Chapter 8 - The First Child of Lumen
Dr. Sarah reviewed the files through the night.
At sunrise, she entered Audrey’s secure hospital suite with a face that revealed she had not slept.
“SB-001 was an infant treated with an early form of Lumen therapy,” she said.
“Julian?”
“The birth date matches. So does the neonatal facility.”
Audrey looked through the glass partition at Sam sleeping in the adjoining room.
“What does ‘identity altered’ mean?”
“We don’t know.”
“Was Julian adopted?”
“Possibly. Or his birth records were changed for another reason.”
Sarah opened a scanned chart.
“The infant was born with severe respiratory failure. Based on these notes, survival was considered unlikely. Helen administered an experimental intervention.”
“My mother saved him.”
“It appears so.”
“And years later, he helped steal her research.”
Sarah said nothing.
The irony was too cruel to require explanation.
Caleb joined them by video call.
He had traced SB-001 through archived hospital billing records.
The infant’s original surname had not been Sterling.
It had been Vale.
Audrey leaned toward the screen.
“Julian was born into Victoria’s family?”
“Possibly,” Caleb said. “But the birth certificate was amended six weeks later. The listed parents became Richard and Elaine Sterling.”
Julian’s adoptive parents had died when he was in college.
He claimed they had been distant and emotionally cold.
“Who were the original parents?” Audrey asked.
“The mother was seventeen-year-old Caroline Vale.”
“Victoria’s aunt.”
“Yes. Caroline disappeared from public records after the birth. The father was not listed.”
Audrey’s stomach tightened.
“Does Victoria know Julian may be her cousin?”
“We don’t know.”
Sarah turned another page.
“There’s more. SB-001 was not the only patient whose identity changed. At least nine infants were transferred under sealed records.”
“Why?”
“Possibly to conceal unauthorized trials.”
“Did they survive?”
“Some did.”
Evelyn entered with a federal investigator named Lena Ortiz.
Ortiz had worked financial crimes for fifteen years and had the controlled patience of someone accustomed to waiting for liars to contradict themselves.
“We need to separate the investigations,” Ortiz said. “The forged asset transfers are one case. The patent theft is another. The neonatal records could involve unlawful experimentation, trafficking or falsified identities.”
“Trafficking?” Audrey repeated.
“We don’t know enough yet.”
“But you think children may have been moved.”
“I think records were altered.”
Audrey thought of the message written in blood.
Room 317 had revealed more than Marcus could have explained in person.
Perhaps that was why he had sent her there.
“Can we cancel the wedding confrontation and arrest Julian now?” Sarah asked.
Ortiz looked at Evelyn.
“We do not yet have enough to connect him directly to the oldest crimes.”
“But you have the forged shares,” Audrey said.
“We can move on those. However, immediate action may alert other participants and endanger Marcus Reed.”
Audrey stared at Ortiz.
“You believe he’s alive.”
“We received a communication from a device previously used by him.”
“What did it say?”
Ortiz hesitated.
“Proceed with the wedding.”
“That’s all?”
“No.”
She handed Audrey a printout.
The full message read:
PROCEED WITH THE WEDDING. THE VALES WILL MOVE THE ORIGINAL LEDGER WHEN THE INVESTMENT CLOSES.
“What ledger?” Audrey asked.
“We believe it contains identities of the altered patients and financial records connected to Lumen.”
“So the wedding is covering a business transaction.”
Ortiz nodded.
“Vale Capital plans to invest two hundred million dollars into Sterling Biotech immediately after the ceremony.”
“Using stolen patents as security.”
“That is our working theory.”
Evelyn spoke carefully.
“If the Bennett Trust activates before the investment closes, Julian no longer has authority to pledge those patents.”
“And the transaction collapses,” Audrey said.
“Yes.”
Ortiz looked at her.
“Which may force the Vales to move the ledger or attempt to destroy it.”
Audrey understood.
“You want me to trigger the panic.”
“We want you to proceed only if you are willing.”
Sarah objected.
“She is recovering from childbirth.”
“And I am sitting right here,” Audrey said.
Everyone fell silent.
Audrey rose from the chair.
Her body still hurt, but she was stronger each day.
“Julian invited me because he wanted a witness to my replacement. Victoria wanted me humiliated in public. They expect me to arrive weak, emotional and alone.”
Evelyn watched her.
“And what will you arrive as?”
“The legal trustee of the child who owns everything they tried to steal.”
Ortiz placed a small device on the table.
“A protected communication transmitter. Keep it on you.”
Audrey picked it up.
“Will you arrest them at the wedding?”
“If the evidence supports it.”
“That sounds uncertain.”
“It is.”
Audrey turned toward the window.
The city glittered beneath the morning sun.
“What happens if Julian learns who his birth mother was?”
“That may destabilize him,” Sarah said.
“He is already dangerous when angry.”
“We do not reveal that at the wedding,” Ortiz said. “The priority is financial fraud and recovery of the ledger.”
Audrey agreed.
But later, alone beside Sam’s crib, she opened the file again.
Caroline Vale.
Age seventeen.
Infant male transferred after experimental treatment.
Identity sealed.
A handwritten note appeared at the bottom.
Father claims no knowledge. C.V. insists infant must be hidden from him.
The father’s name had been blacked out.
Someone had later written three initials beside it.
S.B.
Audrey felt the room grow colder.
May you like
Samuel Bennett.
Her grandfather.
