Chapter 8 - The Secret Evelyn Kept for Twelve Years
For the first time since Adrian had entered the room, Evelyn looked more afraid of a question than of the gun.
Celeste saw it too.
"Go on."
Adrian untied the final rope around his mother's wrists.
"Mom."
Evelyn rubbed the deep marks left by the restraints.
"Don't listen to her."
"Then tell me she's lying."
Celeste laughed.
"She can't."
Adrian turned toward Celeste.
"You tied an elderly woman to a chair and put a gun to her head. Nothing you say has much credibility."
"Fair."
She lifted her hands.
"But that doesn't make me wrong."
Adrian picked up the handgun and emptied the magazine.
Then he placed the weapon across the room.
"Sit."
Celeste remained standing.
"Sit."
Something in his voice convinced her.
She lowered herself onto the sofa.
Adrian called emergency services.
Before he finished, Celeste said quietly.
"If the police come, Roman disappears."
Adrian looked at her.
"So he is alive."
Celeste smiled.
"I didn't say that."
"You just did."
"No. You heard what you wanted."
Evelyn suddenly stood.
"We need to leave."
Adrian turned.
"Mom?"
"Now."
"Why?"
Evelyn looked toward the windows.
"Because Celeste didn't come here alone."
Adrian froze.
Celeste's smile vanished.
"How do you know that?"
Evelyn stared at her.
"Because Roman never sends one person."
Silence.
Adrian looked between them.
"You know him."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"Yes."
"How well?"
"Adrian..."
"How well?"
She sat down again.
"Twelve years ago, the night Roman disappeared, your father wasn't alone on that yacht."
Adrian remembered Lucas's story.
"Lucas said Dad was there."
"So was I."
Celeste leaned forward.
Adrian stared at his mother.
"What happened?"
Evelyn's voice trembled.
"Roman discovered Thomas had been gathering evidence against Orchard."
"The network they built."
Evelyn nodded.
"Roman demanded the files."
"What files?"
"Records of accounts. Names. Officials. Businessmen. Law enforcement."
"The ledger?"
"An earlier version."
Adrian sat opposite her.
"Then what happened?"
"Thomas arranged to meet Roman on the yacht."
"To give him the files?"
"To convince him to disappear."
Adrian laughed bitterly.
"That sounds like Dad."
"Thomas believed Roman still loved him."
"Did he?"
Evelyn looked toward Celeste.
"Roman loved nothing."
Celeste said softly.
"That's true."
Adrian turned sharply.
"You've met him."
Celeste did not answer.
Evelyn continued.
"I hid below deck."
"Why?"
"Thomas asked me to."
"Why bring you at all?"
"He was afraid."
That surprised Adrian.
He had rarely seen his father afraid of anything.
"They argued for nearly an hour."
"Then?"
"Roman pulled a gun."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Thomas rushed him."
Evelyn's hands tightened together.
"The gun fired into the deck. Roman hit his head against the railing."
"The blood."
"Yes."
"Did he fall overboard?"
"No."
Adrian became still.
"Then why did Dad tell police he did?"
Evelyn looked at him.
"Because Roman left."
"What?"
"He woke up."
"After hitting his head?"
"Yes."
"And walked away?"
"He forced Thomas to bring the yacht back toward shore."
Adrian shook his head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"Roman had the gun."
"What happened when you reached land?"
"A boat was waiting."
"Whose?"
"I don't know."
"Roman left?"
"Yes."
"Alive."
"Yes."
Adrian stood.
"So Dad knew from the beginning."
"Yes."
"He let everyone believe his brother was dead."
"Roman threatened you."
Adrian stopped.
"Me?"
"He told Thomas that if anyone learned he survived, you would die."
Adrian looked away.
His entire adult life had been built on a false story.
"Why didn't you tell me after Dad died?"
"Because I believed Roman had killed him."
"Yet you stayed silent."
"I was trying to keep you alive."
Adrian looked back.
"By letting Celeste live in our house?"
"I didn't know about Celeste until Thomas died."
Celeste spoke.
"That's not completely true."
Evelyn glared at her.
"Be quiet."
Celeste ignored her.
"Your mother met me before you did."
Adrian looked at Evelyn.
Again, she hesitated.
"Mom?"
"It was brief."
"When?"
"Three months before you met her."
Adrian's anger rose.
"Where?"
"A charity gala."
Celeste laughed.
"Not a charity gala."
Evelyn's face changed.
Celeste continued.
"It was in Switzerland."
Adrian stared at his mother.
"You went to Switzerland?"
"Thomas and I were investigating Roman."
"And Celeste was there?"
Evelyn nodded.
"She was meeting someone connected to him."
Adrian turned to Celeste.
"Who?"
Celeste smiled.
"Your father."
Adrian felt his pulse slow.
"What?"
"Thomas recruited me before Roman did."
Evelyn stood.
"She's lying."
"No."
Celeste's voice became almost gentle.
"Thomas paid me to get close to Roman's network."
Adrian said nothing.
"He wanted someone young. Someone Roman didn't know. Someone who could move between social circles without attracting attention."
"Why you?"
"My father owed Roman money."
Celeste looked down.
"Thomas offered to clear the debt."
"Then how did you end up with me?"
For the first time, pain appeared in her expression.
"That wasn't part of the original plan."
Adrian almost believed her.
Almost.
"You expect me to believe our relationship was accidental?"
"No."
Celeste met his eyes.
"Meeting you was arranged."
The words hurt even though he had already suspected them.
"But falling in love with you wasn't."
Adrian laughed once.
"Love?"
"I did love you."
"You drugged my mother."
"Because she found the ledger."
"You put a gun to her head."
"Because if Roman gets that book, thousands of people are exposed."
"Then why were you giving it to him?"
Celeste looked confused.
"I wasn't."
"You demanded the safe code."
"To destroy the ledger."
Adrian stared.
"Why?"
"Because Thomas made one mistake."
"What?"
"He believed evidence could stop Roman."
Celeste leaned forward.
"It can't."
A sound came from upstairs.
One floorboard creaked.
Everyone heard it.
Adrian turned toward the staircase.
Celeste stood instantly.
"He's here."
Adrian looked at her.
"Roman?"
Celeste's face had lost all color.
"No."
She whispered.
May you like
"Worse."
Then every light in Vale House went out.
