked back.
“Then you should have loved me more than you loved being powerful.”
May you like
He walked away.
For the first time in his life, Adrian did not look back at his father.
Related Stories
